Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-07-25
TRUTHS FOR THINKING MEN.

(New York Commercial Bull, tin)
The demngogic utterances in the two
Chicago pl' tforms with reference to wages
hours Of labor, etc, are beginning to bring
fourth their natural fruit. The response
is quick, and it promises to become gener-
al Strikes for less time and higher wages
have been started in the building and kin.
lsed trades in New York, Brooklyn, Phil
adelphn and other cities, under the au.
spices of The Labor Unions, acting under
The bosship OF the Knigh,s of Labor, who
are coming TO he quite an Important fa C.
tor in poliiics, and for whose snffrages the
managers of the two great parties ut this
moment are in active competition. As re.
CARDS the building trades, the movement is
inaugurated al a time when m ny impor-
taht contracts are IN course OF execution
and the contractors, therefore will proba-
bly, have no alternative but to comply with
the demands made mpon them until work
in hand is out Of The way, when the silua.
iion M usual will lie reversed. With re-
gard to other industries, il may be re-
marked that these strikes are foolislily I'M
dertaken al a lime when trade il still
greatly depressed, business embarrass-
nents still unpleasanly numerous, and
| with mills, factories and furnaces closing
| mp in various parts of the country. OF
c0ursc, the movement will not succeed but
| the fact that il il undertaken at all, under
such circumstances, has peculiar signili-
cance that does not escape attention. We
doubt whether 1t would have been inau-
gurated nj all but Tor the labor and wages
planks in the two platforms, which were
manufactured with the express design Of
capturing or rconcilating the workingmen's =
snifrages in the interest Of the respective
Presidential candidates, and which have
served TO immensely magnify the self-im /.
portance Of the persons who figure rs high
sounding grind commanders, presidents,
treasurers, ETC., Of the Knights of Labor,
ETC., ETC.,
A nsbler school of statesmanship, or
perhaps we should say, less selfish rule
of action on the part ofour public men-be
their party or political procliyilies what
they nny-w0uld he above the shallow,
but none the less mi'chievous, efforts to
mislead, or deceive while cajoling, the
industrial clnsses which are visible in these
two platforms. No possible good can come
to the workingmen by foolish pledges or
promises about thus reducing his hours OF
labor, or keeping his wages mp 10 such
and such standard. These things are
beyond the province of legislation but po' :
ihcians fancy they are able 10 control and
direct them. There are certain natural
laws and economic principles which will
work out their own results, in spite OF
mans ingenuity or cunning to the contra
ry; and among these IL the law OF supply
and demand, which is the only trne rcgli
lator OF hours of labor, ms well az the wage
value OF that labor under free competition
in the worlds markets. All the paper
platforms or political declarations that
can be evolved from the inner conscious
meas OF JOnrneymen statesmen are impoten
as against these laws, however much III,
former, for selfish purpo'es, may resolve
or promise, or pledge TO the contrary
When the great body OF the working peo
Pile recognize and act upon this truth, The,
win be less prone than we fear they are al
present TO fall prey to the tricks an,
traps Of the professional denlsgogue.