The Washington critic., 1886-05-18
POINTS FoR MIR. powDERLy.

POINTS FOR MIR. POwDERLY.
1t is to be hoped that Mr.. Powdei:y,
who in most respects has exhibited
great good sense and IA commcndable
conservatism under circumstances of
peculiarly trying character. will not
become an apologist for the boycott
The boycott is an unwholesome growth
of conditions which do not exist in this
country. 1t is an exotic which should
never have been imported.
Mr.. Powderly will doubtless admit,
as 1t would seem all intelligent students
of the question should, that the primary
object of the labor organizations is to
secure to their members just and
reasonable compensation Tor the work
Of their hands. 1t is not to build up
one class or caste of citizens as OPP
posed to some other class or caste, but
to subserve the general interests of
society and thus promote the harmoni-
Gus relations of all its parts, by main.
tanning scale of wages that shall SC.
cure to the workingman something
more than the bare means of subsistence
and chance, on the basis of self-re-
spect thus established, to become a
capitalist himself.
We doubt IL the true solution of the
problem Is to be found in the eight
hour law, 1t lies in the graduation of
wages according to the value of the
services rendered. In the mechanical
or manual vocations of life, as in
others, one mans work Is often worth
much more to his employer than that
of another in the same.shop at the same
price; and II he Is worth more to his
employer In the sense of being more
productive, he certainly ought to be
worth good deal more to himself But
this is matter for the future. The
eight-hour agitation as an experiment
is perhaps worth trying, hut it will
sooner or later give place to some other
and better system, that shall measure o
mans makings by his merits.
We simply assume that Mr.. Powderly
uSltCo WIN us 10 w tht tlllil oDJCIl VI
the Knights of Labor, and further that
the rights for which they contend are
not to be attained at the expense of the
rights of others. In other terms, there
is certain mutually of interest be-
tween the parties to the question which
must not be lost sight Of Especially
is it to be borne in mind that liberty of
action on the part of both is something
not to be disturbed so long as exercised
within the limits of the law.
The moment that the capitalist under
takes to beat down his workmeu TO
starvation wages or in any way to
exact unfair terms or conditions of
service, that moment he becomes an
oppressor and his men become serfs.
So when the workingmcn, aided by
the strength Of powerful combinations
among themselves, undertake to i'm
pose restrictions upon the liberty of
their employers-to coerce, intimidate
or bulldose them in any way-they, too,
become oppressors and ape the airs OF
despotism. The principle is the same
in both cases.
The employer, while willing to con
cede that the employe has right tc
put price on the labor he has to sell
insists, upon the other hand, that ht
(the employer) has a right to say whose
labor he shall buy or whose labor h,
shall dispense with. Is it the object Of
the labor organizations to deny this free
dom of action? Is this what Mr.
Powderly hints at as boycott" BY
employer on employe? But it is a very
bad rule that will not work both ways
If the capitalist believes that the labor
organizations, by countenancing need
less interferences and exorbitant de
mands, are innicting injury on hi
business and subjecting him to losses
he certainly has a right to refuse en-
ployment to members of such organi
zations-precisely the same right tha
the employe would have to quit tn,
service of the Missouri Pacific and tax,
up with that of the Northern Pacific OF
any grievance, real or imaginary.
All that the friends of both side
want in this fight is fair play for both
not one thing for one side and auothe
thing for the other. This must be, o
peace and prosperity will never com
to stay. Mr.. Powderly, we trust, will
have the good sense to drop the boy
colt as an unclean thing to handle. II
: cannot touch 1t without being de0led
1t should have no place in the ma
chinery of the Knights of Labor.
DURING the last fiscal year 1t cos
$1,s31 to collect $40 in the custom
district Of st, Mary's, Georgia. Their
are fifty-four other districts whicl
make similarly bad showing, but thi
is the worst. 1t costs S23. 16 TO collec
one dollar at st. Mary's, and SO o
down. There Is room for reform /
this branch Of the customs service
but sweeping abolition of all the vi
productive districts may not be nj
cessary. There are many post-route
that do not pay, but it would be poe
economy and rank injustice to discoI