The Labor enquirer., 1886-05-22
NOT AN EXOTIC.

NOT AN EAOAAS'
Concluded from 1rst page.
It is the shape of a mans head, and
not the circumference of his arm, which
determines his place in the industries,
and our new. couplet might read:
Brains command
Both hammer and hand"
To show how much of warrant there
is for the feeling on the part Of labor
that even in America Its position is one
of helpless and hopeless servitude, one
need but quote the arrogant language OF
those who represent the EMPLOYING
class. Some months ago there was
strike in an important western iron
works against an oppressive reduction
of wages. During the course of this
strike one of the owners of the mill was
interviewed as to its probable outcome,
and expressed himself in way calcu-
lated to bring the hot blush Of shame to
the cheek of every man with self-respect
or respect for his fellow men. Omittin0
names, quote him as follows
"Theiron and steel bu5nessis is depressed
and what do we care whether the mills
are running or not? am only a small
etockhoder, but what does Mr.. A, Mr..
B or Mr.. C care about the strike? All
the directors of the con- pany are of en-
loving their vacations, and they will eat
lust as mary square meals and drink as
many different kinds of wine for dinner
as though the mills were in full blast.
Why should thev care? They are all
independent of the income they may
derive from the Cleveland Rolling Mill
company. Mr.. C, know, has an in
come of $4,000 a year from another
source. l tell you, the directors will see
the grass growing ten feet high all over
the mill before they will Weld to the
strikers. Add while the directors are
enjoying themselves, these cattle out
here are starving. We call them cattle
because we hire them, not for the brains
but for the muscle that is in them.
Tdey are not to blame because they are
cattle. 1t is their misfortune. like to
see the Iaborers get all they can. and am
sorry for these poor devils, but, pshaw !
they can never force their terms. They
must come to US. Yes, it is true that
our company has made thouands, and l
might say millions, but are we going to
distribute the profits now with these
workmen? Not much. l tell you,
we've raised the Black Flag, and we are
going tn keep it up. The strikers can
hold their meetings and resolve and
write lies to the papers, and the papers
can damn the ......... rolling mill COM
panv, and it won't amount to the snap Of
finger. We ............
have canseled our orders, and can well
afford to rest. Pretty soon these poor
devils will come begging to get back,
and we will take back all we see fit to at
our terms. We beat them years ago,
and We will always beat them"
Commenting on this arrogant and
even brutal boast, labor paper says:
These utterances remind US of SINH
lar expressions used Just before the
French Revolution.
The picture is Just the same. The
mobiles (or stockholders) have made
thousands, and even millions, off the
labor of their CATTLE as this fool .........
dares to call them; yet they are unHi:l-
ing to aba'e one Jot or title of their
rights They must eat as many delica
cies and drink as many different kinds
of wine as before.
With an honest Sup dity he goes
on to tell why we call the wcrkingmen
cattle goes on to acknowledge that
they have made thousands and even
millions of dollars in the past, yet for al
that the wages Of their cattle must
come down as they wish. So far the
French Revolution has repeated ltsel
with strange fidelity. The same bread
riots, labor disturbances on the part ot
cattle, as we call them the same desre-
gard of modest demands, the same
naughty, sristocratic spirit opposing
every compromise, granting nothing tt
avert starvation, as previous to 1889
That French fool of a wit who said the
'canaille could eat grass received ter
rible punishment few years later. He
was caught by 'mos,' and hung to {
lamp post. His mouth was stuffed witt
grass. His head was severed from tht