National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-04-30
The Labor Movement.

1t would be amusing II II were not mo-
notonous to keep scrap'book OF the COM
ments heard in parlors, at dinner-tables,
on the streets and street-cars about the ter
rible results Of the present labor agitation.
People who are afflicted with the usual
amount Of wisdom upon other questions
seem to lose head and heart upon this.
They can see nothing in 1t but the outbreak
Of almost universal "cussedness' which is
flooding the world at present aud leaving
no fair prospect even for the energy and
successful foresight of another Noah.
"Just think" said an amiable lady the
other day, "of a man who came to settle
my gaspipes. lie was called in at IL
o'clock and pottered along, go-as-you-
please style, until 4, when his work was
half finished. He then put on his coat and
said be must go away for the day. / expos
tulated, with tears in my eyes, but he
walked off and gave me no thanks and no
excuse" The lady may not have gone to
the trouble OF inquiring into the workman's
reasons for stopping SO abruptly, but she
certainly would accept Of no possibly legitl-
mate reason for such conduct. THIS Is
somewhat Of an extreme case, and II the
principle were likely to spread rapidly and
become permanent, society would be in
bad way and civilization might be declared
failure. But to an ordinarily observant
mind the present attitude Of the working
classes merely marks a transition period,
which, like many Of such periods that
preceded IL, shall soon pass away,
leaving better and stronger moral forces
to direct the destiny of future toilers.
A great deal OF unadulterated nonsense has
been written and spoken about the rights
and wages of labor. If the feudal system
OF Europe could have been maintained In
all the dignities which 1t enjoyed before
the French revolution, no doubt servants
would be more subservlent and workmen
would not leave of at o'clock. Men
would not have the efrrontery TO stop rail-
road cars in st. Louis, or prevent street
traffic in New York. Knights of Labor
would be strung up by the heels or the
thumbs just as It pleased his royal high
ness, king cotton, king capital, king pork
packer, king monopoly, or king hereditary
property But whether we like It or not
all that has been changed. The end OF the
change has not come yet, and we can only
judge of its ultimate appearance by calmly
examining the results OF great social
movements in the past. Little by little
society advanced from status to contract.
Competition carried on the development,
and now cooperation is in the air and In
the minds and hearts OF men. Far be 1t
from us to offer word Of approval to the
man who, being engaged to mend the gas
pipe, stopped his mending in the middle Of
his work, making no excuse, possibly in
different to the inconvenience he may have
caused. This is result Of very unsettled
state Of affairs. Unions, organizations, and
cooperative societies are only just at the
beginning, Like strong boys-in the
hobble-de-hoy stage-they are conscious Of
their strength, but as yet don't know what
to do with it. They are having little pre-
liminary sizing" before buckllng down
steadily TO genuine work. But Of one thing
We may rest assured, and that is, when men
have really come TO recognize the true dig
nifty OF labor--and II the labor societies
teach anything they teach this doctrine-we
shall then have no more cases OF men leav-
ihb uhAhShuSh bo7plPSo NJ " oloShs
Passing recently through tine great print
ing department of this city we observed a
workman preparing plates for certain
valuable book which was then passing
through his hands lie was very busy, and
seemed absurdly happy In the course OF
conversation he said she was always happy
when doing his best work. This man had
learned the dignity Of labor in Its true sense
and the secret OF life in its deepest sense.
The present unrest among the working
classes is the result Of desplsed and dis
honored labor, and that result will endure
until the laborers have become dignlhed
themselves. The strength OF cooperation
will confer dignity upon the laborer, and
the digniaed laborer will do the best work
OF which he is capable.