Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-07-15

Europe does not prevent dlifercn-
ccs of opinion between employers
and employed as to specific rates
ofpay. hours of labor, dates OF
schedules at which the scale OF
wages is fixed, and many other
matters. These disputes are in
scparablc from industrial devel-
opmcnt. They can generally be
composed without i'll feeling or
bloodshcd, by iudicious arbltra-
ton. In a vast majority OF III
stances they are settled i'll some
such way
/ Cases like that at Homestead,
where passion has usurpcd the
place Of reason, and where all
offers of conference or arbitration
have been refused, are very rare.
The only Just and sensible way to
prevent such lamcntablccontcStS
is to perfect methods of arbitra-
ton and educate public opinion
up to the point where it demands
arbitration so impcrativcly that
neither party will dare torctuSc
! it. The plan proposed by the
demagogues, who are making
the Homestead conflict an ocea-
sion for denouncing the protective
system, would abolish strikes
only by aboliShing American in
dustry.
The Democratic party in ltsna-
tional convention at Chicago
, explicitly declared protection to
: American industry unlawful.
. Here is its declaration, taken al
, most verbatim from the constltu
l ton of the proslavery free trade
= Coniedcracy OF the Southern
1 States when i'll rebellion against
the nation:
We declare it to be fundamental prln
r cplc Of the Democratic party that tn
. federal government has no constitutional
) power to enforce and collect tarltt dutc
# except for the purposes OF revenue only.
To carry out this plank, as th'
c Democracy is pledged to do if i
$ can get the power, would be t.
d throw down every protective
a barrier between the well paid
+ prosperous American working
man and the foreign laborer wh'
produces the same goods but re
J. ceives less than Onc-half tn
&c Americans wages. To say tina
c under this direct competition tn
Y wages of the American Woul
r not fall to the foreign standar
n is to say that two and two d
n not make four. Reductions /
&c wages would be not local Blu
- general throughout the country
Arbitration which is compcten
to deal with local troubles woul
IS be powcrlcss in the face of til
IS fierce and universal revolt of |;
S; Dor which would take place Ill
s, der these circumstances. II
in country would see, not one, BIT
- hundreds of strikes, each as bite
and threatening as that at HON
stead. The destruction of Ii
and property, the incendiarisn
the ruin of vast business interest
,e the savage battle of class again'
:, class which would follow, ca
" better be imagined than d
III scribed. In the end the strike
OF would be forced to Yield, for
IN would be manitestly impossib
nt for the American manufacturer
&C selling in unrestricted compel
" ton with the employers of toreil
III paupcr labor, to restore Il
is American rates of wages. tt
at strikes would come to an CT
# either by the extinction of Il
ha industry fought over or by t
''e surrender of the strikers to go
s.. work for starvation wages in c
en- der to keep themselves and the
pit families alive. How do t
tv American people like this picture
oil Free trade means the multiple
~ ton of troubles like those
IN Homestead FIVE hundredfold.