The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-03-19
AN ERA OF AGITATION.
A Resume OF Recent Strikes, LockoutS
AMI Boycotts-An Interview with JAY
Gould.

Resume OF Recent Strikes, Lockouts
AMI Boycotts-An Interview with Jay
Gould.
CHICAGO, March 16.-It has escaped the
notice of none that within the last three
or four years there has been ma rked in
crease in the antagonisms OF capital and
labor; that is, in their attitude toward
each other as evinced by the increase in
the number and magnitude of strikes. the
introduction of boycotting, the formida-
BILE growth of the secret labor organiza-
ton known as the Knights of Labor, the
prescription practiced against the Chinese
on the Pacific coasts, and in the reports of
the sufferings of the strikers and their fam
lies.
Discussion as to the origin of the preva-
lent evils has already occupied vast
amount of the attention of the public, and,
as a rule, with no satisfactory results.
There are those who hold that the diff
Guilty is due to the power and greed of
capital; others find it in overpro-
duction; Others in immigration, which
has largely increase the supply of
labor, and hence a competition whose re-
suit has been the lowering of wages; still
others find an explanation in the acts and
policies of the great political parties, in
the imperfect organization of society, in
the distribution OF land, and in other di-
rections too numerous to specify, or, in
many cases, too obscure or improbable to
be worthy of mention.
The extent to which the relations Of labor
and capital have been ruptured is enor-
nous, if the area of civilization involved
be taken into the estimate; it is enormous
if limited simply to this country, which, of
all countries in the world, is asserted to be
one in which there is no lack of democratic
equality in the distribution of the
necessary products of life. Within the
last six weeks sufficient events have taken
place to indicate a most unsatisfactory
condition of labor, and what has occurred
within this limited period is but a small
fraction of events OF the same nature which
had existence within the last twelve
months. A few of the instances which have
tah.d place within a few weeks will serve to
indicate the nature of the situation.
In New Orleans, February %, the brake
men working on the Illinois Central rail
way struck for an advance of wages and
increased assistance for operating the
freight department. For some time.
freight movements were wholly inter-
rupted.
A few days before this two hundred ship
carpenters in Spring Wells, Mich, struck
against an increase in working time with
out proportionate increase in wages. An
attempt was made to ill the places of the
strikers with Canadian working-men but,
owing to interference of the Knights OF
Labor, it has not vet been successful.
In February 120 men struck for an in.
crease OF twenty-five per cent. in pay in the
trunk factory of Lewis & Co., Racine, and
about the same date fifty men went out in
the harness factory of Sax & horseback, in
Cincinnati. Among other strikes of that
month was one by the employers, in the
person of the coal syndicate OF Pittsburgh,
which ordered a suspension of work in the
Connelsville cokeregion on account of riots
and incendiarism in the vicinity; one of
eighty men in Chicago in the furniture
factory of BTuschke & Rieke for payment
fortnightly instead of every three weeks,
as was the custom, and for the discharge
of an obnoxious foreman, and to do away
with piecework. Still other strikes are
those of the Maxwell factory men against
the use of machinery in the making OF
boxes; the Mccormick reaper difficulty, in
which the strike of several hundred opera
tives was precipitated to secure the dis
charge of non-union working-men, and the
New York street-car strikes for shorter
hours of labor, which terminated in favor
of the strikers.
The present month, although only about
one-half gone, has been a notable period
for the outbreak of labor disturbances.
The strike against the Gould system in
the Southwest commenced February 10,
with the going out of 1000 men in Mar
shall, Tex, on account of the dis
| charge of A. c. Hall, foreman of
the wood shops OF the Texas &
Pacific railroad. Hall was delegate to
meeting of the Knights OF Labor, and
claims to have secured leave of absence for
the purpose. At the close of the session he
| went to work, but was discharged. The
strike has since been extended to all por-
tions of the railway system controlled by
Gould, and probably not less than from
eight to ten thousand men are now lying
idle in obedience to the order of the Knights
of Labor
The list thus given is but small portion
of the whole. In Ellington, KY, $50 min
ers are out; in Springfield, o. 1900 men
are locked out by two or three establish
ments as movement against the Knights
of Labor; in South Bend, Ind, /, 100 of
the Studebakers' employees arc on a strike
for an increase of twenty-five per cent. in
wages; in New York 4 900 members of the
American Order of JOiners have struck for
| an Increase in pay, and in Shenandoah
Pa, 500 men and boys are locked out by
the Philadelphia & Reading Coal Company,
on account OF a disagreement as to the price
to be paid for the working of new vein Of
coal. s1
1t may be noted that III all these numer-
GUS instances there have been few mutual
concessions. The Chicago Cable Cigar
Company, after Il ten months boycott
ordered by the Knights of Labor, yielded
the point at issue-thc employment of
union workmen. A strike at the Mingo
nail works, in Ohio, after extending over
nine months, was settled short time since
by compromise. Several shoe firms in
Auburn, Me- have yielded TO the demand
and have agreed with the Knights OF Labor
on plan agreeable to both parties, and
the same is true of several cigar-making
firms in the city of New York.
The boycott against the leading shoe
manufacturers of this city, instituted be-
cause oftheemployment ofconvict contract
labor, has been lifted, the manufacturers
agreeing to desist from the employment OF
any but free men.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, March 16-In an in
terview Monday Mr.. Jay Gould said that
he was surprised by the strike but it was
made on an issue which the roads could not
control The Texas &, Pacific being in the
hands of the United States Court, any at
tempt to arrange matters could be looked
upon as contempt. Mr.. Gould said it was
theintention of the management of the Mis-
souri, Pacific to resume operations as soon
as protection is afforded.
Starved to Death.
SHELBYvILLE, Ind, March 16.-The re-
cent death of Albert j. Gorgas, clerk of the
Shelby County circuit court, it is now