The Clifton clarion., 1886-08-18
As ET Is.

gard to the recent labor difficulties in this town. With commendable modesty and brevity, having re quested limited space in that journal, this Clifton correspondent uses nearly column of fine print in which to vent his spite and envy, for that 1t is and nothlDg more, despite all protests to the contrary.
 In reply to his charges, for we know of whom we write, we state:
 That the CLARION Is not the mouthpiece of the Arizona Copper Company, or of any corporation or person; that we are always will ing to give to others who may diff fer with us in their views, ample space in our own columns to ex- press themselves; and that to thls very individual, Justice-he re- questing or suggesting-an offer of this kind for the purpose of ex pressing hIs views on the labor difficulty in question was person ally made.
 There were not, as he states, five representative citizens connected with and favoring the strike. The statement Is a deliberate false hood; and furthermore the petition or demand-for that was the form which it assumed--as presented by these very representative citi- zens contained signatures which were forged. The strike dld not originate with the Mexican em- ployes of the Company but was the secret work of outsiders, prompted by desire for gain and mahce.
 Ample time given to blow out the furnaces? How could it be otherwise when all work stopped? Ample tune, as he urges, was not given to make other arrangements, since the demands of the strikers were presented shortly before midnight to be acted upon by six the next morning. Six hours of night ample time for the engage ment of new employees from other and distant localities? He can hardly mean that, but reading be- tween the lines we may infer that by force of threats he thought the Company must accede to the terms as demanded, and in that instance, success would make him q demi- god among the poor ignorant Mex s&As, though outsiders might con
 Ademagogue the proper epi-
 s sinue, the Mexicans are
 6f- worked but are better zsitthan white labor elsewhere in lihilar employment, and were sglad enough to resume their work, after having been misled by those who wrought not for the Mexicans, but to further their own selfish ends.
 A reduction of ten per cent on wages ranging from $225 to S3G0 per diem, still leaves a good return for unskilled labor.
 The Enterprise correspondent has nothing to say in regard to what wages were pad, but begs the question under the glittering generalities of exactions, wrongs endured without-murmur, discrim- nations, extortions, etc, and raises a side issue in regard to the man agement of the stores of the Com pany. Although this does not properly belong to the subject of the strike, in replying we might state that many of the Mexicans with an improvidence, met with occasionally among writers for the press, fail to save their earnings, run a large store bill, and in con sequence have little left at the end of the month. We suppose it is usual among merchants to make discount in favor of a cash trade, and that those who buy on credit cannot receive so favorable terms as those who pay money for their goods. However that may be, the question of the strike, since busi ness in this town depends almost entirely upon the mining interests, resolved itself into thIs: Should the camp continue fairly prosper ons with a sllght reduction in wages, or the Company and there is but one in operation in this town-closing down, should all other enterprises suffer and dwindle away to nothingness?
 The reduction was accepted and