The Labor enquirer., 1884-02-23
TO the Thousand Cases it Will
Fit Throughout this
Land.
Words for the Perusal Of Nom
Union Men and Strike !.
i Workers.
The Competitive System Nurtured
by the Despoilers Of All
!. Labor.

The lockout of the Blacksmiths' and
Blacksmiths' Helpers unions deserves
the serious attention and consideration
of all working people as well that of the
employing class.
1t will be remembered that this is the
second local instance within the year
wherein working people have been re-
fused employment because of their be-
coming members of labor organizations.
Without pausing to dilate upon the
wrongful and tyrannous assumption of
the employer who attempts to dictate as
to what his employees shall do after
working hours, without citing the self
evident fact that such action on the part
of capital will inevitably bring in return
violent acts of revenge, I desire to call
the attention of both wageworker and
capitalist to few economic features con-
nected with the point at issue.
The proprietors of the Call claim that
their capital is in reality stored-up labor
or savings accumulated by themselves in
past times and that they confer benefit
upon the wageworker then they put
these to use in the employment of labor. =
The firm Of Prescott, Scott & Co. claim
the same thing-thls theory being the
accepted theory of the capitalistic po-
litical economists. Yet nothing can be
more false, The capital Of each consists
merely of the people who serve as their
wage-slaves-
1t needs but an illustration to make
the matter evident. Let US admit for
the sake of such illustration that Pres
colt, Scott & Co.'s capital, 100000 has
been saved by them in times past. With
this 100000 they employ men and pro-
duce by their labor products to the value
of 100000. Now they sell these pro.
ducts to the employees of the Call for
$l50,00O. Here is $4,000 increased value
over the above cost, which the consumer
has to pay. Either Prescott, Scott &
Co. have robbed their own workmen out
of this extra amount in the shape of un.
paid wages, or they have robbed the en-
ployes Of the Call of it by forcing them
to pay that much above the just price.
In either case the producer, the wage
worker, is the man who has to foot the
bill. -
The least thought in the world now
makes it evident that far from Prescott,
Scott & Co. supporting their men, it is
the men who support Prescott, Scott &
Co. This being the fact of the case, the
simple tyranny of any attempt upon
their part to interfere with the outside
actions of the men off whose labor they
live, becomes apparent were it not 80
before. The sad fact that there exist
other wage-slaves who are 80 miserable
as to be willing, not only to be robbed
hut tyrannized over in this way, and
who will take the places of the present
employees if they do not submit to the
will of Prescott, Scott & Co., does not
alter the injustice of the case.
These other wageworkers ought to see
plainly that they are cutting their own
and their children's throats by acting as
"scabs"-by taking the places of their
fellow workers who resist the tyranny
of Prescott, Scott & Co. Carry the par
allel out. Some day Scott will reduce
wages, will insist upon his men taking
still lower percentage of what they then
earn, because the success in the one in
stance will have shown the road. Then
will be inaugurated the terrible march
of competition, the inevitable result of
which is, first a reduction of wages to
such point as gives but bare living,
next the reduction Of the standard of
living, then a further reduction of wages
to a lower point and so on, until at last
the Chinese standard is reached and
under it the workers are bound in the
chains of a perpetual and helpless
slavery.
There is no remedy for this save in the
organization of the working people to
resist the operation of this law. When
their right to organize is questioned, the
life of the working class is threatened.
Besides this, though Irving Scott and
Company may not clearly see it, yet
their attempt in these times to thus en-
slave their workers is, to say the least,
dangerous.
| They foster hatred which can end in
but one of two ways, either in the abso-
lutte, perpetual slavery of the worker or
the utter downfall of the employer.
Blind indeed are they who do not see
that a desperate and starving working
class, when driven to the last point will
not starve.
And when this point is reached, when
riot, confagration, and the Terror come,
the guilt of blood will not be upon the
workers but on the masters. Their own
hands will have applied the torch,
planted thea dagger and brought again
on earth the reign of death and desola-
tion. BuRNETTE g. HASKELL,