The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-04
OUR NEW YORK FEUILLETON.
The Labor Movement.

The present labor movement in the United
States is not only more formidable than any
thing else of the kind ever yet seen anywhere,
but IL has certain features, other than striking
and boycotting, which give 1t especial interest to
svery observer of popular upheavals. The habit
Of striking" which is confined mainly to coun-
tries that enjoy political freedom, has played a
great part in English industry during the past
seventy years of the evolution of machinery. and
in this country we have for over thirty years had
aconstant succession of explosive strikes among
manufacturing, mechanical and mining wage
workers, But both here and in England the
strikes Of tho past have generally been local,
without any extensive connection They have
been confined to single trade at . time. desti-
tute Of any utilization with the great body Of
trades, and their demands haYe been narrow,
consequently easily handled.
The present labor movement differs from all
its predecessors in several respects. In the first
place. it is wide as the country, and compasses
the whole body of wage-workers In the second
place, it Is under gigantic system and combina
ton such as has never before been manifested.
a hundred industries are affiliated in she single
society Of the Knights of Labor, which embraces
hundreds Of thousands of members, and pos
sesses strength far beyond what is represented
by it's membership and there are other national
gederations less imposing, which yet exercise a
power known only to those who watch their
operations. This extraordinary development of
what the French call solidarity is feature Of
the utmost consequence. In the third place,
there is deep and solid unity OF purpose and
method among these huge organized
masses, SO far as their main ends
eoncerned (which nobody can deny" who
takes the trouble to go under the surface; In the
fourth place, there Is practice OF mutual
help" which Is altogether novel among the la
boring classes. In the fifth place, there is
marvellous habit of obedience to orders, the man
hestations of which, in recent times, have sur
prised all observers. In the sixth place, the de-
mands made vastly more comprehensive
than those which formerly came from wage
workers. as may be seen by a comparison of any
of the present platforms of labor with those Of
other times.
These things give to the labor movement of to-
day It's massiveness momentum and solidity.
The new forces which enter into it are Offset by
the new forces on the other side, involved in
modern machinery and in the modern combina-
tons of capital, which are as revolutionary as
those of labor.
What is to be the outcome of this unprecedent-
ed movement that looks so alarming to timid
minds and which is evidently bound to 60 on
with acceerating speed under the transforming
agencies of the times2 No man will deny that
there are dangerous symptoms on the surface
when the executives of your States issue procla-
nations commanding the peace and prepare the
militia for active service. But we have legis-
sative system in our country that is competent
TO deal peacefully with every question that con-
Germs the people, and the impending dangers can
De averted by our representative lawmakers in a
way that will strengthen our democratic system
and give abiding welfare to the whole commun
ty Give us real craftsmanship in the crisis.
JOHN SwINToN.