Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-09-24

The Milwaukee Wisconsin says II half
dozen men IN Il in Chicago the other day
and put up the price of coal - cents ton,
and that il was done without excuse and
in tho face of a reduction of wages of
miners and not on account of higher
freight rates, as part of the assembled
monopolists were representing the tran
sportation lines. Then the Wisconsin
says that local dealers III Milwaukee and
elsewhere will now meet and put up the
price % cents ton Now let us see if
this outrage can be committed. 10 en-
able Il careful examination reaG again the
sixth article of the republican platform,
ns follows:
Sixth, that i'll nll Industrial enterprises
employers and employed should seek to
maintain relations of mutual confidence
and good will, that as liberal wages
should be paid as the business will
warrant, and that the employed should
beware of insisting upon conditions
which would be fatal to the success of
the business. The right of workingmen
to organize for mutual protec-
tion and benefit is undisputed,
but such organization should be
voluntary and not extended by the en-
ployment of threats of violence. Where
labor disputes arise, the best
means for their settlement is provided in
the civil tribunals, or III arbitration by
mutual agreement, a method always at
the command of the parties i'll dispute,
while every resort to mob violence as
mode of redress must be promptly and
sternly rebuked as leading directly to
anarchy, the overthrow of all government
and the distractions of all civil rights
The first point in this article is that,
employers and employed should seek to
maintain relations of mutual confidence
and good will" Then when tho six men
meet and put up the price of coal ffteou
cents ton, they probably put up the
price of mining il five cents n ton. If
that was done nobody has heard of it,
And yet i would seem to be n good way
to maintain relations of mutual conf
dence and good will" The next plank
IN this wonderful republican platform is,
'As lib crni wages should be paid ms the
business will warrant" Why, of course
an addition of fifteen cents n ton ought
to warrant some additional wages. Did
any of the employed hear anything
about ity Now don't all speak
at once. The next point is that
'tho cnpIoyrd should beware of
insisting upon conditions that would be
fatal to the business? Well. there is
nothing said on this point to the employ
pocketing the whole of the extra 10 cents
Il ton, even ON the few tons the employed
must buy to keep the wife and little ones
from freezing. So we pass to the next
point. "Tho right of workingmen to or
ganize for mutual protection. and benefit
is umdisputcd." Good enough. Tho <.
man that it will not dispute. No matter
then about the price of coal, all working
mon should stand by the
party that comedies one right.
The next point. "Whcn labor disputes
arise the best means for their settlement
il in the civil tribunals or by arbitrR-
tion." Brand new idea, not heretofore
known to anybody only the wise man who
constructed the republican party platform.
Finally il appears that any resort To mob
violence will be promptly and stornly re
huked, as leading to anarchy. Well put
ting up the price OF the workingmau's
fuel for the winter without excuse may
lead to anarchy. but il cannot of itself be
called mob violence, SO the way appears
clear notwithstanding this wonderful
plank for the six monopolists to put
ON the l. cents or - cents n ton, and like
all the other forms of republican protec-
hon to workingmou, it Is left wholly to
the sweet will of the six mouopolists to
say whether this increased price of coal
will warrant the payment of any more
wages. II any workingman should hear
that it does warrant increased wages, he
should mention the fact. but if it works
like that other kind of republican pro
lection which protects mouopolists and
let's labor take care of itself, then all
workingmen must take the word and
platforms of the party for their share of
the protection.