Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-05-21
LETTERs FROM THEPEoaE
A Logical Argument In Favor of9ath
Home Laborer.

this town for the past forty years I ask the
use of your columns to say few words in
behalf of the forgotten man, the Water
bury laborer, who seems to have been
overlooked by the members of the different
boards when disposing of the vast sum of
the peoples money now being spent for
public improvements. This letter is no
onslaught on nationality. 1t is simply a
plea for the home laborer regardless of
race or creed. When it is known that the
men who are responsible for the present
distress among our common laborers
represent the different political elements it
cannot be construed into an attack on any
particular man or party. Its purpose is to
deal with subjects, not with men. In dis
cussing the important question of the re-
lation new existing between employer and
employe on the public works in this town
some of the papers have exhibited a
marked hostility to the interests of the
home laborer. This am sure is due to
the fact that they have not acquainted
themselves with the true state of affairs,
rather than to any intention on their part
of placing their fellow men in false posi-
ton.
A few years ago when a movement was
inaugurated by one of our local manufac-
turers to put the wages of factory hands
below the accepted standard of living ex-
penses, howl of indignation was heard
through the columns of the local papers.
The man was assailed with the most fiery
invectives, not only through the press, but
his conduct was made the subject of most
scathing denunciation in some of the Wa
terbury pulpits, one of the ministers, the
Rev Mr. Elsdon of the First Baptist
church, asking his congregation to- join
with him in praying that the grace of God
might enter into the heart of this inhuman
monster and by its holy influence succeed
in burning the meanness out of 1T. The
different newspapers and preachers of the
gospel who hurled their anathemas at this
man are still with US, but hardly word of
protest has been uttered by these public
censors of right and wrong against the
gross injustice which has been done the
workingman of to-day by the different
contractors aided as they have been and
are by the committee on additional water
supply, whose every effort is now being
used in an attempt to prove that the peo-
pie of Waterbury are idle because they are
not willing to work.
AS workingman brand the statement
as falsehood and hurl the imputation
back into the teeth of the water commit
tees informant with an impetus that
touches my very soul. The average work
ingman of this town is not loafer. He
is willing to work, but cannot afford to dis
pose of his labor unless he receives suffi-
cient remuneration in return for it as will
permit him to live in accordance with the
manners and customs of the American
laborer. No man has a right to accept
contract unless he has figured on at least
81 so day for the men whom he intends
to employ. Men will argue, of course,
that the contractor has the right to buy
labor as cheap as he can get it. For the
sake of avoiding controversy the writer
will admit that he has, but does it pay to
allow him to do this
What would be the condition of things
in this town if the stockholders of the
different factories should decide to pursue
the policy marked out by the water COM
mittee? Why the town would be pauper-
lied within six months, and there is no
doubt whatever that the streets would run
red with blood, for the people seeing their
little homes about to pass out of their
hands would rise in open rebellion and
bloodshed and anarchy would inevitably
follow in their footsteps. In conversation
with prominent local manufacturer the
other day your correspondent was inform
ed that there is not factory in Waterbury
that could not reduce its expense for I'M
skilled labor fully fifty per cent if the con-
water committee and the contractors on
the pipe line. He said: eff we cared TO
employ cheap laborers and put them to
sleep in the attic, or other places that
could be constructed at a nominal expense
in our yards, we could swarm this town
with men and women within a month,
who would be glad to work for half what
we are paying our regular help. But
would all this pay? No, sir, should re-
gard it as suicidal as far as the business
interests of the community are concerned.
Where would we find O market for our
goods? Our employees would never appear
in the stores of the town as purchases of
the wares we send out, and the shelves of
our storerooms would soon become laden
with our own products so that the sign
CLOSED for an indefinite PERIOD would
soon be visible at the entrance to every
factory in the town. He was surprised"
he said, "that the storekeepers of the city
had not been heard in a public protest
against this outrage, for he knew that they
must have suffered severely on account of
the enforced idleness of the people," eff
travelling merchant" he said, "comes into
town and rents a store to sell his cheap
stuff, he finds it difficult to get an an
nouncement in the papers, and the DEMO-
Graf, so you have announced, will not &C
cept such advertising at any price, and
joins hands with the resident dealers in
driving the transient dealer out of town
long before he intended to leave. It de-
tends its course by arguing thus: This
man is not q taxpayer or citizen of the
town. He will remain only until he dis
poses of the few articles he brought with
him, then he is up and away to some
other town. Is it right that he should be
permitted to step in just when trade is
good and remain until the best of the
son is over and then skip out? He is de-
nounced as pirate. [ approve of this.
The same rule should hold good in the
case of the workingman. He has his labor
to dispose of in this town and it is to the
interest of the whole community to see
that it is properly protected. the same as
any other community, and not allowed to
suffer on account of unfair competition"
The speaker continued: "The first thing
manufacturer does when new order
comes in is to figure up the expense of
doing the job. If he finds that he cannot
afford to pay the regular wages to his help
at the price offered he invariably refuses to
accept the order. Still the workingman
has been taught to look upon the
manufacturer as his worst enemy. But let
him wait and see for himself. Another
yeal like this with plenty of work at the
disposal of the city fathers and their con-
stituents not able to earn a
days pay at it is the best
proof the people could have of how little
the politician cares for the interests of the
man who leaves his bench in the shop to
vote him into Office. I bave the greatest
sympathy for the man who is idle to-day
because he would refuse to accept posi-
ton at price that would reduce our peo
pie to the level of the slave in the poorly
paidlabor market of Europe and the men
who are responsible for this state of
things will find it difficult to prove that
they have acted in the interest of the
people by allowing this immense sum of