The Sun. — 1869-07-09 (London, England)

FOREIGN NOTES. STRIKES IN THE UNITED STATES.  Labour in the United States has tried a great spring campaign against capital ; but the victory of the latter has been complete. Nearly all the numerous strikes which have been carried on for many weeks past have ended adversely for the workmen. The employers have starved out the employed, and work has been resumed in most cases on terms dictated by the masters.  The most important and the most remarkable of these contests was the strike of the coal miners of Pennsylvania. The wages in this trade are very high, and most of the colliers were satisfied with them ; but a discontented minority, through the influence of their trades union committee, brought about a general cessation of labour. As we have previously remarked, this strange turn-out was favoured by the employers, who, protected from competition by the heavy tariff, hoped to increase the price of coal. For six weeks their cupidity caused widespread distress and inconvenience. Thirty thousand miners were thrown out of employment, and many branches of industry were so hampered by the want of fuel that thousands of workmen who had no connection With the strike suffered quite as much as the miners. The Pennsylvania mine-owners arc free from competition, and the stoppage of their mines, therefore, almost implied the stoppage of industry in the neighbourhood. The traffic of numerous railways and canals was wholly or partially suspended. The fires in the iron furnaces and mills went out for lack cf fuel, and the ironworkers had to wait until the miners thought fit to resume work. This they are now doing after six weeks of this useless and incomprehensible strike. To the miners, of course, the specula• tion has been wholly a losing one, and how an increase in the price of coal—which from this cause can be only temporary—can recompense the owners for six weeks total cessation of business it is difficult to divine. They have largely promoted the movement in favour of Free Trade, for it was only by the aid of Protection that this mode of raising prices could have any chance of success. Flagrant terrorism disgraced this industrial movement. Not only did the majority of the colliers not desire a strike, but in some counties work would have gone on had not the unions insisted on all the districts joining the movement which originated in one only. Although the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania is situated in the midst of the most civilised portion of the Urion, the mining district itself is mountainous, wild, and almost beyond the reach of the law. Terrorism was therefore triumphant. A mob of semi-barbarous Welsh and Irish colliers could force any body of peaceably-disposed labourers into obedience. Disorder and bloodshed frequently occurred, and besides numerous murders, for which the offenders will never be brought to justice, the house of a mine superintendent was in one case surrounded, and an entrance being forced, he was beaten until nearly dead. In collieries where the miners and their employers had agreed upon terms, the strikers interfered and compelled a further suspension.  Save that the strikes in otlAr branches of industry have failed, as did this one, most of them are not noteworthy. In Washington, however, grave difficulties arise between the negro and the white workmen. The union of white bricklayers, for instance, has declared war against the blacks, and will not associate with any whites who work with the "inferior race." The highly-superior race, seeing the ill effect of strikes in general, are afraid to go and do likewise. But they adopt this system of "sending to coventry" as a means of keeping down black labour. The printers are doing the same thing. But the country has affirmed the equal rights of the negro, and, as the Times correspondent remarks, neither printers nor bricklayers can undo the work.