Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-16
THE LABOR QUESTION
WHAT PROMINENT NEW WORKERS
HAVE TO SAY UPON IT.
The General Expression That Coed May
Come Of the Agitation, Though
Business Is Injured Now.
,,,or,,.Oorsence OF tho richmond pspatch.l

NEN lONks fpaN Nv aNNNs
Below will be found the opinion oil
some of the best known and most OBJ
servant men in New York and Brook.
lyn concerning the prevalent labor agi.
tation and its results. All are men
whose opinion will be listened to with
Difference and interest. The questions
asked them were:
Are the labor troubles a serious
menace TO the peace Of the country?
Has the nottingham been benefited
by the sgitstion?
Will the business OF the year 1856 be
seriously injured?
DO We need larger standing army
How are We to deal with Anarchists
CHARLES A. DANA,
editor Of the New York Sun The
question is very large one, young
man, but think we can sum II all up
in few words. The labor troubles are
not a danger to the country at large.
We do not need bigger standing
army. There are no labor troubles
now; they have all settled themselves
and are over. The business of 1886 is
seriously injured already. The work
ipg men are not benefited.
WHAT JAY GOULD SAYS.
Jay Gould have not yet thoroughly
examined the effects Of the late strike
upon the industries Of the eastern part
of the country, and an therefore I'M
able TO speak except in general way.
Business is very seriously injured, and
The workingmen are the losers. They
cannot improve their condition by
means Of boycotting and striking. At
present the labor organizations have
no higher aim than to lie in wait until
employers are entaDgled in contracts,
or are at their busiest season, and then
seize them by the throat and threaten
10 ruin them if exorbitant concessions
are not made. More intelligent and
just principles will have to be adopted
by the workingmen before they can
better their condition. We don't need
bigger standing army. The militia
and police can take care Of those who
do violence.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
The heart Of the people is in the
right place. They are on the side of
Justice and equity and opposed to in
justice and wrong, no matter whether
it be the workingman OF the capitalist
who does the wrong. And let me tell
you that healthy public sentiment is
better than ten standing armies. The
interest of our citizens in supporting
law and order would be lessened if we
kept uniformed force of professional
fighting men to subdue riots. We are
better off as we are. don't know
whether or not labor has benefited itself
by these great strikes. don't believe
that it has done so, though. | believe
that il has injured itself. As Powderly
says, wOrkiDgmen must do justice if
they would obtain justice for them
selves. When the workingman takes
advantage Of his employers difficulties
to say to that employer, You must
grant me great concessions or ! will
ruin ou," he does a very foolish thing
and hurts himself moro than any one
else. lam in sympathy with working
men and ! want TO see them better
their condition, but don't like some
Of the methods adopted, partly because
those methods are mistaken and partly
because they are unjust.
vICAR-GENERAL KEEGAN, r. c.
think that ultimate good will result
from the labor agitation, although bust
ness has been hurt quite seriously. l
like the idea of arbitration between
labor and capital. Some workingmen
undoubtedly are deprived of all that
tends to make life sweet. Fourteen
hours is too long for any man to work at
manual labor; it is grinding slavery.
At the same time | think eight hours
too short, and IN afraid that the Satur-
day half.holiday system, if adopted,
would result in injury to poor families,
for boys whose mothers are dependent
on them for support frequent race
tracks and spend their money ii let out
on Saturdays. know several cases
Of the kind. | don't look upon the
labor troubles as q serious menace to
the peace Of the country. There is no
socialism or anarchy among the Eng
disappearing workingmen in this coun-
try. | have been talking with many
priests on this question and found some
who think we need larger standing
army. Idon't think so. Our reliance
is on the good sense of the nation, and
l am sure that will not fail us.
FATHER THOMAS WARD.
I'm not in position to speak au-
thOritatively concerning the position Of
the Roman Catholic Church in America.
see that in Canada it is hostile to the
Knights of Labor, if dispatches are cor
rect. In America the Church, as
understand it, has taken no position
except that il is always friendly to the
wOrkiDgman, and wants to see justice
done to him. At the same time it does
not want to see him do injustice, and
think that some Of the strikes have
been unjust. Others again seemed to
be entirely proper and necessary. We
don't need bigger standing army.
DONALD M'KAY.
senior partner Of the banking firm Of
yermilye & Co. The business Of 1886
has been seriously injured by the labor
troubles, and the workingmen will be
the sufferers. The strikes are SUBJ
siding, though, and better times are
near at hand. Still, trade has received
= severe blow. Anything which inter-
feres with the smooth running Of the
great machinery Of commerce is bound
to hurt trade, and that hurts the work
ingman. A friend Of mine, who is in
the building business, told me that the
year opened with the brightest prospect
he ever saw for building stone. The
strikes have killed the trade for the
year. And 50 it has been in many
other trades.
A. ABRAHAM,
Of the great retail dry-goods house OF
Wechsler & Abraham, Brooklyn; II
the labor troubles are not very soon
eoy;ous d;sacterS from