Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-02-04
Ili.Advlsed kirlk o..

nave gone ON strike on account OF
reduction of wages, cannot be given tn
credit Of exercising commendable wis
dom under the circumstances. Strike
during falling market have Away
one will not do the same, the history
OF strikes will be reversed They
sometimes succeed when the markets
are tending upwards, and often ar
actually necessary for the protection o
workmen in their rights in fact the,
are the only weapon worknlen have
against crushing monopolies that wan
both the pound of flesh and ounce o
blood.
The primary cause of the Fall Rive
strike is reduction in wages, by which
the men say they could not make NOR,
than eight dollars per week, beside,
which they say that since 1874 wage,
in their trade have been cut down
forty .one per cent, and that there has
seldom been rise after fall in wages
No doubt there is cause enough for 8
strike but that does not excuse the
suicidal policy of a strike at the pre-
sent time
AT meeting of the operatives, some
OF them more cautious than others, sug'
gested that they were not in Il financial
condition at this time for strike, and
that they could not maintain themselves
without work long enough to force
their employers TO terms. Words of
caution, however, We're disregarded and
the strike ordered.
1t is hard to see how the strike can
prove other than disastrous to the
operatives. They have agreed amongst
themselves to pay every single man
four dollars week during the strike,
and every married man four dollars and
fifty cents, and twenty-five cents addi-
tional for every child.
1t will take at these rates not less
than thirty-tive thousand dollars
week, and there is no ground for belief
that they have any considerable reserve
fund on hand to bridge them over the
difficulty.
The history of other strikes, especially
that of the telegraph operators, show
that but little can be depended upon
from other trade organizations. Though
all Trades Unions profess to be bound
together as one sympathizing whole, a
considerable spirit of scltishness as
serts itself when the cash is to be paid
out.
Very likely this strike will inure more
to the benefit Of the manufacturer tlan
to the operatives. The condition of
manufacturing interests is such that
business is depressed, and shortened
hours of labor and reduced wages are
the only things that will enable them to
keep their manufactures in operation.
1t is said that the only alternatives left
them were either total shutting down
for few months, or n reduction of
wages, but as the winter was severe,
and many Of the operatives with large
families dependent upon them for sup
port would be- rendered destitute, they
concluded to accept the alternative of "A
reduction Of wages on the principle that
a halfa loaf was better than no bread.
Strikes made by men who are in des-
tltute circumstances are always ill-ad-
vised and certain TO fail, and yet,
strange to say, workingmen 50 often
make a blunder of striking Just vixen
the manufacturers have the least OBJ
jections to the strike.
A few weeks without work will put
these operatives more than ever in the
power of their employers, because deS-
titutiOn will in the end force them to
accept even lower wages than those
against which they struck. The aban-
donment Of work by so many people
must produce widespread suffering, and
il il not the manufacturers that will
bear the greater part Of it. 1t will fall
most heavily upon the most helpless :;
upon the women and children upon
the aged, the sick and the crippled.
OF course these operatives or any
other class Of woTkmen have the privi-
le1e of stopping work if they choose to
d , 50 at any time, but it is certainly
shortsightcd policy to stop in the mid
die Of winter, when work is scarce and
when the reserve fund is very low. A
little patience would have been much
wiser at this time. The end Of winter
promises to bring a revival of trade, and
then with orders flowing into the mills,
the operatives would havea much better
chance of obtaining n more reasonable
rate Of wages. Anybody that has en-
ployment now, even at reduced wages, |
had better hold on to il at least until |