Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-06-08
Tuesday, June 9, 1856.
GOVERNMENT RY CoMmIErE1

GOVERNMENT BY COMMITTEE
The people of this great, glorious and free
country have had good opportunity during
the last few months to see what government
by committee is. They have seen some very
extraordinary things done in the effort to es-
tablish the new despotism. They have seen
large bodies of men thrown out of work for
very insufficient reasons or no reasons at ALL
They have seen the great strike in the South
west, begun because an employer exercised
his right to discharge man who did not
attend to business as he ought to, and car
ried on with wicked recklessness which ap-
pently did not take into account the inter
ests of the thousands of workmen and their
families affected by it. They have seen a
gigantic ''tie-up" in New York city involv-
ing the prosperity of many thousands Or
dered for no other reason than to ''show the
power" of the committee. They have seen the
foolish eight-hour movement, which fur
nished an opportunity for the villainous an
archists to show their understanding and ap-
probation of a free country. They have
seen the most impudent and tyrannical de-
mands made upon employers in all parts of
the North and Est. They have seen the
bright prospect of good business that existed
few months ago destroyed. They have
seen the dastardly boycott directed not only
against men, but against defenseless women.
They have seen lot of cheeky and low-lived
fellows who hate work assume the leadership
of real workingmen and lead them in many
cases directly against their real interests.
They have seen large sums of money con-
tributed by the industrious for these fellows
to handle and distribute. They have seen
men prevented from earning an honest living
because they would not submit to tyranny.
And they have seen much of the good feeling
which ought to and did exist between en-
ployers and employees changed into suspicion
and selfshness.
These are some of the results, so far of
attempting to establish an irresponsible des
potism in this country government with
in the government. These results are not
satisfactory or pleasing to honest and decent
citizens, and it is evident that rebellion has
begun against government by committee
which will be successful. 1t must be- for
business cannot be done under such gov
ernment. Employers must know whether
their employees are working for them or for
the Executive boards" 1t will not do to
commit the business of this country to the
care and authority of the walking delegate.
A man who does not wish to join t'union"
must be protected in his right to earn liv-
ing for himself and his family. The Internal
boycott must not be permitted to assassinate
enterprise and destroy the fruits of industry.
And under cover of labor agitation the
archists and socialists must not be allowed to
fight against this republic.
Nobody is more interested in the downfall
of the new government by committee than
the workingmen themselves for whose benefit
it has ostensibly been put in operation. If
it could succeed they would be in a state of
slavery as bad as any that has yet been seen.
Fortunately for them and for all the people
of this land, there is no reason to believe
that it will be tolerated much longer.