Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-08-17
IF NOT, WHY NOT7
Mr.. Carnegie's Employees Have Just al
Much Right to Discharge Him as He
Has to Discharge Them.

Mr.. Carnegie's Employees Have just az
Much Right to Discharge Him as He
Has to Discharge Them.
1t is not simply a matter of wages,
nor of tariffs, nor of Pinkertons, though
these are included in the broad issues
raised by the battles at Homestead, in
Pennsylvania, and Ceur d'Alene, in
Idaho. Speaking of the latter the Min
neapolis Tribune Rep.) says:
Idaho silver mining is not protected
by tariff Neither were the Ceur d. 'Alene
mines invaded by Pinkerton men. But
that did not prevents a battle and blood
shed.
The mine owners thought 50 dav
enough for unskilled hands. The union
men demanded $3.50 and refused to
work for 50. The mine owners then
attempted to work their mines with
nOn-union men.
''On Monday the feeling between the
union and non-union men eliminated.
After preliminary skirmish, the union
men in an armed body marched upon
the Frisco mill, and after blowing it up
with giant powder, succeeded in forcing
the surrender of 11o non-union la aborers.
The result was five men killed, and a
AOSS VI FI@o,OUU Dy explosion.
The affair was purely a contest be-
tween union and non-union labor.
Union labor maintained the principle
that it had right to prevent non-union
labor from accepting work from which
union labor had struck The contest
rested on the same iss ne as that which
underlay the Homestead trouble"
Granted that it is purely a contest
between union and non-union labor
1T is very important that the country
understand the differences between the
two.
Non-union or unorganized labor is
made up of that vast body of men who
accept the existing industrial conditions
either as all right, or the best that can
be had, or who admit that they are very
far from being right but fear that any
distinct, or concerted effort to better
them, might make matters worse.
Union or organized labor is bold. as.
sertive, aggressive, and maintains that
the laborer has rights not recognized by
the existing arrangements.
The union laborer at Homestead,
Cnur d'Alene and everywhere else be-
lleves he has more of an interest in the
steel mills, the silver mines, and other
works than is represented by his wages.
AT Homestead, for example, he has
worked for fifteen or twenty years, he
has little home, his family grew up
around him, he is getting old, he has
seen the mills grow from a mere shop
into colossal plant, its proprietors
become millionaires and he feels that
some way he has contributed to that re-
suit, more than is represented in the
wages he has received.
How much?
lie cannot tell, not even approximate.
lie has given to their upbuilding his
strength and the best days of his vigor-
Gus manhood.
lie feels in the language of Senator
Palmer, "that he has a right to be
there" right to stay there, and that
no man or set OF men has any right to
remove him, or close those works
against him SO long as he is willing to
work.
lie feels that he has proprietary in
terest In the mills, notwithstanding the
fact that he got wages
All this is dim, vague, underlined as to
particulars, but strong and clear as to
the general proposition that he has in
terests and rights there as well as Car
negie.
he got wages to be sure but did not
carnegie get wages too? vastly greater
wages? interests on his capital? emolu-
ments of all sorts almost without limit?
And is Carnegie to be vested with the
further power of reducing the wages of
the workingman, even refusing him
work altogether?
You've had your wages" says Car
negie, Il need you no longer-go."
But you have had your wages too,
much larger than mine. Suppose tell
you that l or rather we need you no
longer-go.''
Il have my capital invested-the
plant is mine," retorts Carnegie.
THE capital you invested twenty
years ago was $4,000" replied the
workman; add the legal interest call
at our Office, get check for the amount
and-go."
But" says Carnegie.
But what?''
The plant is all mine"
'soh, thought you only claimed the
invested capital, with interest, but You
eiain that the plant, now valued at
&zs npa a00 L alsn vonra Did not / and