The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-07
Knight & Jillson,
20 and "a
: pENNsYLvAN IA 81

neither consider nor examine the otherf lie
is just this one-eyed kind of business that
makes US lop-sided and cross-grained and
as troublesome as q blind mule or deaf
dog In many cases we run ourselves
into such reprisals as strikes and boy
colts when little sense and some fair in
vestigation would have made such an ac-
ton as ridiculous as trying 10 stop around
hole with q square peg. We are not talk
ing now of justiiable strikes. nor are we
teaching the soft nonsense that we are in
duty bonnd TO lie still and be skinned
alive, but only land let MS here be clearly
UNDERSTOOD of such strikes as are hot
headed. blind foolish. and downright IN
iquities. Take this for a sample:
We draw up q schedule Of wages-hxed
and unalterable. till officially acted upon.
In that tariff We place a second-class man
on the same footing as we do the hrst-class.
a can lay one thousand bricks IN a certain
time: b. for the life of him, cannot place
over five hundred. We insist on equal pay.
though we would kick nightly, on our
own behalf, at having 10 pay for q dozen
eggs when we got but six. The contractor
cannot see that this demand Is fair. He
has his contract TO I'LL. his bread 10 earn.
and his family to keep, just the same as we
have. lie cannot afford TO pay for work
that is not DONE and il he could. he would
be unjust to himself TO do so. He objects
to put his head INTO the mouth of wolf.
and refuses 10 pay the wages as liked on
our schedule. We lay trowels down and
Quit wOfk. ana IN uiuc cases Out Oh ten
brace ND on q glass of lager. and 20 home.
to eat a dinner which perhaps 10 not yet
paid for and with n very thin prospect of
having as much meat on our plate IN
months time. We hang out; the single
men pack up and go elsewhere, and the
older folks look around for stray jobs. be.
ina sometimes glad 10 cut wood and shovel
gravel: the whole thing. simfnered down to
a fine point. beng Just this. that we are sui.
fering what we need not have suffered il
we had been as fair to another man lac
was willing 10 be To Us. Pray. gentlemen,
what fun is there in this business of get
ting into debt, running TO the pawn-shop
and accepting q weekly contribution from
men who have little enoueh for them
selyesf What of comfort 10 there IN seeing
our children losing the calves oil their legs
and the flesh of their bones. wanting
school books and soles on their shoes. be-
cause thsir fathers are not heroes. but
pack of fools!
Strikes are common. and they make no.
toriety and money for some. but we know
we'll enough that there is something pain
ful aud tragical behind the painted scenes.
They arc wet with chIldren's tears and rat
tie with bare bones and are resonant with
regrets and curses. Strike when strik-
ing Is absolutely necessary. II you
will. but for the sake of common sense.
patch on your coat, and the potato for
dinner, never so consent on a wrong basis.
or till the whole system OF Cancellation and
arbitration has been exhausted. To suffer
for what is right Is manful and sometimes
necessary. but there - neither glory nor
buttermilk in breaking stones for a larceny
on our neighbours payroll and rights