The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-10-13

1Sewhere. remain idle, or accept what
s offered them. But they must not
prevent outsiders from taking their
That is asainst the rules of the game.
Il is merely a question of demand and
/ supply. but there must be no artificial
regulation of the supply. The demand
may. of course. be increased or di-
ninished by crushing ont competition
IT by closing down this shop and
opening that one: but to govern the
supply in any such way is plainly lille
gal (say the injunctions) and as long
as it is illegal it must not be DONE
But the question is. how long can the
game continue under these rules?
Surely, not very long.
! As the days wore on, the loiterers on
he railroad embankment grew more
| restless They were Joined by many
| locked-out workers from the city, for
| headcuarters had been established ar
| Kennard's to avoid the influences and
emptations of the town. To the head
| luarters came all tie idle riff-raff that
sing disorder The leaders soon had
all they could attend to- A village de-
! pendent upon a daily wage cannot live
very long on credit. If the butcher
and baker are willing to wait, the
packing companies and the flour com
called sooner or later. Want soon
made itself felt in the village-want
which the contributions from affiliated
labor associations could not supply.
Strike wages were paid as long as the
funds held out, but the ready money
available for this purpose was wholly
inadequate. and the promises of assist
qnce in the near future were we'll
meant but empty The leaders worked
hard and persistently, but little could
he done, and each day saw a gloomier
and more impatient gathering on the
embankments.
In most strikes there is more or less
activity. There is the attempt to re-
place the strikers, the marching for
sympathy or intimidation, the nego-
tiations OF delegates, the mass meet
ings or conferences. But at shops
Nos. Is and 16 there were few or none
of these diversions. A delegation did
attend at President Hardness office,
to ask whether all workers would be
taken back if the reduced scale was
accepted, but no reply was returned
except a statement in writing to the
effect that supposed cases could not
be considered; when any state of facts
existed it would be dealt with. After
this negotiations ceased and monotony
reigned supreme. No one took the
slightest interest in the strikers or
their aftairs-neither their former en-
ployers nor the public Day after day
passed without incident or even ru-
NOR. The men themselves seemed to
be talked out, and the groups staring
at the idle buildings grew ominously
silent.
One morning, after an hour or two
Of dreary waiting, a stranger suddenly
rose and addressed the men about him
His speech was as violent as it was ur-
expected. 1t was the outcome of long
brooding, wild in gesture, crude in
sloquence, vague in purpose, but ii
sounded like action. 1t broke the mo-
notony and expressed the restlessness
of the hearers. In short time mora
than half-a-dozen similar speeches
were made and applauded to the echo
speeches the tone of which was fierce
and the tenor of which was action.
No definite plan was suggested in the
wild outpouring of words. Denuncia-
ton OF lnacuon seemed to be the main
purpose of the speakers. But such
denunciation, if it be at all effective
must lead to action, and gradually
suggestion began to take shape.
why should those buildings be
barred against u.s." shouted an orator.
who locks the doors and tells us 10
hunt up other homes and other labor?
The company! Is it Mr. Hardness, or
Mr.. Kennard, or anybody else? By no
means! It's the company! They all
hide under its skirts Why, they
wouldn't even say they'd open up the
shops if we accepted their ten per
cent. cut! The papers say we mustn't
be violent, but keep quiet and have pa
thence. That's all we'll have by the
time they get ready to open up! Those
buildings down there have no right
to be shut We built them, they owe
us living, and with Is good men be-
hind me I'd go and opel 'em myself
The rambling words meant nothing
in particular to the crowd listening
eagerly for want of something else to
do. They gave a suggestion, however
to the only newspaper man on the
spot, and he instantly telephoned his
journal a story which the city editor
Of the evening edition headed in let
tiers six inches high.
TO STORM THE SHOPS!