Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-12

and Arthur talk all right and that the
mean well there isno doubt. Insuch hand
the cause is sale, but unfortun
ately they are not always in com
mand. Unfair and reckl, SIS men fire
quently get control OF strikes ant
these have evolved a law higher than tina
OF the orders to which they have sworn al
l~egiance. These fellows, composing on out
side organization that has no capital in
volved in a business or any direct Interest
in it's success or failure, have recently enun
ciated the following propositions:
You shall not employ men that we do not
permit.
You hal not discharge a man without
consulting US.
You shall discharge all old and faithful
employees If we order you to do so.
You shall not sell any goods manufac.
tured by people who do not obey us.
You shall not sell meat to certain men.
You must ship your freight as we direct
SO that we can keep up a strike elsewhere
in the country.
If you do not obey US, we will use the
"AAOAS uC Va OuI O4uC4 ~ 1uJuIC dUu
break you financially.
These are a few principles that were given
to the world by recent stri .es. They were
directed against capital. But directions
were also set down to the ~workingmen,
equally unlawful and ty~rannical. Among
them the following:
You must joir a cert lin organization.
w., o,,o-:c,
in this matter.
Ifyou do not you cannot be allowed to
work.
You can work or only so many hours
and only for such wages.
Whether satisfied with your work and
pay or not, you will have to stop work
when ordered to do so.
If you persist, you and your family and
YOU property will be destroyed.
These are a few OF the salient points
that the recent troubles have developed.
If such propositions should obtain,
both employer and employee would be- (
come slaves. Under such rules no
man will be able to manage his own |
business; no laborer will remain q
free agent, with the privilege OF selling his
labor for the price he chooses, or working
when he wants to or to exercise his right
of conscience. Such principles may obtain
temporarily, but they cannot prevail.
They are too autocratic and absolutely de-
of the private and personal lib
erty guaranteed to every American citizen.
They may answer temporary expedients,
ephemeral applause and seem to Gift
up' the cause OF labor for a season, but
will die the death they deserve.
Suppose the employers, following to con-
upon the same line of argument,
should say to the ]aboring classes:
You shall work for us whether you like or
.ot. /
You shall accept our terms whether you
like them or not.
You shall not apply for work to any
other parties, however anxious they may
De to employ you.
If anybody else offers to hire you, we will
beat them, smash in their windows and {
destroy their property.
II it were possible for employers to as ,
'ume such a position, the spirit of freedom
would have flown from the land.
That the labor question cannot be solved
~ such methods must be clear to every {
to the most rampant fanatic. |,
something else and something better must
,e devised. |,
The last phenomenon of this manner OF I
diving the labor question is the closing of |
silk mill in Paterson, New Jersey, en- I
1900 hands. A cigarmaker in {
Albany, holding some sort OF a position |
,mong the Knights OF Labor, went down |
here a few days ago and insisted ON hay t
ng important changes made in the manage 6
nent OF the dye-house. Being denied, he
snapped his fingers as he passed through Z
he factory and tlereupon every man and c
oy in it quit work. None ofthem knew why
be cigarmaker snapped his fingers and they :
ay now it was tyrannical of hirl to q
o SO; but they quilted work just the y
The local assembly has since waited U
n the proprietor, Mr.. Strange, to Say it .
as all a mistake and ask hin to take the q
back; but, on ascertaining that:the n
lgarmaker had not been expelled or even q
Tor swapping his + agers, he refused q
D do SO, and will not reopen the mill as q
ing as his cuisines is at he mercy OF wan. q
ering cigarmakers. tn re is q comic side q
D nearly every thing, q I'd the comic side OF o
his is that a body # men who can be n
to abandon t cir means of liveli. 8
God on receiving a sign from an unknown T.
ian complain bitterly OF 1.-The tyranny of Il
What g, later tyranny could be Il
vented than this of the 'Cigarmaker b
ON Albany" q
These facts-for that they are facts no a
ne will deny-offer food for thought. They il
Iso indicate decidedly that the labor ques. il
has not been solved, ..tbut.. that it is d
bsolutely upon the wrong road now. But a
his may be the crysalis from which may "
e evolved the perfection that is needed ii
nd prayed for by both employer and en- n
loye. cl