The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-02-18

The Rev. DR.. GLADDEN., a leading
minister of Columbus, O., has been
studying the labor question closely
during the last few years and in lec-
ture on the subject, delivered recently,
said in part as follows:
1.-THE witch's cauldron is still bub-
bling and steanning; perhaps it will
never cease to boil until those who are
dancing around it suffer enough from
Its scalding water to be willing to join
in putting out the fire beneath it.
For the present both contending
parties are adding fuel to the flames
that keep it boiling. Employers and
employees seem bent on pushing their
battle until both sides will be so badly
punished that they will be compelled
to make peace. It is a lamentable fact
that the great majority of human be-
ings never learn any important truth
until it is hammered into their heads
by the retributive consequences OF dis
obeyed laws.
= "A pathetic phase of this struggle Is
seen at Fall River, where $4,000 cotton
operatives are out Of work The strike
Is against 12h per cent reduction OF
wages, following one Of 10 per cent
last Ostober. The best wages earned
by the men are only So to $12 a week;
women and children earn much less.
The Fall River operatives are a sober
and worthy class; no violence has oc-
Cured; it is grim, sullen struggle of
endurance. 1t is admitted by the oper-
atives that the market for cotton goods
is in bad condition and the employers
cannot, at present, pay larger wages,
but they urge the curtailment of pro-
duction until the market rights itself.
1.-THE case looks pretty serious for the
textile workers of New England. 1t
appears probable that much capital
employed in the textile Industries Of
that region will be displaced, and in
that transfer, great loss and suffering
will be involved. What lends bitter
ness to the tragedy is the fact that
several of these southern mills are
owned and managed by northern men,
| and that these northern men have been
resisting earnest efforts made by some
of the best southern people to keep
young children out of the mile and
shorten the hours of labor. The cotton
operatives of Massachusetts sent rep
resentative to Alabama to aid in the
agitation against child labor and in ia
| vor Of shorter hours, but the northern
capitalists resisted the effort to secure
/ this humane legislation, and succeed
ed in defeating the best of it and in
Gripping the rest of it.
"The other most notable conflict in
the industrial world has been the great
meat packers strike, whose doings and
misdoings have filled many newspaper
columns during the summer. It is
necessary, by the way, to take these
same newspaper reports with many
grains of allowance. A thoroughly
well-informed writer in the Chicago
Commons exhibits the recklessness OF
reporting the strike. There has beer
violence, he admits, but for less than
l7the newspapers have represented. The
strike leaders undoubtedly did thei1
utmost to prevent violence.
'Donnelly's orders to modest no per.
son or property and abide strictly by
the laws Of the land,' was printed or
cards in all languages, placed in the
hands Of the members and posted ir
, public places. On the whole, there was
far less turbulence in Chicago thar
might have been expected.
1.-THE strike was justified on it's mer.
it's and ought to have Won. But it,
leaders made one or two serious blum.
ders which put his men in the wrong
and was not strong enough at one
critical juncture to resist rash move.
ment of his own men.
1.-THE strike was a chivalrous con.
test; the strong were trying to hell
the weak. The highly paid men asked
nothing for themselves. They demand.
ed only that the wages Of the common
laborers be raised to a maximum Of
1871 censt per hour. These common
laborors cannot get more than -four
days work in week; their weekly
stipend therefore would amount to NJ
more than $40. This is a pitifully
SMALL income for men with families
and those colossal packing firms
whose profits are fabulous, could Ger
tainly have granted this demand q
their laborors without any REASONABLE
fear that their own children would b.
compelled to go barefoot this winter.
When we see such gigantic combina
lions Of wealth successfully resisting
Tue dILeIuptS OI IQc1F ldUOIOIS ~ on
tain a little larger share of the profit
of their joint industry, our hearts ar
not greatly cheerad.
1.-THE methods by which this strik
was broken are worthy Of attention
The strike-breakers, called in by thou
sands, were men and women Of tn
lowest class. They were housed in tn
plants, and prize fights. under polic
protection, were organized for the
evening amusement. The social degra
dalton resulting from such an importa
J ton of vicious characters. is terrible
Comparatively few Of them will cor
, | tinde at work; they will be added
! the pauper and criminal classes Of tn
community. II they do remain as Is
, borers, they will have to be taken mi
. the unions, and then the unions wi
be filled with elements that cannot (
>! managed and that will break out int
riot and violence when the next stril