The Labor enquirer., 1884-08-16
SLAVES AND BEGGARS.
A 40 Per Cent Cut and the Pitiable
Plight Of the unorganized
Victims.

Plight Of the Unorganized
Victims.
Irish World Staff Correspondence.
Some time ago / was called upon and
solicited to address meeting of opera
tives who had been victims of an out
rageous cut-down Of upwards Of 40 per
cent at one stroke.
Aye, am already little before my
story, for in truth was not solicited to
address the operatives. i was told when
solicited that the aggrieved operatives
themselves would probably not make
themselves prominent in the meeting.
They themselves were afraid to take any
very prominent part for fear Of being
black-listed. The meeting was to be
made up of a promisouous audience
through which outside speakers would
be permitted to get hearing which thus
indirectly might come to the employing
bosses.
What kind of times are we living In in,
this free country when men whose wages
have been despoticallY and without
warning cut down. 40 per cent dare not
even be seen in meeting called to set
forth and discuss their grievances for
fear of being black listed and kicked out?
Yet scores Of these outraged operatives
actually hung about the corners outside,
and dared not come inside. AS usual
the ladies bless their dear souls boldly
marched into the meeting and filled
most of the seats, while their sweet
hearts, great, able-bodied fellows, hung
around outside to hear the news when
they came, out. These brave girls ought
every one Of them to have gone home
with some fellow inside the hall, and
left these timid knights outside to their
reflections, and guess, judging from the
spirit that they showed in the hall, that
some of them did.
When Secretary Robert Howard, of
Fall River, asked the committee if some
of the operatives would not speak for
themselves after he had concluded his
remarks sort of blank terror seemed
to seize upon everybody. Both he and l
urged these men with all the eloquence
we could command to get up like men
and tell their story and not be cringing
slayes. At last a poor orphan girl arose
from her seat and came forward amidst
the cheers Of the audience to the plat
form. A few hissed (God forgive them y
as this poor girl mounted the platform.
With trembling but firm voice she
opened her mouth and told the touching
tale of her oppression and hardships.
I was deeply moved. and / fancy that
some of the male operatives were as
deeply shamed, for the brave heroine
was soon followed by several of the men
and the meeting then assumed business
like shape. God bless Che women |!
How often when timid and calculating
men stand back in these outrageous as
saults Of employers, they put their hearts
and ready instincts to the wheel and
shame the men into manhood. I could
confidently sign the doom of coming OPP
pressors if knew that women like she
who figured so heroically at this meeting
were to be the mothers of the future
sons of toll,
Out of this meeting committee was
organized togo to the employers and beg
that they might remove part of the re-
duction. Mark the word beg, for perfect
slaves dare go no farther than to beg
During prosperous times these operatives
had neglected or refused to organize,
and Secretary Howard told them plainly
that while the spinners of Fall River
were starving on the streets in life and
death struggle these same operatives
(0lneyvine, Rhode Island had been
supplying filling to ''scabs." Utterly un-
organized, now when the markets are
choked with their long-hour production,
what is there left to such slaves but to
beg? To strike now would be futile
when the markets are such that the en-
ployer had rather shut down the whole
mill than not and put his money into a.
new mill which he is building pending
brisker times. Besides this, his splendid
pleasure yacht is lying off at anchor in
the harbor, and to shut down the mill
month and take trip among his fellow
gentry would make him fat and saucy
just in proportion as his starving opera
tors at home were growing tame and
seryile. No, there is nothing left but to
beg. The slave and the beggar are one.
But now witness the operatives com.
mittee of beagsrs on their mission. The
capitalistic journal of the town states
that upon their az preaching their EN-.
ployen 1they were received courteously,
but told With firmness that the 40 per |