The record-union., 1892-08-26
STRIKES OF A CENTURY.
CuriOsities of Early Fights Between
Capital and Labor.
Enough Wealth Sunk to Pay the Ma
tionaI Debt and the Debts Of Penn
syIyania and New York-Millfons
Lost to Laborers and Employers.
from the Philadelphia Press

1896 among the boot and shoemakers OF
Philadelphia. Since that date the losses
incurred by employers and employees
through strikes in this country have been
simply incalculable.
Between the years 1881 and 1887 inclu-
sive there occurred 24,5lS American
strikes From these, according to the
last Government Labor Report, pub
1ished in 1888, the total loss to the strik-
ers was Sol, STATS The employers also
lost enormously during the same period
by the enforced closing of their works
and by damage to their property. CAL
culating on this basis, apd adding the
large amounts spent by various States in
maintaining troops at strike centers, it
may be confidently stated that sum
equivalent to the grand total of losses
from strikes, since the beginning, of the
United States National debt, but the State
debts of Pennsylvania and New York as
well.
TURNED QUIZ FOR HIGHER PAY.
The earliest strike in America, alluded
TO above, was that of the journeymen
-bootmakers of Philadelphia. The men
struck, or turned out" as they phrased
1t, for an increase of wages. After two
weeks suspension of trade their demands
were granted, and this success gained
them greater strength and popularity, SO
that when they turned OUT in 179S and
again in $780, for further increases, they
were still successful, and escaped indict-
ment. The example of the sturdy Qua
ker bootmakers spread rapidly, and was
indirectly the cause of the important
New York sailors striker of 1903. a
number of sailors who had been receiv-
ing SO per month demanded Sl4. The
malcontent mariners formed in a body,
marched around the city and compelled
the Seamen, who were employed at the
old rates, to leave their ships and join
the turn out.' Thus we see that mod
ern strike methods were not wholly I'M
known ninety years ago. In conse-
quence of the strikers proceedings the
town guard was ordered out, and the
leader of the demonstration arrested and
sent to jail. The strike ended in COM
;plete failure.
Meanwhile the pioneer strikers of the
Philadelphia shoemaking guild had been
growing more audacious, and on No
vember l, 1905, they turned OUT en-
masse for higher wages. The increase
asked for ranged from % to 70 cents per
pair of boots.
CONSPIRACY TO RAISE WAGES"
This strike lasted seven weeks, and
was signally unsuccessful. In fact, it
ended in trial of conspiracy brought
against the men by the master cord
WAIVERS, one OF whom, John Bedford,
testified that he had lost over $4,000 an
nually through turn outs'' ordered by
the journeymen's association. The de-
PENDANTS were found guilty of 'conspir-
ing to raise their wages" and Recorder
Moses Levy sentenced them to fine of
S. and costs each. The records Of the
trial are preserved in the United States
Supreme Court Library, and are very in
teresting, as showing both the methods
~ orix Lob RI;
and the very wide acceptation in which
the law of conspiracy was then received.
The filming of men for "conspiring to
raise their wages is about on a level
with the sentences passed on Irish ten
nants under statute of Edward Ill, re-
vived by Earl Spencer, for "conspiring
10 lower their rents.''
This crushing blow effectually killed
labor organizations in Philadelphia for
many years. The New York shoemak-
ers, however, took up the war and
turned out" in 1909 Nearly 200 men
were engaged in the strike. At that time
stoppage of work in one shop was called
strike" while general stoppage
was known as general turn out"
The New York strikers were finally VIC
torious.
Six years subsequently Pittsburg, since
the hotbed of strikes, experienced its
first turn out" the ubiquitous shoe
makers being once more the strikers.
Their attempt ended unsuccessfully, and
the leaders were tried, convicted and
fined.
In 1921 occurred the first printers
strike. 1t took place in Albany, n. Y,
the Typographical Society of that town
striking against the introduction of nom
union workers.
FIGHTING FOR SHORTER HOURS.
The earliest recorded strikes for reduc-
tons in hours of work were started in
1880 by the carpenters and masons of
Boston. The men wanted to limit the
workday to ten hours, but they were I'M
successful. The growth of organized la
Dor had been so great that the employers
became alarmed. and on May 15. 1882,
the merchants and ship owners OF Bos-
ton met and adopted resolutions against
unions. One of these resolutions was as
follows:
1--WE will neither employ any Journey
man who belongs to such combinations
nor give work to any master mechanic
who employs Journeymen thus pledged
to each other"
This condemnation had little effect.
Strikes increased in number all over
America, but particularly in Boston,
where the ten-hour movement continued
to be agitated.
In April, 1884, the militia were called
out to suppress riot caused by striking
laborers on the Providence Railroad, at
Mansfield, Mass, and several strikers
were taken prisoners.
The first big mill strike began in Au-
gust, 1885, when the operatives of twenty
mills at Paterson, \. j., struck for re-
duced hours. Six weeks idlenesS and a
loss of S24 200 in wages and expenses to
the workmen, were the results. In May,
1885,, the workmen in the Philadelphia
coal yards struck for the ten-hour work
dav. After several weeks idleness the
difference was settled by the work men
agreeing to work from Sunrise to sun
set,'' with an intermission of three hours
each day. The loss to the employers in
this strike was estimated by the PennsyI-
vania Industrial Statistics Bureau report
of 1880 at $4,000.
This success gave Philadelphia work
men courage, and one month afterward
several trade societies paraded the streets
bearing a large white banner with the
motto: "From to g." They marched to
the Statehouse yard, and then held an
open air meeting. The CITY Council at
once sided with the laborers and re-
duced the hours of work of all in the city's
employ. Wages were also raised from
IN average of S73 cents per day to one of
S. per day.
During the latter part of the summer of
1882 the still militant iourneymen shoe
makers Of Philadelphia and the saddlers
of the same city struck for reduction of
hours and increase of wages. Both strikes
were successful.
A very peculiar strike was that of the
French Canadian laborers on dam in
Maine in July, 1886. The men struck
"because they were not allowed to smoke
their pipes when at work" They carried
their point and their pipes.
From 1886 to 1912 fifteen noteworthy
strikes occurred. OF these ten We're I'M
successful, two successful, and the re-
suits of the remaining three are unknown.