The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-19
LABOR'S REPLY
Concerning the Iron. holders
Strike.

The Iron-molders' Union has issued a cir
cular. in regard to the strike now going on, in
reply to pamphlet recently published un-
der the name of State Resources"
The union declares that the plea for the
Iron-founders' Association was written in a
violently partisan spirit, instead of in calm,
judicial manner, as was declared to be the
intention at the outset. The union asks for
a Board Of Arbitration to settle the difficulty
that has been pending since last March.
The following quotation is made from the
pamphlet issued by the Iron Founders ASSo-
citation:
capital should be protected against the superior
brute force Of labor by the strong arm OF govern
ment; while labor should have its Que recogui-
tion."
Replying to this the members of the union
say:
"HOw much more protection does capital
want? All the strong arm of the law Is on the
side OF capital, because capitalists make the
laws. The ordinary police ana special police are
at their service as soon as they beckOn for them.
And by the laws they are permitted TO use and
do use spies and those things called private de-
tectiyes. who do more toward fOmenting disorder
than they do toward Keeping the peace. Labor
should have more than due recognition. II
should have rights which are now denied it ana
should, equally with capital, be protected by the
strong arm OF the Government and not nave It's
rights trampled on"
Inc assertion mat flcn men riSk their capital
for the benefit OF The community is denied, and
IL is asserted that they Gaze only for their own
interests, regardless OF their employees aud the
public.
Estate Resources" say the workingmen "are
becoming arrogant aud unreasonable. and are
ciosglng the wheels OF the industries from which
they expect TO gain livelihood, are driving out
capital and killing the goose that laid the golden
egg
is time they were taught" responds the circular
issued by the union. Capital is not the goose
that lays tie golden egg, but labor is. Capital
never laid an egg. CAPITAL without labor Is as
dead as doughnut. Labor Is the only producer
OF all wealth. and as there is not liable to be al
epidemic of suicide among laborers. there does
not appear TO be any danger OF killing the afore-
said goose. Before there was any capital, labor
produced wealth. All the capital Of California
never produced anything by Itself; 1t had to
have the assistance of labor"
To the statement OF state Resources" that the
leaders OF labor ORGANIZATIONS are despotic and
intoierant, and that such organizations are de-
moTallzlng and their game a losing one, reply is
made that all the great philosophers OF the
world have declared IN favor of Industrial
cooperation Of this character and that the men,
bers OF these unions have been materially bene-
fitted
Touching the charge that the iron. molders
chose lime OF great activity In which 10 demand
an advance III wages, the answer is that IN this
they pIOited from tile example of their en-
ployers who always seize upon an appearance
oil dun times to demand reduction.
The right 10 post plckets III front OF the
struck establishments Is defended on the
ground that they were peaceable citizens devot-
Ing their attention TO their own interests that all
they sought was to persuade non-unl0n men 10
help them III their efforts, and that primarily II is
not unlawin for any man TO stand anu look at
any house all day or TO hold conversation with
those entering or departing from such premises.
surely II is no crime 10 speak the truth and
explain the facts OF the case" says
The holders circular 1.-The foundry
men ought 10 be the last to object
10 intimidation from any one, because they have
Used intimidation themselves by threatening : TO
put quilts III The bed of one firm that seeded
from their organization. There is no pallatlon
for intimidation. IL Is wrong. Tie guilty ones
are tile foundrymen, not the holders Since the
strike was inaugu ated The Molders' Union has
not inundated any one"
"WhU comes first, American boys or foreign
laboiers?" asked the writer for The foundry
men.
That Is easily answered" says the union.
" With fOundrymen, foreign labOrers come first
every time. AS soon as the strike was declared
they advertised in foreign papers for inoders 10
come and take the places vacated by the strikers
These same employers who shed cI0co-
die tears over the lack of opportunity for
American boys and girls to gain an honorable
livelihood are the very ones who on every occa-
sion employ foreign labor In preference"
The union asserts that the founders are unable
to DO their work with the non-union men now
employed and declares that great deal OF busl-
ness Is being sent East 10 be done IN shops
where union men are employed.