Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-09
NOT A MONoPoLIsT.
\ Brief RepIy toll. P. a.

Editor d0rRiiq Nei0S: In your issue
OF Monday morning you publish long
article. over the signature OF Il. Z. A, IN
which the Writ. takes umnrage at my
structures on the ways and methods adopt
ed by the knights Of Labor TO enforce
their demands. He declares that the ideas
advanced Nv me are the principles OF the
"monopolist" and of the ''mOneyed man."
and by implication hints that | belong to
that odiOus class. Now, as 10 monopoly,
| am not engaged IN anything tnat would
make a monopoly desirable, and, as to
being ? mOneyed man, If he only knew
| Low irOnical, how sarcastic, SUCH a
| charge Is ia reference 70 your cores
pOndent. be would not have INDUCED in
such cruel cynicism. His whole article
seems to be panegyrIc on the labor asso-
/ Citations, at which do not cayil: but he
does not pretend to make any defense Of
the methods, which l censured. He
declares that the knights are not
STRIKERS" and that the Knight as
taught at his introduction TO avoid
strikes.o Well, may have been mis-
taken; il | was it was the fault of the
newspapers, which represented the
Knights of Labor as being the organizers
of strikes. But l did not inveigh against
strikes, whatever / may think Ofthem. |
merely censured the striker, who. not
content with striking himself, would force
Others, who were willing to work, TO strike
also.
l.. +. A. declares that it was not the
Knights Who boycotted Mrs. Gray. Well,
if this be SO, as my remarks were directed
only to those who did boycott Mrs. Gray,
+. p. A. need not ''let his angry passions
RISE" He asserts that the increase OF
Mrs. G.'s business was not due to public
sympathy, but rather TO "prurieut curl
Osity te sce Mrs. Gray, than TO punish the
Bakers Union" II Mrs. g.. instead OF
being an unassuming little trades woman,
had been dizzy blonde, with all the be-
wildering fascination OF tight stockinet,
fOOtIlghts and an absence OF skirts, this
might be so; but there was nothing to
awake "prurenJ curiosity" Besides,
the sympathetic contributions, winch
reached her rom distant cities, could
hardly have been elected by "prurient
curiosity"
The article Of L. p. A. is rather petu-
liant, but not more so than the screeds of
others, who, like him, attempt TO defend
or shield the lawess methods of the
strikers. 1t is hard task 10 hold an un-
tenaOle position. The only defenses open
to l.. Z. A. ~ ere either that these bOycotts
and disturbances never occurred, or if
they did occur that they were not the acts
or the results OF the acts Of the labor
unions. l.. z. A. and others like him
do not pretend 10 do this. but contine
themselves, either by laudations of the
unions, or to bitter complaints of the
wrongs inflicted on the working man.
For myself must say that am so obtuse
as not to see in what these wrongs con-
sIst. In nearly all the States, il not in
all, laws are enacted ia favor of the work
ing classes to such an extent as to make
them privileged class. In Georgia they
have special liens on all the property OF
their employers to secure their wages, aud
they are absOlved from the operation of
the garnishment laws. What other class
has like privileges? And yet there are
constant bowls and, at present, WIDE
spread disturbances, on account of the
sO-called wrongs and alleged grievances
OF the working menl l.. p. A. asks ''has
l. any fault to find with his declaration of
principles?" l. answers that he has
none at all; he finds fault with the en-
plOyment or lawless means TO effect what
they desire. no matter who "they" NAV
be, whether working men or any other
class. l. asks in return, is l.. p. A. in ia
vOr OF the strikes and proceedings occur
ring at East st. Louis and otner places ?
Ii not, there is no issue between us.