Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-04-11
Thsir Executive Board Makes an
Address to the Public,
Setting Forth Clearly Their Position, and
Contrasting Il With That Of
the Manufacturers.
A Ringing Address.
THE SITUATION SHARPLY OUTLINED.

Union. We present the statement in ful:
-
To the Pubic:
Last June the nail manufacturers met
At Cincinnati TO adopt 9 scale Of prices for
mailing, heating and rolling, which amount
ed TO a reduction Of from 20 to IS per
cent. The scale Of wages paid heretofore
bad been in vogue for nine years.
We declined 70 accept il. Such 8 sweep
iog demand could not be digni6ed by the
word reduction. i, should be branded by
the stigma Of legalized robbery. A letter
published BY Mr.. Samuel Laughhn, Pres
i1ent Of the Mingo function Nail
mill. shows that the demand WAS not war.
ranted, and they knew it was not jlst. Mr..
Laughiin left the ranks OF the Western
Nail Association and made g compromise,
"a accepting 9 reduction of ten per cent.
The Western Nail Association expelled
MIN. aud he vindieated his actions in o
public letter. :.
He stated that any objection TO asking
sueh an uuealled for reduction was mel
Eilh the reply, Make the demand high
ard fall in the settlement If you
nave 3 striker down, keep him down
1, vas told me l Sss too sympathetic with
| The poor man, and that, as q manufacturer
. [ would soon get over such maukish senu
nsnts; that was too honest.
when in this charmed circle, dspre
Gated the bsrbsrous treatment o
driving from their humble homes
the striking coke workers, expoaine
heir wives snd children TO winter storms
i, was told me should fight the devil witt
ire"
The action of Mr. Samuel Laughlin in
iuced The Bayvisv, MiddlePort and Miles
uaiI milk to accept the compromise scale
Seeing this the Western Nail Association
psoposed a conference. The first question
they preached was, that We give gusrsn
zee that their present workmsn be not IN
,erfsred With. We offered to waive tina
question until the scale had been settled
This they refused, and the conference ad
iourned subject to call by either side.
Alter an interval of six weeks we deter
mined to make sn attempt for an honor
able settlement on the compromise scale
/ and called for 8 conference.
The PROPOSALS they submitted were tba
sc desert our fellow Eorknen-the heater
and rollers. Their claims were not TO D,
even considered. For mailing, they rest
irned their former offer OF II cents keg
modified 70 the extent that
vas not to ru1 below Is cents, whereas
,hey had originally demanded that it slid
\ down to u cents. On selffeeders, Whert
Ihey had originally asked reduction 0
Is per cent, they modified 1t to l2l pc
/ cent. but Insisted that all bresksgts D.
psid By the mailer This had never bee.
the custom, and would amount 10 a b;G
reduction.
We offered settlement honorable K
both sides, they offered rs nothing but To-
most sbjsct humiliation. We met them ii
the spirit Of reconciliation and lair com
promise; they met us in the spirit OF tn
conuuerer placing the yoke he has torget
upon the neck Of bis supposed captives, w
asked for manly recognition of our claim
thev offered slavish submission.
We came TO represent all our brotherl
Who remained faithful to as in this deeper
ate struggle with the most gigantic syDdi
cate OF capital in West Virginia; they de
mauded betrayal Of their cause. Thel
we're not content to have rs sbdicste ou
manhood, but with the brszenness of wealth
run mad With pride, demanded that We b.
traitors 10 those whose cause We repre-
sented.
This small band Of millionaire consp;ra
tors against the welfare Of this community
thought all self-respect crushed ous Of u
BY our ten months resistsncs to then
terms. Our offer to waive the feeder.naii
or question was construed es waving al
Cnionism; az desperate scramble for WORK
| at their terms.
We hurlsd their terms back in their teeth
We dedicate them to the contempt OF the
community whose business they have Grip
pied, whose property they have deprecated
whose prosperity they haze ruined By their
purse-proud course
Their action is blow at every man IN
business other than nailmskiug. Ii is q
blow at the Eastern nail manufacturers, q
blow at Eastern vorkmen ss we'll. /,
means q lower social level as basis Of
competition. Il means a wider contrast
between capitalist and lAborer. between
wealth and poverty, between luxury and
paupsrism.
II means q greater arrogance on the
part of few immensely wealthy corpora
lions, VINO have amassed their wealth out
Of the sweet Of labor.
Il means that housekeeping II success.
ful is to be digni6ed and respected. 1t
means 8 blow at every Union in every
trade. If they are successfulit means that
lsbo, "a powerless, and wealth all con-
ouerinV. Fellow workingmen shall this
be2
1t will not be il you will cid rs in boy
cottipg scab nall. Those nails are riyets
20 eneofin our standard of living, to en-
shroud our common manhood, TO entomb
all fraternity, to bury in psuper's grave
all mutual co operation and reciprocal ser
vices.
To the brothers Who have stood firm we
need only say Have We b.svely fought
for ten months to suffer the humiliation of
working with the men who have burroEed
the foundation beneath Us, who have jeer-
ed at our struggle, bossted Of their infsmy
and would glory in our defeat? Have We
passed through 81 the rigors offs hard
Rinter, and noE With the building season |
about to open, yisli st the eleventh hour
and betrsy our fellow worSmeu, the rollers
and heaters2
The hot blood Of shame rises at the very
suggestion, and the determination tina,
such disgrace shall rot stain Union
Ehose rsnks maintained an unbroken front
or ten months animstes our hearts and
'purs our energy.
Our answer 10 the Western Nsil Asso-
,is.ion is organization against orgsniza-
lou, the boycott Of labor against the scsb
,roiuet Of blscksheep.
To the base tsols Who enjoy temporary
I