The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1893-05-24

country were kept from coming here
We quote from the article
THE eastern door OF the California
labor market was, in the first place, bar
ricaded with literature. The Pacin,
coast unions made IL their business Il
saturate the east with letters and arti
cles going ~ chow that California was
no place for a working man. Every
union in the Atlantic states was sup.
piled with accounts of the suffering oil
unemployed men in San Francisco in
the winter OF 1873, and was left to infer
that the eituation was unchanged. At
times articles we're inserted in friendly
papers on the coast, Astounding in the
same sense these we're scattered through
the labor centers in the eastern states
with such assidity that it became an
adage at Pittsburg and New York and
Boston: Whatever you do, don't go to
California The prevalence OF this
opinion, coupled with the cost OF a
journey to remote and unknown coun-
try, indisposed most workmen to cross
the Rocky mountains. II there were
any who we're not to be frightened away,
or who knew the real facts, they were
subjected to other treatment. They
learned on arrival that they must be-
long to union in order to get work."
To belong to a union, However, was
not an easy thing. II only one or two
new ones came at time they were
taken in: but II there were a number OF
them. or they seemed to be the advance
guard Of still greater number, they
could not get admission to any OF the
unions-and therefore could not get en-
ployment at all. Everybody was told,
and told sharply, that there was no room
Tor new corners on the Pacific coast.
LII workingmen were here who were not
wanted they were politely but firmly
told that they had better return whence
they came. 'Stories are current" one
account goes on to say-"Stories are
current OF savage assaults on eastern
mechanics who moved to the coast and
persisted in remaining, contrary to the
advice OF the unions" II the accounts
given OF the despotism of the working
mems unions of that period are half
true, never was a wickeder combination
to rule business men or to to- bar out the
individual worker from getting his
bread.
Out oil this combination it can be
fairly claimed grew, years afterwards,
the iron molders' strike which lasted
twenty months, although the men who
began the great revolt were getting So 50
per day, and whose only grievance
seemed to be that they could not control
the details OF the shops-no question
being made OF wages or the hours OF
labor. More recently the great strike of
The stevedors was insugursted, whose
oily and crimes are still fresh in the
minds OF all our readers. The apparent
md admitted fact seems to be, that there
1as been long-existiug conspiracy
amongst those who would dominate
he labor field in San Francis
20 to keep laborers especially
killed ones - from coming to the
coast at all. The distance from other
abor centers, aud the peculiar isolation
d this state, have 80 far made it easy
or bold and cunning leaders to keep
his field substantially to themselves.
Nobody finds fault With the general ad.
.antsgg ye..y hjeh la62g. has vaePed. frnna
,een the pride and boast of all Caliior-
Iians that wages, in every department
{ the labor field, have been from 20 to
o per cent higher than in the great cen
ers of the east. Let as keep this advan-
age If we can; but let us do it legiti-
nately. To send out such circulars as
he one referred to above is to dispar-
lge, discredit and disgrace any labor or
organization concerned in
t. There are many unemployed men
n San Francisco, as there are every
where but the representations sent out
by these misguided agitators are false and
When will men learn that
there is nothing in this world ever to be
preferred above the truth, and that upon
this basis every question affecting right
and duty must be at laet decided?
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