New Britain herald., 1919-09-20

tlle tolpoIdIlOnS Will SC III tHtil strike.
 The men, in their req sons for re- fusing the request of the President to wait until after October 6, when the capital, labor, agricultural, con- vention meets state that conditions in the plants are such that they will corporations are resorting to force in an attempt to break up unionism and terrorizc those who advocate it. They accuse those in charge of the com- panies of virtual kaiserism. They may be right, we have no means of knowing. If they are, they are justi- fled in their strike, popular sentiment will be behind them, whether one is directly interested in unionism or not. But, there is the argument of the opposition that it may hold no man on his job against his individual will another claim which we are bound to recognize.
 The history of the origin of the strike dates back to 1918 when convention of the American Fedora tion of Labor was held in St. Paul and it was decided to unionize the steel industry. On May 25th this year a committee of five men were appointed to wait upon Judge Gary of the United States Steel Corpora ton, Samuel Gompers wrote to the Judge, asking that the steel union be recognized. He refused to do this or so doing, he would Le acting in recognition of the unions. President Wilson's efforts were unaVailing and it was decided to hold the strike. the leaders of the twenty-four unions represented in the industry. The strike has been called, and is going through, so we are told.
 Strikes in this industry are by no means new. In 1850, puddlers gave up a strike which was started in 1S49. In the adjustm mt period after the Civil War there was a strike and the unions won recognition and a basis for a scale of wages, the latter part of which is still in operation. In weakened the unions and between 1880 and 1890 the labor in the mills was at it's height of strength.
 The only steel &n thoroughly mill and it was in this plant in 1892 that the fight was brought about that broke unionsm for the time though it was horrible affair and there were many deeds of violence. The, authors of the deeds have been a moot point ever since. However, the unions lost in the final chapter and the cap italists obtained the grip which they have had ever since.
 The civil war in Homestead was brought about over just such an iS- sue as we now have, the refusal to recognize the unions. The workers vent out in a body in July and took possession of the town. Three hun dred Pinkerton strike breakers at met by a mob of workmen Someone fired the first shot and the battle was on The Pinkercon men sur rendered after six men fad been killed and were told that they could leave town. However, Hugh ODonnell, leader of the union men, lost con- trol of the gang, whatever it was made up of. and the strike breakers were attacked after they had sur rendered their arms. There were further casualties, but this violence met with little support, even among the union men, and the result was that unionism was not again recOg- nized in the plant though many for mer employees went back to work. In 1901 and thereafter, unionism started to regain strength and it was at this time that the United States Steel Cor poration offered to sign contracts with unions in certain plants. This did not please the unions, however, they wanted complete recognition. They did not get it and the present crisis is now upon us.
 1t is another fight to the finish, may we soon see what the finish is to be.
 FACTS AND FANClES.