New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-15
DIsCONTENT AND ITS CAUSES.

There are new outbreaks of discomfort among
tie wOrkingmen. Only short time ago, nearly
all difficulties seemed to be settled, and 1t was
thought that the prospect was bright for Mr-
npcnious co-opeIation of employers and en-
ployed in restoring the general prosperity.
But a new crop of controversies has Appeared
The tanners and curriers' in several MasSacbu-
sets towns, to the number of about 5000,
have disagreed with employers about wages and
have stopped work The switchtenders Of
Chicago, having tried i'll vain for some weeks
t. compel the Lake Shore 10 discharge hall a
dozen faithful and long experienced workers,
because they were not willing to surrender their
freedom to the union, have now set Themselves
To- bring about a general strike OF switch
tenders III that region, it is stated. strike OF
coal miners in the region near St. Louis is ac-
comInned, as usual, with threats of violence
against the men who have been found to take
the places of the strikers, and bloodshed Is
hourly expected. Strikes of considerable I'M
portance have broken out i'll Virginia, also.
The carpet woavers of Philadelphia IN con-
siderable number have gone on strike. And, as
if by WAY of satire the cOnvicts of Georgia who
are employed under contract in coal mining,
though they could not strike foi higher wages,
have refused to work because of the intense
heat. To the strikes already in progress must
be added many other disputes which, in various
parts of the country, disturb the relations be-
tween employers and employed.
Yet wholesale prices at this time are unusual
ly low. If wholesale prices fairly measure the
cost of living, every dollar received in wages
is worth more in purchasing power by 20 per
cent than the dollar was when labor through
out the country was satisfied. Still discomfort
is general, and strikes spring up with usual
frequency, and threats of violence are heard III
all directions With wages actually higher
than usual, in purchasing power measured by
wholesale prices of commodities, the workers Ill
al parts of the country are manlleshng fal
more than the usual discomfort.
The causes of this state OF things are to be
found partly in the habits of the wolkingmcn
themselves Those who have enlisted in trades
unions, within the last ten years, have unqucs-
tiOnably grown less economical III their modes
of life, because they have learned to place
faith in the power of the union to get for them
any wages they may deem "necessary.'
" hen a man changes his modes of life, that
which once seemed a luxury easily becomes to
his 1llllu Il HtttSSltys Hc VIII IltNc bttI
taught TO Iely upon unions have naturally come
to rely less on themselves and have taken less
care to keep their expenditures within their
income. second cause, growing out of the
same influence in part, is that retail prices have
not been lowered in proportion to the decline III
wholesale prices. The retail dealers themselves
are in part responsible for this, but the working
men also do not always buy where they can buy
cheapest. They are not pinched, in these days
by necessity, as at other times they have been,
and those who rely upon the power of organ
zatiOn to secure for them such wages as
tley want, naturally become less careful in
their purchases. But greater Cause, influence
irg, it is probable, larger number of workers
than any Other is the influence exerted by dem
agOgues of two kinds The political dema-
gogue constantly stimulates discomfort among
the workingmen in order to get their votes
The Labor demagogues constantly stimulate dis
content in order to get money out of members
of the union. Strikes are contiived in great
number for no other purpose, and if testimony
from the inside on that point were needed,
Grand Master POwderly himself has supplied It,