Waterbury Democrat., 1901-06-25
Editor of the Democrat:

Editor of the Democrat:
 The article published in Saturday nights issue of the Democrat has set some of the merchants to thinking, and they have begun to realize that the fight the machinists are making for shorter workday is their fight as well as the maehinists'. The mer- chants of ths city almost unanimously have conceded to their clerks the de mands made upon them for cessation of work on three or four evenings of the week. While they realized, many of them, that for the first season this would mean a probable loss to them, vet they felt that the clerks needed recreation and they believed that if they granted the demands for the clos ing of the stores on certain nights they would receive much more return from the employees who were so gen. erously treated That belief has not been shattered, and everything was running along nicely until the machin- ists' strike was inaugurated. Gradu-- ally the business of the merchants of this city has been disturbed and quiet ly, perhaps. many of the clerks have been forced to seek employment else where The merchants have begun to realize that the spring trade has been almost entirely wiped out and the prospect of a good summer business is very remote They have begun to murmur at this loss of business. and it would not be Surprising if the Mer- chants association of this city would at once take the matter in hand and endeavor to solve the problem. They should appoint committee to inquire into the misunderstanding and to learn ifipossible why it is that the manufac- turers who were willing to concede some things q few weeke ago are now unwilling to do anything to settle the present difficulties except as they shall dictate. They should find out if pos sible why the manufacturers are so bent on injuring the business of the city and perhaps they would discover that their only reason for their present attitude was the fact that they beliey- ed they had the machinists now where they wanted them. and they intended to squeeze them until they cried for quarter This committee might also be surprised to find out that they have indirectly been aiding the manufactur- CTS in the present crisis.
 Gradually the best mechanics of the city are seeking new homes, and were the difficulties adjusted right off, when the roll was called in all the factories where the strike has predominated, it would be found that many good citi- zens had been driven from the city by the unnecessary and overbearing po- sitfon taken by the manufacturers. It has been said on good authority that the manufacturers are now forcing the issue until July 4, when they will be in better position to make terms with the strikers. Those terms, how ever, must be as they shall dictate, and they believe that by that time the maehinists will be forced to surren- fer. If the men who are still in the city are to be believed, that surrender will never take place. The manufac- turers of this or any other city have 1So right to take this stand. They have Ds, right to tear down the foundation of this one time busy city for mere caprice, for it is nothing else Their first claim was that they did not want any outside interference. By this, it was inferred that they had reference