The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-09

1t was lever-like, the strength of which
had not had in my hands before in any
strike that had helped in. If | could have
mt the hunger question from me, it would
have been easy. as it was known that hac
to deal with men who were equal to the ut
most endurance But the very willingness
of the men and their women to make moth
ing of the nip CT hunger, per
haps the final test of endurance,
priclfed US to use our hest en-
deavors to keep them in daily bread
We sent out our appeals, none too confident
at first, but with increasing confidence as
the days went on. | myself was astonlshed
at the inpouring of public money. No ap-
peals of strikers even drew such continuous
solid help before. Literally, we asked and
we received 1t seemed that we had still
only to say in the boldest terms that we
were strikers and the treasures and moneys
that we asked for were forthcoming. Had
ours been Mansion house appeal in behalf
of the sufferers by some sudden great dis
aster at home or abroad, it could not
| have been responded to with more
extravagant generosity The Australian
subscription of e25,000 is known.
In England, union after union pelted US
with checks, and every check was accom-
panied by an assurance that contributions
would not be lacking whether the strike
lasted for weeks or for months. The com
positors sent us $500; the engineers, e700.
The strike being well forward, we had to
face the difficult task of the organization
of relief We had population to find food
for every day. On what principle should
our comissary be established! We took
the East End shopkeepers into our conf
dence aud issued tickets preSentable to
them This ticket system put an immedi-
ate check upon many possible abuses of
our general plan of relief. Refusing to
give money, we insured ourselves against
| drunkenness and all the troubles arising
out of it, troubles which have been the
ruin of more strikes than one.
''This has been the Soberest strike that l
remember. From first to last no man has
asked rue for money for beer. Abuse of the
relief was scarcely possible under the sys-
| TEN that we instituted-a system whose
maintenance we insisted upon from the first
day to the last. That we were able to
carry out our orders on this particular
point is something to our own credit, and a
great deal more to the credit of the men we
had in hand We took account of all the
trades that lent US help, and the successful
| issue of the lesser strikes that have FOL
| lowed the strike of the lockers is traceable
| in no small measure to the all but over
whelming influence of the first great move
ment. The carmen employed by the post
| office have secured raises of from l shilling
to 40 shillings per week, and almost
every carIaan employed throughout
the whole east end OF London
has gained somewhat, even to
the workers in the chemical manufacturers
along the banks of the Thames, and the en-
cheering laborers. In all some two hun
red trades in London have gained full 10
per cent. on their old wages and shorter
hours by the lockers strike. Shutters,
porters aud host of laborers not directly
connected with the docks have secured
their benefits. From the moment that we
were certain of our organization we had
not doubt as to the issue of the event We
had but to feed the men and the rest was
assured We fed them and the day was
ours.
81 have never ceased to wonder all
through the strike at the moderation and
honesty of the strikers. have been IN the
thick of starving men with hundreds OF
pounds about me to their knowledge, and
not a penny have l lost. l have sent men
whom I did not know for change for gold
piece and have never been cheated of
penny. Not man through all the weeks
of that desperate strike ever asked me for
drink money l have learned by things
like these that the educational value OF
the strike has not been inconsiderable. L
saw no drunken striker in any procession;
| heard no one begging for charity. One
ers occurs to me. A friend came from the
west tie search for me. He fell in with
striker, who walked with him two miles to
the committee room, and refused to accept
shilling for his services as guide.
I'VE had to deal throughout with men
who We're capable of this sort OF selt-re-
preston, and it vas because we had such
stuff at our backs that we were able III the
| end to bring our opponents to terms. A
| hundred things escaped me that might
set down as showing the sympathy of the
community, but / remember how gener-
| ously all classes have acted toward u.s. The
East End shop-keepers and pawn-keepers
refused to charge int lest on the goods
| pledged with them dun the strike;
landlords and lodging-house Keepers re
fused rent during the same period. | re-
member subscriptions of sailors.
soldiers, policemen, fishermen and
blind men of Southwark. ! re,
member letters with checks enclosed
of noblemen, clubmen and clergymen,
l remember half sovereign which an
officer of the guards gave me in the park
with half uttered suggestion that 1t would
make then blank cartridges. remem-
Der that out of the thousands of letters |
received from every part of the Kingdom
there were only two abusive ones.
LAS a trade unionist, my own notion as
to the outcome of the strike is that all sec
lions of labor must organize themselves
into trades unions. After that all trades
must federate and that in the future prompt
and concerted action must take the place
of the spasmodic and solicited action of the
past. AS Socialist, l rejoice that com
bined labor has shown how fully it can
meet the force of capitalism and how small
chance the oppressor of the workingman
has against a resolute combination of men
having found their ideal and are deter
mined to realize it,
CHAS. PETERSON, ''THE SIGN PAINTER"