Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-04-10

tailors engaged in the European trade
under Chinese employers. The workshops
are generally situated behind stores where
daily meals are served, and some OF the
clerks lodge there at night, and where the
regular Chinese filth is in abundance, thus
bringing them TO the dead level OF the
sweating shops in the United States. That
being the general custom Of Chinese living
they did not complain on this point.
What they complained Of was that thu
meals, which are furnished by the employ
ers, were too scanty. They wanted more
rice, more pork and more fish. They also
demanded that their wages should be in
creased. Upon refusal of these demands
they went out During eight days follow
ing, not one of the hand machines was run
ming in all the Chinese tailor shops II
the city. Meantime, resorts to bribery
and threats of personal vengeance were
made by the employers, municipal ant
judicial influences were brought to bear
leaders were arrested, tried and sentenced
some of them logged and imprisoned to-
several days, and others were sentenced tt
a year. imprisonment. The strikers gave
this no heed. and their determination be-
came still firmer Finally, the employers
gave in, conceding every point
The resultant conditions Of this victorious
strike are, they will receive forty five Mex
lean cents, about % cents of American
money, per day of eight working hours, in
stead of 30 cents as before. Expenditures
for their meals are raised from three Mex
lean dollars per month for each hand tt
five Mexican dollars, about $50 of Ameri
can money. Night workers are to be paid
double price.
To me the strike itself is a wonder, but
the success of the strike is still more sur
prising, The conditions that surrounded
the strikers before the strike were most
unfavomble for such an attempt. The only
thing that was in their favor was that the
time the blow was dealt was the busiest
time OF the season. This meant great
deal for the strikers. Yet, this
advantage was fully Offset by the
non existence of any sort of fund
to sustain the strikers during the
struggle. Indeed those tailors who wen'
out had not only TO fight the tyranny OF
their employers, but struggled at the same
time against hunger and privation. The
day they struck they parted with their
work and every means of their daily sub
al Tbni,.
not allowed them to save any portion OF
their earnings.
So hard was their livelihood that great
many of them could not await the time Of
their monthly pay day, but had to draw
every day part of their daily wages, in
or er to keep their families from hunger.
Under such circumstances there certainly
was no opportunity for them to save for
a time of adversity. This la,k OF funds
meant the lack Of the best weapon to win
and was the cause of much anxiety. Still
they had no time to mediate. With
hunger closely following their heels and
driven by the growing prospect of COM
ing winter it was only left for them to
means to sustain themselves during the
contest OF not. In the face of such diff
culties they fought and won-won mag
niticent victory
Among many characteristics of Chinese
people we find one which has II firm grip
upon them, especially among the igno-
rant people. | refer to the Chinese char
acterisic of solidarity and frater-
nifty. Socially speaking, Chinese people
are one OF the most susceptible to
united action. Among people in
China, and those who live abroad,
social organizations are numerous and
some of them are very powerful. The Six
Companies among Chinese in the United
Chinese. are conspicuous examples. The
former had power and influence to resist
the passage of the exclusion act at an early
period in the House of Congress of the
United States; the latter very nearly sue
ceeded in an attempt to overthrow the
reigning dynasty.
Who knows what an important role this
characteristic has played in the tailors'
striker Though they may have lacked of a
distinct labor organization, and of fund,
solidarity and fraternity as their
characteristics, and driven by necessity
this char acteIistic developing to its
full sway, there hardly needed in the
occasion any fear of defeat. In union there
is strength No wonder that those igno-
rant Chinese tailors have achieved such a
phenomenal success. Unity. Solidarity!
1t even blesses such an uncivilized people
as Chinese Then. why not Americans
and Europeans! Those who keep away
from unions in civilized countries would do
we'll to follow the example of the Chinese
tailors. -FUsATARo TAKANo, in the Ameri
can Federationist.
Toxic, Japan, Dec. 10, 1898.