The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-04-23


piciou Of the instigator, unless mon
ster, that man will not engage in a |
strike.
It cannot long be for the interest of |
the employer to pinch his employees, to
. grind the face of the poor" IF his |
business is prosperous. he can afford |
to be liberal with his operatives, and |
liberality begets liberality. If the
operative feels that he is receiving lib
eral wages. that his employer is willing
TO share prosperity with him, he labors
with greater cheerfulness, is less spar
ing of muscle, and feels interested to
contribute to the general prosperity.
Enabled to provide more literally, his
home partakes of the general sunshine.
and his inclination to frequent the sa-
loon, or other low places of resort, is
pr0pOrtionately weakened.
Now let US again look on the other
side of the picture, for our pros and
cons must not be too far apart.
There is depression in business =
there is no margin in manufactures,
and self-interest would dictate sus-
pension of operations for a few months
But what will operatives do in the
meantime? Few have means to carry
them through. For those who are SO
fortunate as to own a home, it is not
good policy to cucumber it for daily
bread, nor, if they have credit, is it de-
sirable to run in debt. Therefore, is it
not better to struggle through few
months, or even year, if necessary,
on reduced wages than to do worse?
Half a loaf is better than no loaf"
Too often is it the case that a reduction
of wages, caused by absolute necessity
when it is either reduction or SaLS-
lpe'lsion-is made the pretext for
strike, with threats of injury to prop
erty, or person, or boycottlng, when
the employer would gladly do different
ly if he could. A certain class of oper-
atives, who would always war against
capital, as much from jealousy as
from other causes. will listen to no
reason, or to anything which is
not conducive to their own i'm
mediate interest. and they rush on, till
at length they kill the goose that lays
the golden egg, and then set up howl
of distress. We are happy to add,
however. that such cases afford numer
Gus and honorable exceptions.
LaborerS are often so situated that
it is impracticable to remove and seek
employment in other localities. and
they become the victims of avaricious
knaves, who would grind them to pow
der beneath the upper and neither MILL
lstones-necessity and starvation. For
such knaves we have no sympathy.
1t is true, they have legal rights, which
they can enforce by the aid of the law;
but if the employees entertain the same
feeling towards them that they do
towards their employees
means to- an end, with no bond of
union-the employees will but glory in
their misfortunes. and strikes-G0oid-
iaag 0iolence-will receive public SYM
pathy.
We hesitate not to say, however,
that we believe that the great majority
of capitalists spectators not in
cluded-who give empl0yment--many
Of them risen from the ranks by their
own efforts-are liberal-minded men,
and are willing to concede all that is
consistent with reasonable remuner-
alton for their investment and risk in
business. The actual profits in bust
ness are usually ooer-estinaGted. How
often do we hear business men declare,
not for effect, but for fact, that their
business for the past year or two years
has not only not paid any margin. but
not enough to allow them a reasonable
salary. TO suspend would be more
disastrous than 10 continue, if they can
but struggle through; their machinery
becomes rusted by disuse, operatives
become scattered, their customers have
land their prestige in the market is
lost. Thus they hold on, hoping for a
change in their favor, while their
operatives are actually doing better
than themselves with all their mental
labor and anxiety.
The weekly failures in the United
States and Canada, reported by Brad
street, average over 1000 a month,
which proves that there are losing
operations somewhere, and it is not
fair to attribute them all to rascality
or mismanagement. Over-production,
ruinous competition, frequently want
of proper management, too high wages
paid, thereby making the cost of goods
/ higher than the market will warrant,
delinquency of debtors, want of suffi-
cient capital, calamities by fire, water
or otherwise, all contribute to these
failures. We read of suspensions, and
| give them no further thought, and fail
/ to see the inside, or domestic workings
lin the family of the honest bankrupt,
/ for there are many such. Not all busi-
ness men rest on q bed of roses.
T Several years since, when in New
| York, we called at the Office of an early
i friend whom we had not seen since
boyhood, and were told he would be
found at the Board of Trade rooms.
Thither we went, and handing our
card to the doorkeeper, it was carried
to him. A STOPPING, care-worn old
gentleman soon made his appearance,
to whom we apologized as not being
the person sent for. He reprimanded
us for not recognizing him. He had
i operated on the Board of Trade, accu-
mulated half million, but intense
anxiety and tension of the nervous
system had induced premature old age,
and, though still on the sunny side of
As, had the appearance of a man of o5.
The sequel of his history is, that after
q few years, by few unlucky turns of
| the wheel, he was reduced to bank
lruptcy, suffering more than if he had
never been possessed of affluence. And
yet this man was scrupulously honest
in his personal dealings. and kind and
generous to the poor. and contrib uted
|liberally to charitable purposes. Such
are tho vicissitudes of life. d.