The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-12
A PUBLIC APPEAL
on BEHALF OF UNITED NAILERs.
Their Executive Board IsGuss . Circular
DsnounslpE the MAnufAStursFsHa MoRop'
OlISts and Appeal to FrIsHdH OF Organ
issd Labor to EpIores The Boycott.

NANa AAHVA " ASeA"tNN NeAN NNSNNSN
The following circular will be issued to-
lay, and widely circulated among labor
organizations all over the country:
To he Public:
Last June the nail manufacturers met
1t Cincinnati to adopt o scale Of prices for
mailing, heating and rolling, which amount.
ID to a; reduction OF from 20 10 40 percent,
The scale OF wages paid heretofore had
been in vogue for nine years.
We declined TO accept it, Such aBWeep'
Ing demand could not be digni6ed by the
word reduction, 1t should be branded by
the stigma Of legalized robbery, A letter
published by Mr., Samuel Laughlin, Pres.
ident oil the Mingo Junction nail mill,
shows that the demand was not warranted,
and they knew 1t was not just. Mr., Laugh
lin left the ranks Of the Western Nail As
ISOLATION and made compromise, we &C.
Cepting reduction Of ten percent. The
Western Nail Association expelled him,
and he indicated his actlons In public
letter,
He stated that any objection to asking
such an uncalled for reduction was met
with the reply, make the demand high,
and fall in the settlement, II you have q
striker down, keep him down. It was
told me was too sympathetic with the
poor man, and that, as q manufacturer, |
would soon get over such mawkish sent-
ments; that was too honest"
"When IN this charmed circle depre-
Gated the barbarous treatment OF driving
from their humble homes the striking
coke workers, exposing their wives and
children to winter storms, 1t was told me l
should fight the devil with Gre"
The action OF Mr.. Samuel Laughlin in
duced the Bay View, Middleport and
Niles nail mills TO accept the compromise
scale. Seeing this the Western Nail AS
ISOLATION proposed a conference, The
tirst question they preached was, that we
give q guarantee that their present work.
men be not interlered with, We offered
to waive that question until the scale had
been settled. This they refused, and the
conference adjourned subject to call by
either side.
After an interval OF six weeks we deter
mined 10 make an attempt for an honor
able settlement on the compromise scale,
and called for a conference.
The proposals they submitted were that
We desert our fellow workmen-the heat
era and rollers, Their claims were not 10
be even considered. For mailing, they re-
affirmed their former offer OF II cents a
key, modified to the extent that II was not
to run below 10 cents, whereas they had
originally demanded that 1t slide down TO
l2 cents. On sell.feeders, where they had
originally asked q reduction OF % percent,
they modified 1t to l2! percent, but in
sisted that all breakages be paid by the
mailer. This had never been the custom,
and would amount to big reduction.
We offered settlement honorable to
both sides, thew offered lis nothing but the
most abject humiliation. We met them In
the spirit Of reconciliation and fair COM
promise; they met Us in the spirit Of the
conQuerer placing the yoke he has forged
upon the neck Of bis supposed SaptiVss.
We asked for manly recognition OF our
claims, they offered slavish submission.
We came TO represent our brothers who
remaihed faithful to US in this desperate
struggle with the most gigantic syndicate
OF capital in West Virginia; they demand
cd betrayal Of their cause. They were
not content 10 have US abdiCate our man
hood, but with the brazenness Of wealth
run mad with pride, demanded that we be
traitors to those whom we represented,
This small band OF millionaire Consplra-
tors against the welfare Of thlsCommunlty,
thought all Bef.respeCt crushed out Of US
by our ten months resistance TO their
terms. Our offer to waive the ieeder.nail-
er,question was construed as waving all
Unlonism; as o desperate scramble for
work at their terms,
We hurled their terms back in their
teeth. We dedicate them TO the contempt
OF the community whose business they
have crippled, whose property they have
deprecated, whose prosperity they have
ruined by their purse.proud course.
Their action Is blow at every man In
business other than Matchmaking. 1t Is a
blow at the eastern nail manufacturers, q
blow at eastern workmen as well. 1t
means lower social level as basis OF
competition. It'means q wider contrast
between capitalist and laborsr, between
wealth and poverty, betN cen luxury and
pauperism.
It means greater arrogance on the
part Of fe immensely wealthy corpora.
lions, who have amasSed their wealth out
OF the sweat OF labor.
It means that housekeeping II success.
full Ia to be dignihed and respected. II
means a blow at every union in every
trade. 1fthey are successful It means that
labor Is powerless, and wealth all con-
quering. Fellow workingmen, shall this BET
1t will not be II you will aid US in boy.
CoLting BCab nails. Those nails are, rivets
to enCotIiin our standard Of living, to en-
shroud our common manhood, to entomb
all fraternity, to bury In pauper's grave
all mutual cooperation and reciprocal ser
vices.
To the brothers VINO have stood arm
we need only say. Have we bravely
fought for ten months to suffer the humil-
iation Of working with the men who have
burrowed the foundation beneath us, who
have Jeered at our struggle, boosted OF
their infamy and would glory In our de.
ieat2 Have we passed through all the
rigors OF q hard winter, and now with the
building season about TO open, yield at
the eleventh hour and betray our fellow
worknien, the rollers and heaters2
The hot blood OF shame rises ct the
very suggestion, and the determination
that such disgrace shall not stain Union
whose ranks maintained an unbroken
front for ten mouths Rnimates our hearts
and spurs our energy.
Our answer TO tho Western Nail ALSO
citation IL organization against orgaiEation,
the boycott Of labor against the scab pro.
duct Of blacksheep.
To the base tools who enjoy q temporary
prosperity, we fay: "Nothing will ever
wipe this stain from your character. II
will curse you in ways unexpected until
DEATH"
10 the friends who have sympathized
with and aided Us We tender the thanks
Of grateful hearts. To their energetic CO.
operation we will appeal. We ask them
10 mark all non.union mills, visit all deal.
erB and contractors who use their product
and explain the cause OF the boycott.