The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-17
hymns BIG "t5:CENT STRIKE. "
pECT LIAR LiBOR VAR THAT
(RJTPLES THE SHOE CITY.
The struggle Between Rival Labor Orsani.
7aiions Has Degenerated 10 Who Il
"l," as q Leader The Violence and
the Weak-Itnced Attitude OF the Mayor.


tina, has probably ever been waged in
this country. 1t has been in exist
enre sinc, Jan. 10. and is still being
vagod with vigor and persistency
worthy of grea, principle. No ques-
ton of wages is involved. The strikers
are neither contending for an increased
scale, nor are they resisting the efforts of
the grinding capitalist" TO reduce wages.
The shoe manufacturer, the greatest sufferer
from the strike. is an innocent party. against
whom the labor agitators have no grievance.
That is the unique feature of the strike.
The fight is one of organized labor against
organized labor. Ii is a battle for supremacy
between the Boot and Shoe Workers Union
and the Cutters Assembly. X of L., the
last remnant Of that one-tme powerful
and influential labor body. The Boot al d
Shoe Workers Union aims to embrace all
the shoemakers of the country under ono
general organization, and has undertaken
10 secure foothold in this city
This union has a stamp, which it author
lies manufacturers to place upon their
product as a guarantee that il is union
made, in consideration Of the manufac-
uirers agreeing in writing to employ none
bur members of their union in their fac
tories.
Practically all of the 100 cutters of this
city are affiliated with the local cutters
Assembly of the Knights Of Labor. They
entered into an agreement with the Boot
and Shoe Workers Union under the terms
Of which il was stipulated that when enough
factories adopted the union stamp to bring
the total number of cutters employed therein
10 80 that a local union Of the boot and
shoe workers should be organized When
the time came for the Knights of Labor to
live up to this agreement, a special meeting
was called, the agreement was repudiated,
and on Jan. 10 strike was ordered by the
Knights Of Labor.
This is substantially a statement of the
facts leading up to the trouble, but it is the
most unimportant part of this unprece-
dented conflict between labor interests.
For four months this war has been waged
relentlessly, viciously and sava gely, and all
for what? II would stagger the strongest
analytical mind to find an adequate reason
for it, yet the industry of the leading shoe
centre Of the world is threatened by the
continuance of the fight which, from pres
ent indications, may go on indefinitely.
Disinterest,d persons regard 1t as a
ffteen-cent fight. which represents the
difference in the weekly dues charged by
the two organiza tons The Boot and
Shoe Workers exact % cents week from
the members of their organization, believ-
ing that the principle of high dues is a vital
one In the success of organizati on. The
Knights Of Labor believe in lower dues
They profess to be able to save the work.
ingman for 10 cents week. and they charge
that it ia extort ion and robbery to compel
the shoe workers to pay rs cents week.
That is why il is called ffteen-cent fight!
The law has been defed openly and vio-
lated flagrantly The Police Depart ment +,
numbering more than one to every 1000
inhabitants, has been pract ically helpless
TO pu, down lawlessness and riot, which
has repeatedly occurred during the past
four months. The Mayor of the city. who
talks much and accomplishes little, when
appealed to by the manufacturers to give
their. men protection, has assured them
that he would do 50, and has had the eff
frontery to maintain his ability to do 20,
in the face of all the disorder and riot that
have occurred from time TO time. The
manufacturers have openly charged tina,
III" Mayor and the police were in SYM
patty with the strikers, and that they did
not want to enforce the laws.
Conditions that have existed for the past
w
charges Men and women have been
attacked upon the most public thorough
fares in broad daylight and not a single
arrest made Houses where those who to ok
the places of the strikers live have been
hombarded with stone and the lives Of the
occupants yeoparded Innocent women
have been smeared with rotten eggs and
their clothing ruined by asafetda. and
Ew-abiding citizens have been sandhagged
ard almost murdered because they wanted
10 work for a living.
Repeated efforts have been made to settle
the trouble, but they have been dismal
failures. Philosophical citizens, men who
have the confidence and respect of the COM
munity, have attempted to adjust The diff
ferences bet ween the rival organizations,
bl they have abandoned the task. dis
gusted and disappointed. The Board of
Trade, the State Board of Arbi1 ration,
Judge Berry and other agencies have offered
their services to bring both sides together,
but they failed to fleet a compromise.
The reason is plain. If the difference
between the TWO unions was of character
TO %hch reason and common sense might
be applied, it would be an easy matter to
effect a settlement, but unfortunately for
Lynn and for the shoe manufacturers. it
is not Of this kind From the l5-cent issue
1t has degencrated into personal contest
tween labor aGitators and the issue now
Al stake is which is the greater-John +.
Iobln, head of the Boot and shoe Workers
Union, or |. Boynton Armstrong leader of
N" Knights of Labor, II is no longer
Question of the preservation of either union,
o. of jurisdiction. but The vital thing to be
decided is, who il 1t
Lynn has always been afflicted with labor
aEl'ators, but the trouble and sorrow which
they brought to the people have been mini
inl1ed because there has never been more
than one who claimed to be supreme in any
particular industry, Nowtwo agtators have
sci up their claims TO the title of supreme
agltator.' and they are proceeding 10 estab-
lish their claims at the expense of the chief
industry OF the city, as we'll a. its good
name among sister cities of the United
States.
Had Lynn been free from the presence
OF labor agitators, instead of having
population of 10000, conservative people
believe that il would have three times that