The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-06-12
The tsScab.O

The ssScab.,'
noticed in recent issue of The MIR
RoR that friend "Patricio'' made use of
statement of mine in such manner that 1
feel it my duty to explain myself. He makes
me say that would rather steal and risk
being detected and sent to prison than to
work for less than what the union to which
belong demands as fair wages.
My present position certainly is not pleas
ant OF desirable one, but am not sure that
it is very much worse than that of a ''scab''
workman in my trade. There are very few
cities in this country where ''scab'' in my
trade can find employment. In such places
as have no unions there is very little work
of the kind to do. The ''scab" finds little
work to do except during strikes, which &C.
cur but seldom and so far apart that the
''scab" rarely has money to carry him
from one to another. The 'scab'' is al
most necessarily tramp for every organiza-
ton in the country has his description and
will recognize him upon sight Go where
he will he cannot get work at nay trade I'M
less he pays the required fine and lives up
to the rules of the order. But that is not
the worst of it. He is burdened with the
knowledge of the fact that he is universally
despised and hated by all the members of
his craft. l fancy you will consider his
position is anything but an agreeable one.
AS have shown the position of the ''scab'
somewhat, will now attempt to explain
my own present condition. will say that,
like the ''scab," I am responsible for my
present hard circumstances. But l know
hot xr,l,n I vol how
meet my fellow-craftsmen upon equal foot
ing for l have taken care not to break faith
with them. L know that when the time
comes for me to sail from this post 1 will
meet with favorable winds. When 1 am
again free l am sure that my condition, even
with eX-cOnvict attached to my name, will
be preferable to that of the ''scab."
l think my friend Patricio has not been
close observer or he would know that there
are hundreds of idle laboring men in the
cities who cannot find employment And
they would take hold of any kind of work
that would give them money to buy food
and clothes for themselves and their fami-
lies. Such, at least, have been the sights
that met my eyes in nearly every large city
in the United States.
My friend, it is ridiculous to assert that
those men are not in earnest in their en-.
deavOrS to secure employment. l am we'll
aware that nearly all branches of labor are
protected by unions. Such would not be
the case if past experience had not proved
it to be necessity. and if such were not
the case the wage workers condition would
be very sad one indeed.
Living as we do in the greatest country
on earth, governed by the most liberal laws
of any land in the world, a country that Of
fers inducements to every man alike and re-
90 r0C 10 fn no
most exalted. we should when we again as
sumo the responsibilities of American citi-
zens. try to prove ourselves worthy of the
trust In order to do this we must recog-
nize the fact that man was not created
to stand alone, but that by protecting the
rightful interests of others we best protect
our own. think if we adopt course like
this we will find plenty willing to tender us
a helping hand, and we will gain that posi-
ton in society which we are qualified to
fill. Book.