San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-11-17
woaKINoMEN,s BOSSES.

understandings anu uisaBic'HVh'o
which finally lead to strikes are of
very trivial character and have nothing
to do with the real relations OF labor
and capital. In nine cases out Of ten
human wrongs are more Imaginary
than real. and--workingmen's wrongs
will form no exception to this general
rule. Ii 10 the little foxes which spoil
the tender vines; the small annOyances
Of the workshop and the yard and the
mill are the annoyances which worry
most and rankle longest and which
oftenest lead to disagreements and
strikes. These annOyances in the very
large majority OF instances are some
thing with which the mill owners, the
principals, the real employers. have
nothing directly to do, and it is because
Of this very fact that the disagreement
and rupture comes. Men who en-
ploy labor are not usually incOnsideIate
of the comforts and conveniences and
rights of those whom they employ. II
these owners came directly into contact
with their wOrkingmen there would be
no difficulty. The consideration which
q man who does not work with his hands
naturally feels for the man who does.
would prevent any unjust eXaOtiOns In
the great majority OF cases, and would
certainly prevent altogether those little
annoyanCes which one workman is so
apt to throw in the way OF another
when he assumes charge Of him. The
reason Of this il in the nature OF things.
The capitalist himself does not under
stand the situation and does not NEEDLE
with his workmen. The Overseer, fore
man, superintendent, or whatever he
may be called, Ia himself practical
workingman. He not only knows all
the details OF the work to be performed,
but Ia himself workman of little
higher order than those whose work he
oversees. Very generally his superior
position is due to this very superiority;
to his greater skill, or conscientiousness,
or industry, or thrift, or business ability,
his position above his fellowwOrkmen.
He naturally gauges his fellow-work-
men by himself, and demands of them
as wOrkingmen what he exaCted Of him
self rs q workingman. His demands are
higher than that Of his fellOw-work-
men because his ideas of work are higher,
and his conceptions Of the dignity and
manhood OF labor superior to theirs.
What more natural than that the de-
msnds which, rs workingman, he laid
upon himself he should now lay upon
them as their Overseer. He does not
consider the differences. He does not
realize that he was an exceptional
workman and that all wOrkmeD, or even
any very large proportion ofthem are not
up to his standard. He therefore urges
upon them an attention to their work,
an excellency in its performance and a
thoughtfulness concerning il that is not
only not natural to them but practically
beyond them. This breeds discomfort,
dissatisfaction. His constant melting
them ohafes. He becomes unpopular as
boss and the discomfort grows until an
open rupture comes. some gOOd-natured,
incompetent is discharged and his fellow
workmen make common cause with
him; or some shop restriction is enforced
which the men dislike and take up arms
against, and a strike is threatened. The
overseer won't give in. His very posi-
ton has been won by such demands up
on himself as he has made upon his men.
Having voluntarily imposed upon him.
self just such regulations as he has laid
down for them he cannot see anything
but evil as likely to result from accord
ing to the demands of the shop. His
principals naturally side with him, the
breach widens and the difficulty cul-
inmates In u lockout or n strike.
The common sense Of the prnci-
pals is absolutely required in the
adjustment of these difficulties. The
men will generally listen to calm rea-
sonable staten ent made by the proprie-
Tor, who has not antagoniZed them, when
they will not hear anything from the
overseer who has 30 frequently egged
them on to the very thing against which
they have finally revolted. There is no
remedy for this thing save in an in
creased Intelligence on the part of the
workingmen themselves; an increased
care on the part of the proprietors in Sc
Letting and blindly sustaining their fore
men; and, an increased considers tion on
the part Of the fOremen them
selves. or the three, the last will be the
most difficult to secure. Labor organi-
cations, in which the foremen and their
hands come together on terms Of per-
feet equality, will do very much to bring
In better understanding between these
two elements, and when that is done,
there will be very little danger Of fric-
tion, Misunderstanding, disruption Of
relations, strikes or lockOuts. The real
work OF the labor organizations will be
found % lie most clearly in the drec-
ton Of more complete and rational I'M
derstanding Of their relation as work
ingmen to the work they contract to
do; and, no less, to the understanding OF
foremen and overseers Of the limitations
and capabilities Of the average working
men; and then to demand that rises no
higher than this average in Its claims
upon those Who are under their super
vision.
The democracy having heard nothing