New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-20
fTcTtEES dVD THEIR PENALTIES.

UISTIKES And THEIR PENALTIES
| Labor has come to be the greatest obstacle
+, thc uplifting Of labor The statement VIII
sound harsh and unfccling to those whose s!lh-
Dothies are klrdlcd by Il just conception OF inc
moods of wage-earncrs Yet it is only the IAN
puarc of truth and soberness prompted by aS
c,rnrst n desire for the uplifting or the tollinS
millions as that Of their own chosen represent
otycs If thoughtful workers consider the SUD-
iect with candid minds. they VIII realize 'Hlt
in this rs in other relations. human errors ana
human sins are the source of human suffering.
Glowing in three languages the lntcrna-
tionol Conference of Miners broke up In nope
less dscord It not antagonlsm OF Ell
Movers but unwisdom Of laborcrs themselves,
which brought about this failure OF high hopes
long cherished. for which earnest men had maze
,rroo, norsonol sacrifice The Belgium section
had proposed rule that employers should he
liable In damages If miners sustained INJURY III
the discharge Of their duties Engllsh deiceates
opposed this with sound reason, for the new
table risks which miners have to face, In lahus
vhore thcre are the best regulations to guard
against injury. form part or the DaSS upon
which wages have been adjusted. The English
delegates proposed rule that wages shouiu
never he reduced unless, upon Inspection OF
! ho,l,s II was shown that the mine yielded no
pro0t. No rule could be more unwise for the
miners. because It's enforcement would throw
4 great proportion of them out OF employment,
so that the wages Of the rest would be undliiy
DEPRESSED by excessive competition among
Them Next the German section proposed
minimum rate of wages for all miners. which
long experience has proved the worst OF all CD
staclcS 10 advancement OF wages. Ihen the
English delegates insisted that they. represent
inc i greater number OF miners than all the
other delegates. should have power TO outyote
them all
Thinking workers will not wonder that con
ference So conducted broke mp In disorder But
thov may well ask whether the establishment OF
Uniform rules for workers In different countries.
living under widely differing laws ana rcgula-
tiors. can ever BE- for the truc welfare OF all.
This question will inevitably suggest The broad
or one whether all combinations which r'Sirict
individuals from competing with others III EN-
cheney and excellence Of work must not t"nd
10 the injury Of ail. only few years ago iabor
| ,l,rnuqhnur fhc commercial world was enjoying
| ,,rr,ior advantages and higher compensation
chan +, had ever attained. In all lands a ire
| ,,opdrus rcocti,u has occurred The fall In the
rate Of wages in This country has been near
H. If not quite. 20 per cent In eighteen mon'hS'
| II II has not been as great In other countries
within the same TIME II has NJ least been great
| enough 10 starile sincere advocates OF labors
| cause But Is II not true that the extraordinary
| dcurrssiou Is directly traccablc To the mistakes
| of labor ITSELF In the United States the votes
| Of workingmcn for "a change" NJ a time when
prosperity was beyond precedent have taken
from the remuneration Of worknsm"n III
short time more than many years ~ "rEahz'n
effort and rising prosperity had added. II ne
| wagrcarning voters 81 this country had N"ied
! In 1872 according 10 their political beliefs ID
rcsprci 10 National measures. not swaycd 10y
prejudice toward employers. ih"y would have
saved several thousand millions which hey
have now lost beyond recovery
ORGANIZATION 10 compel payment ~ wages
| higher than the conditions - Industry - n
! whole permit and therefore such - to narrow
nrnduc.lon restrict tho use Of capital am
| lessen the demand both for labor itscif and for
products Of labor. is the ono great cause Of dis
| turbancc reaction and depression In Europe
| This Is not necessarily an argument against or
| ranizntion. but agninsr unwis" usc II the power
| which organization gives Yet the fact remains
that in no occupation or industry can labor
compel tho payment 81 wages unwarrantcl 10y
! The general conditions II production without
| bringing upon itself costly and disastrous rrac-
| ton Labor has taken upon Itself tremendous
RESPONSIBILITIES. economic abroad and political
| here and has 10 bear The consequences. Abrond
| It's organizations. and here its ballots. have
brought about conditions which undo The prog
rcss Of many toilsomc years ~ devotion