The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-19
ENGLISH REPRESENTATIVES, OF
LABOR UNIONS.

were played out III the Chiteu Nihe
1 DOM"
He said in 1879 he was in the coal min
ing district Of Dumfrccshire county and
that the miners were very prosperous
making a sovereign, or $50 a week
Some of them saved their wages, but
many of them engaged in the leisure
of pay day in tossing soyerelgns
with about the same indifference
we imagine that the cotton raiscrs played
with $40 gold pieces in the flush times in
| Texas when cotton was high, but he SAID
about that time the labor agitators see
ing that there was money in it, organized
| labor unions among these miners, and re-
visiting the same locality seven years
afterwards our informant said the same
miners were getting only So week, the
labor unions in the meantime having
built six-stOry Offices in London, with
branches all over the United Kingdom.
He attributed the fall in wages to the
numerous strikes organized by the
leaders of the labor unions, every one of
which, he said had resulted in failure
to accomplish its object One strike, he
said, lasted for Is months, and there was
great suffering among the striking min
ers' families Before the organization of
labor unions the men worked in peace
and harmony with the owners of the
mines, but when a strike occurred, en-
couragcd by agitators, q committee of
the labor unions composed of the smart
alexis, who, as salaried officers, officiated
in interviews with the owners, who re-
fused to recognize them and drove them
from their Offices as interlopers inter-
way the men had been reduced to star
walton wages, part Of which they still
paid to the labor union officials. But, he
said, the laboring men were getting tired
of this and were refusing to be mulcted
any longer by these idle officials and that
the latter were coming to America to
fields that were new to impose upon
the American laboring classes in the
same way they had imposed upon the
English laboring classes. Our infor
mant is thoroughly in sympathy with
being a shrcwd observer is entitled to
be believed. ...
We have not been disposed to believe
that labor unions in this country ut least
were prcjudicial to the interests of the
laboring classes. On the contrary, we
have thought that they were necessary
for the protection Of the rights of labor
against capital, but we have also OBJ
served that especially in the excite
mcnt of an extensive strike, labor unions
have not shown proper regard for the
rights of laboring men who did not be-
ong to their associations. In fact,
when strike has been organized by Il
abor union, it has almost invariably been
he case that the first violation of law
by the strikers has been in an attack
III the men who had been employed to
axe their places, whom they term
'scabs.' 1t is yet a question as to the
advantage of labor unions to the laboring
'lasscs in this country. If it is true, rs
t has been contcndcd by the labor union
representatives, that strike without
Using force must result in the defeat of
he object of the strikers, then all law
biding men must conclude that any or
,anization which encourages or sustains
trikes and strikers must result in fail
ire. If labor unions are permitted to
'rcvcnt other laborcrs, not members of
he union, taking their places on aban-
oncd work, then the government must
II Il failure. The right of any one man
o contract to labor and to do his work
n peace and safety is just as sacred to
his government as are the rights of
masses of men organized into labor
MONS. We believe labor of all kinds is
Untitled to the most complete protection
y the government and the very principle
hat would prompt us to recognize the
necessity under certain conditions of
lbor unions would prompt us to recog-
i2c the right of independent labor to
he fullest protection.
We believe that labor unions will he
{ great advantage to the laboring
lasscs of our people, if the strike is
Eliminated from their policy. In saying
his, we are saying nothing more than
rand Master Sovereign has said in op-
OSition to strikes. We believe that
trikes can be cflcctual without the use
{ force, and knowing that force
aust and will he put down by
he strong arm of the govern
lent, the conclusion is inevitable against
iolcnt strikes.
But that does not necessarily touch
he vitality of labor unions. They may
c made very efficient to the improve
lent of the condition and elevation in
he moral and social scale of the work
ngmen of the country If they are so
rganized as to be consistent with n strict
bedicnce to the laws of the land. We
link, however, with the Englishman, to
ihom we have referred in this article,
hat the English workingmen's reformers
ught not to be encouraged by our coun-
rymen. They are leaving WORKOUT
astures to live upon new fields of enter
rise offered them by the credulity of