Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-03-10
The GAME IS BLOCKED
For the Present Week. at Least There is
Little Prospect of Change in the
Labor Situation.
Action of the Mcbride Bill Post POned-
The Case as summed up From the Man
ufacturer's Standpoint Whit"lN's
Orertobe Withdrawn at the End
OF the Wrek.

long when the dispatch was read in the
meeting However as the Columbus re
port shows. final action was postponed upon
il until week from today. leaving the situ-
alton this morning precisely in StGtu q',D.
At Columbus yesterday the house spent
considerable time over Mr.. McBride'> bill.
which the author stated. was intended I"
prevent employers from compelling en-
plnyes to sign an ITUn-clad contract re
nuuncing membership in labor organizations
and pledging themselves not To Join such
organizations. The bill provided penalty
cf 500 to $500 fine. or Imprisonment from
twenty Ia sixty days for any person. firm
or corporation which requires from any per
son seeking employment any contract or
contracts for labor containing any pledge.
stipulation or agreement other than StIpHia-
tionS and agreements in reference to the
kind of work Ia be performed, the price and
times of payment therefor. the place and
manner of performing such work and the
term of employment. Mr. LampNon and
Mr.. Brown showed that the bill would eN-
tend much further i'll its operations than
would be supposed from Mr.. McBrIde>
statement, preventing many StlpuatI"nN IN
contracts, which would TIE ~
much in the interests of labuTrrN
EMPLOYERS Mr.. Mcbride and MI.
RYAN spoke in support of the bill.
Colonel Poorman offered an amendment I"
it. correcting the defects pointed out. and
substituted for the provisions above quoted
the proviSO that the contracts prohibited
should be those containing StipulatiunN re
quiring persons seeking employment to re-
fuse to unite with any religious. political.
benevolent or labor organizations. or II a
member of such organization that he shall
Withdraw from the same. This amend
ment was agreed t". Mr.. NaNhhuU
then offered an amendment for the prOtec-
ton of capital. making the penalties appl-
cable to the viOatnrS of the above apply
also to those who interfere with the huS-
hess of any firm. corporation or company
10 its detriment. This was also agreed to.
After the adoption of one Or more amend
mentS the bill as amended was. ON motion
of Mr. Cowgirl. ordered printed. and fur
ther consideration of II postponed until
March l..
In the Senate Mr.. FaSSett'> Joint re~"lu-
tion was discussed at length. Several
amendments were offered. and twas finally
/ indefinitely postponed. Mr.. fa>~rtt moved
10 empower the committee on Labor I" i'll
vestigate the Springfield troubles and eN-
pend money in conducting such inve>tiga-
ton. Mr. FaSSett is chairman Of the com
mittee on labor. The motion was lost by a
vote Of II TO II.
, The most amicable feeling seems 10 pre-
vail upon both sides, and if an adjustment
is ever to be made, it would probably be
accomplished now easier than at any other
time Thus far it has been quiet and
manly fight for principle. each side honest
/ " believing they are i'll the right.
There is little danger of lawle>S-
ness of any kind and public opinion must
/ Judge the matter simply aS question "t
moral right or wrong No one can question
| the legal right Of employers Ia spend their
money precisely as they please that is EN-
/ plOy or discharge what men they want t"
/ for their own private reasons; and on the
other hand no one can question the legal
right of the knights of Labor. or any other
association of men. TO spend their money
precisely As they please-that i Ia buy, or
/ ltlhNF ~ buN, NlldNtNVl E''N~ All' want -.
and for their own private reasons; in other
words to boycott. In conversation with a
reporter this morning prominent citizen
who has been more or less identified with
manufacturing interests here for some Years
past, said Il should like always to SEE la
| Dor well paid. for it makes better prices
and tirmer feeling in all classes nt business.
and the men live better: but y0u
can see plainly enough that \ can not
pay his mechanics from three Ia four
dollars per day and compete with b. {. Il
| D., who are paying mechanics from two L"
three dollars per day. and common Labor
one to two dollars. What should like to
see would be more even plane of wages
all around. Some wOrkingmen are making
$3.50 per month and others but so. II i
just this way: \ mOlder or other skilled
mechanic is given piece of work 10 do al
a stipulated price. He hires a helper at -
per day, and makes about s. a day out "t
the Job himself Who Is il that is grinding
that common labOrer into the earth? 1t is
his fellow workingman, and Yet the whole
labor class combines and cries down the
capitalist aS the OppreS>ur. went out Ia
the Champion Malleable shops myself the
other day. and saw the payroll and the
petition of the locked-Out men. and looked
up the wages of the first ten sigmrrS
Six out of the ten had over 500
left from their last months wages
after paying their helpers. think
the Knights of Labor would be good order
if they did not have this system of boycott
ing. In a boycott they do themselves no
good and crush their employers. Labor is
like capital. like corn, or wheat. or any
other commodity: il must be regulated by
the natural laws of supply and demand.
Any other influence is detrimental. As for
the Legislative action now pending. | don't
see that any practical good can come of it.
Ii is impossible for the law to say who shall
be employed and who shall not or what
stipulationS an employer shall make with
his men"
The executive board is kept busy each
day with routine business. They are taking
care of the families of needy members and
getting things in shape for the arrival of the
national board of arbitration.
W. Y. Whitley has given notice to his
former employees that his offer to take them
back on the ''iron-clad'' terms remains open
no later than the end of this week There
after their places will be permanently filled
Blue Flag Grocery is selling Out Very Fast.
No hard times at the blue flag. Goods
are marked away down. Only about 20
days and everything will be- sold. New
Turkish DruneS worth Sic for 5C pei pound.