Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-24
FIRST STRIKE IN i. S.
At PHILADELPHIA IN 1885
Printers Pioneers IN improved
Conditions Movement; Gompers
Has Been Most Influential.

In a Short History Of the American
Labor Movement Mary Beard carries
out an excellent brief survey Of neglected
field. Her work shows that many forms
in industrial strife that are populaTiy
associated with modern conditions can pe
fmtnd in the very early days Of Amer
ica's independence There was strike
of printers in Philadelphia in 1856 and
strike of shoemakers IN PIttsbuTg and
Baltimore IN 1899.
About 1880 labor manifested a tendency
to 90 into politics. Norkingmen we're
nominated Us candidates IN local elec-
tions. and efforts were made 70 eject
friends of labor 70 Congress. Inc
author summarizes the concrete demands
of the working men Of that time as
including "the l0-hour day. the restrc-
ton of child labor, the abolition Of the Old
practice Of hiring convictS out TO con-
tractors in competition with honest and
law-abieling workmen, free and equal
public education, the abolition OF imprlson-
ment for debt, the exemption OF wages
and tools from seizure for debt, the es-
fablishment of the right Of mechanics 70
| file liens on property to secure payment
| of their wages and the abolition OF sweat
/ shops in homes and factories,
Industrial battles a hundred years
ago were fought very much as they were
nov Both sides appealed 20 the sym
pathies and to the material interests Of
/ the public. and the courts occasionally
lnterfered TO repress illegal activities
Of the strikers. Then, as now, labor
examinations were opposed TO unFegu-
/ lated immigration, upon the theory that
the importation of foreigners IN large
numbers tended TO glut the labor mar
| ket and reduce wages.
Throughout the nineteenth century
two tendencies struggled for supremacy
IN the American labor movement. In
prosperous times the workers were IN
| elined To organize along craft lines, 70
refrain from political action and TO
devote themselves exclusively 70 seeur-
ing as large share Of the profits of
industry as possible. In hard times.
in periods OF panies and industrial stress
the workers generally attempted e
improve their condition by political
action
Labor was never able to make its IN
huenee felt In the political field, ant
the American Federation of Labor, or
ganieed in 1886, has committed the bull
of American skilled labor TO a program
, Of nurelv economic action. The fedora
ton. under the leadership OF Mr. Gompen
has pursued generally conservative
policy and has been able 20 work il
reasonable cooperation with progressiv,
employers 1t has enjoyed a longe
, and more prosperous career than an,
previous labor organization in this eoun
try. OF late its prestige has been some
) what impaired BY series of unauthoriEer
strikes in which the rank and file 0
certain unions have participated agains
| - .Iv.sa. e khafp taafaFa The s,4f,p
radical elements ia the federation hav
c also launched labor party designed t
9 bring labor, as class more aggressivel
$ into the political arena. Whether thi
]: movement will prove any less ephemers
than its predecessors remains to be seer
Tie author has compressed q gFea
deal of valuable information into hrit
compass Her book is almost an esser
tial prerequisite 70 au adequate under
standing Of present day labor move
ments