Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-03
mAKRpRACE's MASTERPIECE
N. W. Biggerstaff Defends Position He
 Has Taken.

Mir Makepeace makes war upon my unsanct nctimonious head because have stated something which does not seem to agree with him. His communica- tion in yesterdays Democrat is so full of concentrated hatred, vindictiveness aEd prejudice that 1t almost attalns to the level of virtue. work for a concern tbae Mir Makepeace is dis- pleased with, u CT sfore he vents his wrath on ne. IT. Is so funny that it would drive Herculatus himself to laughter. Tn the first place he quotes what I stated in regard to strikers pa- rading the streets of the old country, also claiming it as fiction. He also states that he knew the country as we'll as did, and that must have is strange. No doubt the influence of the pipe obscures the vision, but I have known a pot of -four half" to do ing here in Waterbury that have seen them. But why he should find fault with what stated in connection with their peculiar propaganda cannot un- derstand. I paid a tribute to them for the way they fought for a princi- pie which they thought was right. did not state that these men did not honestly believe that what they were doing was for the betteFment of their condition. but the evidence went 10 show afterward that At meant disaster to all concerned. He is somewhat skeptical in regard to the demands that were made upon industries through StafforT1shire which caused the collapse and driving away of a great portdon of the trade out of that shire. Jf MT Makepeace has been through the different small towns I mentioned he must surely have known something aborrt them I would like to ask him ir the first nlace what caused the dis ruption in the Iron Lane glass works. which was in the seventies the largest of it's kind in the world? What was fil1e cause of the large English and for eign government orders for lighthouse work. which gave so many thousands employment moving out flo Germany aaong with tf1e great bulk of their trade? What caused the collapse of the tKendrick foundh-fes and the return of the great loom and heavy machinery nloufders to the Clyde? What was the cause of tfe great Sandwen pits shut ling down for such long period when the operators wanted to open up the deep mines. but could not compete and grant the demanded schedule against the North of England and South Wales mines? What was the cause of the ieweiry business. which at one time was the staple trade of Birmingham, BngIand moving away after the great strike? What is the jewefry business nov in That city? But all this is need- less. There are men around us here who lived in Swan Village, Dudley Port, Brferly Hill, who can state that the majority of the mines that MT Makeneace claims were worked out
 were closed on account If shutdowns
 and were flooded for such a length Of time that the operators found it in1- possible to open them up again. Now, if my critic will only read the article I wrofa carefully, without the spirit of malice. he will see that was point ing out these mistakes so as to ward off a recurrence of those events here. The men that struck honestly believed they were right. but did 1t follow that they were? Are labor organizations
 any better than empires? They make
 mistakes at times. Was 1t not the bit
 l6tT eAD0IItuCSS VI IAhCSC tAA&A0 made the filters and engineers of Eng land form their union upon the base it
 now stands on. of which Mir Makepeace is proud? And right here would
 state thaH in this country there is plen- ty of room for him to inculcate into
 some of the local bodies the principles that have made his organization great instead of indulging in recriminations.
 The board of trade reports he presents
 are not the reports of Staffordshfre.
 Other counties have fared better and
 anyone who knows the great skill that exists in the branch of
 engineering in England will no doubt wonder that the figures are not larger than they are. In regard to the fnordinate demand upon our manu- lecturers, I still adhere to what stated. The price of the commodity would be increased, the expense for waste and risk would still be the same and competition would move the trade elsewhere. Everyone desires the ut most prosperity for the wage earner. I am one myself, but irrational de- mands and methods defeat the very end sought. 1t is utterly impossible to evade the subtle compensations of natural law, for they are as persistent as gravitation. I believe in the words of John Bright, who took 8 hand in the great struggle between capital and labor in England, that trades unions may be useful if they will not interfere either with the individual freedom of their numbers or of those that have in- vested their capital in trade. In re- gard to a card that is mentioned, l have made no a1Iusion to one. Tn my calling there is little need for such a thing. If there was, and I wished to possess myself of one, should cer tainly do so. The twaddle about my interest in corporations is not worth noticing. The citizens of Waterbury are the best judges of the stand have taken in regard to them. But there is one thing I am intent on; that is, shall use my best efforts to draw soci- ety together instead of rendfng 1t apart and to try and destroy the self
 ishness that exists, born from the great destroyer, competition. It is natural law that emploJ Jers and employees who are human and liberal will get the best returns and service and prosper the most under the present unfavorable laws. It cannot be otherwise in an or ganism The members are unlike and each is necessary to complete the work ing of the other. The hand might as