Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-11-22

no truth in the assertion that it costs more
TO live in the suburbs of Chicago than
in the Eastern cities. Everybody knows
that workman in Chicago able to make
from $3.50 to $3.50 per day is ex-
ceptionally fortunate, and ought to sup
port his family in comfort and have money
in bank. If the Irondsle workmen had &C
cepted the situation they could have earn
ed high wages during the last ak months,
and their town would now be in flourish
ing condition. Instead, property has de-
preciated, steres are closed, dwellings
abandoned, and the workmen who have
been unable to get away from the place
are hopeless and detected. Irondale is
deserted village, rapidly going to ruin, and
stands IS ft monument TO the Ignorance
and stupidity of men who thought that
they could subvert the laws of trade and
force their employers to pay more wages
than their work was worth in marketable
products. Their six months idleness has
shown them the tallacy of such ideas.
The strike at Irondsle was exceptionally
foolish. and brought ruin after it with ne,
usual rapidity The men were being paid
higher wages than in the competing mills
in the East, and the dullest workman
ought to have seen that IL the Irondale
company increased the rate it would be
undersold by its competitors and run out
of the market. The employers had to
sell their product on the same conditions
that the workmen dispo;ed Of their labor,
ard could not get higher rates than the
market afforded. Between the loss result
ing from shutting down and that from man
ufsctuIiDg and selling at loss there was
only one choice, and the foolish strikers
thus forced the company to close its doors'
| l. would seem that workmen pretending
J to sn ordinary degree Of intelligence ought
/ to have understood that in claiming higher
wages under such circumstances they were
demanding the impossible, and hence we're
only few degrees removed from the Mini
lists, who insist on substantially the came
thing on q somewhat broader scale. A
strike ike that at ron6ale is simply de-
mand that the employer shall pay the work
man wages that be does not earn, which
means that the employer shall go into
bankruptcy as speedily as possible.
A man who reaches the sge OF Il and
still believes that the coercive force OF
strikes can set aside the laws of trade and
secure for the striker wages not earned is
probably beyond hope He will go through
life awaiting himself Of every opportunity
to engage in strikes which break down es
tabhshed industries, ruin prosperous towns,
throw workmen ont Of employment, and
deprive their families OF food and clothing.
The hope for the future is that the children
of these men may be taught that there is
nothing more foolish than O strike for
higher wages in the face of a weak or fall
ing market, aud that it means and can
mean only failure and hunger for those
who engage in it. The story of Irondsle
ought to be understood at least by the chill
dren Of the men who ruined q prosperous
town and beggared themselves by an IN
iustifable and foolish effort TO compel their
employees to pay them more money than
the products o! their labor would fetch in
the market. Instead Of making nails te
sell they made nails for the collins OF their
: own prosperity.