Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-23
Compulsory Hiring. "

Being a workingman and having to
work every day for living, | have but
little time to devote to newspaper dis
cussions, but l am unwilling, as MEM
Der of both the Knights of Labor and
the Typographical Union, to let pass
unnoticed the article from The Nation
published in your Sundays paper.
In the first place, Mr.. Editor, it is
proper that your readers should under
stand the source from which this Islander
against organized labor eminates and
weigh it accordingly. The Nation is
known among the South.hating papers
of the North. Its columns have often
teemed with slanderouS falsehoods
against the South, and it is favorlte
pastime with its editor to vill:fy and
abuse the southern people. No
national election being near at
hand, and the Republican party having
no use for its southern-outrage machines
at present, the editor Of The Nation
turns his venomous and slanderous pen
against the poor workingmen who have
organized to protect themselves against
the unjust encroachments Of unfeeling
capitalists, who, if left unrestrained,
would inaugurate a system of slavery
in this country far worse than the
slavery Of the colored people. 1t is
natural that The Nation, the organ of
those who believe in centralizing
all the power in this country in
the hands of a few and encouraging
and fostering pampered monopolies,
should howl and rave when it sees
| in the labor movement a formida-
bic enemy to this class.
| The Nation, like the Tribune, besides
its shameful attitude towards the peo-
pie of the South, employs "rats -
men who have violated their obligations
to the Typographical Union, and now
prowl about the country ready to take
honest mems places whenever an OPP
portunity is afforded them. Anything
emanating from such source is not
likely to have much weight with the
respectable people of this community,
whatever may be their opinions about
the labor movement. The Nation has
always been the organ of monopolists,
and it was in the interest OF railroad
monopolists that it published ISLANDERS
against the South so as to turn immi-
grafton from the South to the West !;
and it is in the interest Of monopolists
it now publishes ISLANDERS against or
ganized labor.
The charge made against trades
unions by The Nation is that its men,
bers claim that they have right to
demand that they shall be employed by
any employer they may select at the
prices fixed by themselves. Now, Mr..
Editor, you know from your own expe-
rience that this charge is utterly false.
You employ union men and you know
that you can discharge your foreman
whenever you desire to do so, and you
know that be has full power to dis
charge every man in your composing
room, without any cause whatever, and
employ an, entirely new set of men.
You give him that right because you
hold him responsible for the faithful dis
charge Of the duties assigned to that
room, and therefore should be the judge
Of the class Of labor he employs to
assist him. In large majority Of the
union offices in this city the proprie.
tors themselves do the employing aud
discharging, and they are at full liberty
to employ whom they please and dis
charge them whenever they feel like it
The Typographical Union may b
called the mother Of trades unions
being the oldest trade union in thi.
country, and Is far IS | know, they ar'
al founded upon the same principle
Therefore, in stating the objects Of one
shall be stating the objects Of all. Thu
objects of the typographical Union ar
to establish uniformity Of prices an,
to secure to its members just rcmune
ration for their labor; to protect 1t