Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-16
MAYOR HEwITTs LATEST.


twice stated in these columns. 1t will re-
pay to briefly refer to it again in view of
the present situation.
Tire brewers and maltstsrs have a trade
union that has for years dictated terms to
the master or employing brewers, and COM
PEELED them to conduct their business at a
disadvantage. These terms were not OBJ
]eetionaole as to the wage rate, nor, gen.
orally, as to the working hours, but they
were onerous and irritating, unjust and
TYR n neal on the question of employment
of non-union men, the privileges de-
manded and the assertion of the Union of
the right to determine and pass Judgment
upon all issues arising between employers
and employees. They were especially OBJ
noxious in the matter of contracts exacted
and the question of discharging men, the
Union claiming the right to decide with
out any Interference on the part of the
employer, whether a man should go or
remain, no matter what the opinion of the
employer might be concerning the en-
ploye, or the personal tastes and wishes of
the former in the matter. This in itself
was sufficient to cause a revolt on the part
of any class of men having spirit enough to
draw an Independent breath. Whenever in
this land, where individuality is the basis
of any citizenship worth naming, any class
Of men deriving their support from the
employer is permitted to dictate to him
concerning the conduct of his own bust
ness, to whom he may and to whom he
shall not pay wages; for whom he may and
for whom he shall not labor, the individ-
ual inalienable right is gone, and the fires
on the high affairs of free government
should be eItinguished
1t seems never to have entered into the
thought of the employee brewers that the
rights they claim and have-to organize for
what they conceive to be mutual protec-
ton and beneft-carries with it the same
right in behalf of the employing brewers.
They have now, however, discovered this
essential truth. The master brewers a
few weeks ago organized and issued dec
laration of independence, which, reduced
to the minimum of expression, is: ave
will conduct our own business as we see
TIT, or cease to prosecute it at ALL" As
result, the brewers and maltsters have been
informed that their Union, for all social,
helpful, moral, educational and benefcent
purposes, will not be considered antago
nistic to the business of brewing: but that.
as tyrannioal and dictatorial institutions,
they will not be recognized; that if A en-
ployes non-Union brewer, B, c, d and E
do not propose to be forced to boycott A
or cease business relations with him for
exercising his inalienable right; that
there will be no lower wages paid in the
future nor any new or greater exactions
made upon employees, but that no schedule
of wages adopted by Brewers and Maltsters'
Unions will be recognized as having any
binding effect upon the employers; that
every master brewer reserves to himself
the right TO establish local regulations for
his own brewery, precisely as he does in
his own household; that he reserves to
himself the right to employ or discharge
whom he pleases, without asking the advice
or consent of the Union, and that if
his relations with any employee are
unpleasant, or he deems the presence of
the man detrimental to his interests and
demoralizing in his force, or has an aver
sion to the man for any reason, he will ex-
ercise the right to cease to employ him,
regardless of his membership in any
Union.
1t so happens that brewing does not in
volve such high degree Of skill that it
requires long apprenticeship to accom-
plish it. Untried men have been taken
into employment to fill the places vacated
by Unlonists, and in very brief time-a
few weeks at most-have been taught to
do their work with entire satisfaction.
The scab," therefore, becomes very soon
as skilled as the man wearing the Union
brand of excellence. Not a single brew
cry in the United States, since the issue of
the declaration, has been compelled, for
want of workers, to close its doors for forty
eight hours, and so far as the beer-drinking
public can discover, the product of the
breweries has not deteriorated or lost any
of the essential qualities of excellence.
Tlss Union brewers-it should not be
lost sight of-have not been refused work.
save here and shere, but have been "con-
tinued on" in their situations wherever
they saw fit TO go TO work All of them
now out went out Voluntarily, except in
the cases of a few breweries in New York
and one or two in the West.
The dispatches of yesterday related that
500 Union brewery workmen who have
been locked out for four weeks-that is to
say, have refused to go to work as free men
ON Monday marched to the Office of
Mayor Hewitt, of New York, and, led by
Shevitch, the noted Anarchist-who ex-
citedly declaims every Sunday that this
country is not nearly free enough for him
asked the Mayor to do something for
them.
The Mayor advised the men to 90 hack tn
work SheSitch said that if the men did that
they would be called "scabsr That was TOO
much for the Mayor He interrupted Sheyjtcb |
and excitedly denounced labor Organizations |
for their tyranny in compelling men TO ioin |
them. " II is tyranny" he said that no
American Will submit to. You have half 3
million in two labor organizations, let us saw |
two millions in the United States vet You seek |
70 eontTol IS 10000 Of people. You have no |
rlght to take away my liberty. 1t is a violation |
Oh law. You talk of scabs as a term of re- |
proaeh. consider seab a moral hero who |
refuses to surrender his individual liberty
However, Mayor Hewitt agreed to write |
TO the Master Brewers Association asking
them to assist the mea, if possible to do so.
If Mayor Hewitt continues in this strain
and to live up to such doctrines; if he
continues to protest that the stars and
stripes alone shall float from American flag
stats over Government institutions; if he
to hold that the Almighty Wis
ION never granted to man fairer realm
han this, or greater liberties that the All
wise never gave men pra,.Gar opportrnit;os