New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-22
BRITAIN IN THE CIVIL WAR
Mill Owners and Workers Stood Stanchly
by the North
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Writing of the attitude of English
mill owners during the war between the
States, C. L. Edison asserts that at the out
break of hostilities owing to overproduction,
there was a supply of cotton cloth in Eng
lish warehouses sufficient "to run the world
for three years without turning another spin
de" and that the war benefited the mill
owners
There never will be time when the ware
houses of England will contain enough cot
ton cloth to meet the worlds supply for even
one year The situation thus created would
of necessity mean the stoppage of all pro-
duction. The supply or non-supply of cotton
would have no bearing on the matter.
Mr.. Edison states that the "happy mill own
ers, who did not want bale of cotton TO
come out of the South and who made mill
ions out of the war, turned out their oper-
atives to starve."
Mr.. Editor, | am familiar with my subject
Not mill owner in Lancashire made penny
during the war between the North and the
South The last pound Of cotton was spun
and if Mr.. Edison were correct in his asser-
ton as to the three years supply of cotton
cloth this would have been more than Offset
by the staggering losses entailed by millions
of idle spindes.
The employers did not turn out their work
men to starve; they shared with them their
last shilling.
And how about the cotton brokers? Die
they make millions out of the war? When
the conflict was over those that were moi
bankrupted found their financial resources
much depleted, and many Of them never re-
covered from those trying times
wish to correct Mr. Edison as to the senti
ment of the British people toward the bel
! ligerents.
During the early part OF the war ennis
saries of the Confederacy were all over the
British isles pleading their cause, and for g
time they had a considerable following. II
was that great American Henry Ward
Beecher who caused the British people to
see the light.
NV uncle, Leopold Newton, was the owner
of the Phoenix Mill in Oldham, the centre
of the cotton spinning industry. He was ar
ardent supporter of the North.
| Ny father, Joseph Broadbent. a cottor
| broker and a member of the Manchester
and Liverpool exchanges, was with Henry
Ward Beecher when he delivered his famou.
address in Free Trade Hall, assisting Mr.
Beecher TO the limit of his resources.
Incidentally, my father sold the frst cargo
Of cotton to 60 through the Manchester ShiT
Canal.
As to the stand taken by the cotton opera
tives of Lancashire toward the war, Mr.. Edsor
did not go beyond the mark when he de
scribed il as heroic.
The late Ambassador Reid, when on vsi
to Manchester, paid a splendid tribute tC
these factory workers for their fortitude anC
the stand they took for the right. There
was never whmper or murmur from then
they suffered and starved in silence rathel
than support a cause that would mean thu
prolongation of human slavery.
The Lancashire mill workers will fight tC
the last ditch for a principle. They are
thoroughly organized. A few years ago wher
one OF their number was discharged, as they
deemed, without good cause, 10000 Of then
quit work until he was reinstated II wal
these same operatives who smashed the big
gest corner in cotton ever engineered by ad
vising the employers to shut down the mills
/ for two weeks.
s. NEWTON BRoADBENT
New York, Jan. IS, 1917.