Smyrna times., 1888-04-18

and should meet the condemnation ofaIl
We have n most palpable illustration
OF this in the successful business of the
late Peter Cooper's Glue Factory
ca III inc most modest way, not only
developing into a profitable and extern
slve business, but blessing our commu-
nifty by the munifcent gift and support
or the Cooper Union. Had there been
Glue Trust " when Peter Cooper
started his small factory, he never
could have succeeded, for the Trust
would have driven him out of the
business. Are there not many men all
over our country whose aspirations are
crushed by this Anaconda? ?
A meeting was lately held by parties
in New York, largely interested in the
production of cOal-wealthy men, all
OF them. They agree to put paddock
on those glorious stOre-hOuses of fuel
which God Almighty put into the
mountains of Pennsylvania, and tell us
that so many tons of coal shall be an
nually mined, and no more. The in
creased cost of fuel to the community.
the enforced idleness of the Pennsyl-
wanna miners, their pOverty-stricken
families, the shivering children in our
New York tenement-houses are moth
ing to them. Their plethoric purses
must be still more inflated. Is it
strange that our churches fail in their
mission to the great mass of the labor
ing classes of society, when members
OF the cOnsistOries, vestries and ses-
siOns of our wealthy churches. are
parties to these combination The
wealthy classes, however, are not alone
In this Ring" business. Selfshness
IS not by any means confined to Trusts.
the endeavOr to gain wealth at the ex
pense of our neighbor permeates all
classes. Trade Unions as we'll as
Trusts should be investigated, and the
same evil, wherever found should be
controlled by the same laws.
An article in the New York Herald.
OF March 11th, 1883, on the Germans
in New York, shows that the foreign
Workmen have already driven out
Americans from number of trades in
New York City. 1t is therein stated
that the
" PianOfOrte business is almost en-
tlrely in the hands of the Germans.
thirty years ago the majority of the
artisans were Americans. Owing to
the wretched apprentice laws no man
uiacturer would take an apprentice to
learn. The cabinet-making trade
SHOWS nearly the same proportion as
the piano trade. The butchers trade
Is also IN the hands of the Germans"
This state of affairs is caused bv the
opposition Of the Trade Unions to the
employment of apprentices in our fac
tories, rather than by "Our wretcbed
apprentice laws" for in fact our an
prentice laws are absolute. This is a
sad condition. What shall we do with
our sons? Unable to learn honest
trades, they drift downward and soon
become tramps. Our lawmakers
should remove the barriers and walls
which the Trade Union places before
every boy in our land, by the PASSAGE
of wise and beneficial apprentice laws
Millions Of dollars annually are snent
to instruct our children in our public
schools. When they 60 out into the
world to earn an honest living, and
wish to learn trade, the Trade-Union
steps IN and bars their entrance. The
markets Of the world are opening to
our manufactures, but we make no
effort to educate and develop the skill
and energy of our young men in
pursuits, needed i'm the
competition with European manufac-
lures on every side. The ability and
genius OF our young men should be
tostered and encouraged in every fac
tory in our land
,Rt uC not bOua,,ar I;,,:4 -
demnatlOn to the Trade Unions; the
Trusts are doing the same thing.
Many young firm, with limited capi-
tai, has been obliged to succumb and
withdraw before the overpowering
Trusts and Combines"
Society suffers by this oppression of
the Trusts and Trade-Unions it is
to the genius of our broad free
land and should be controlled bv law
The foreign workman practices upon
our young men here the same Oppres-
sion which he escapes from in leaving
MS native land: not the divine right Of
royalty, but the assumed right and
power of Trade Unions.
This whole iniquity should be ex-
posed and probed from the top to the |
bottom. 1t will not avail for the Trusts
10 scold the Trade Unions, or Uice Uersa
the methods of both are receiving the
of society. We await
with impatience the passage by Con-
5ress OF just laws, establishing wise
apprentice system, which shall develop |
md stimulate the skill and ingenuity |
1t our young men, and also laws which |
shall control the evils of both Trusts |
and Trada-T -TTDiono