The Sun. — 1861-09-11 (London, England)

STRIKES.  The paper upon strikes read by Mr. Watts at the British Association is so able, so interesting, and so conclusive that one begins to wonder there should ever be any strikes at all. Even the few strikes that have had a degree of success have been a loss both to the workman as well as the employer, while the great majority of strikes have been unsuccessful and ruinous. It is a matter of demonstration, and Mr. Watts has put it so clearly that a child can understand it, and can ask—as many a child has done ere this—why " father" has been so foolish. Why then are there such things as strikes among our hardheaded working men, especially in the astute region of the North, under pulpits and platforms where reason rules the day, and where the elements of all science are taught with the AB C ? Unfortunately, the same question may be asked with regard to many other th;ngs besides strikes, where the argument is all one way and the practice all the other. The arguments against dram-drinking and smoking, agaist improvident marriages and immoral connexions, against quarreling and litigation, against excessive love of appearances, and many other things, are overwhelming, and may be made very attractive reading, but unfortunately they are little attended to. In all these cases there is much besides reason in the question. In the case of strikes, the stronger the argument against them—and it cannot be stronger—the stronger also the presumption of causes more powerful than reason. In at least three cases out of four the artisan, having been content with his wages, his master, and his work, or satisfied within himself that his master would not change his wages or his work without good reason, and finding also invariably that his wife and children were equally satisfied, nevertheless obeys the dictation of some so-called secretary, or committee, or delegate, and, with sorrowful heart, joins the strike. As it is part of this world's dispensation that the few should rule the many, and as there can be no general action at all without heads and leaders, we must not object to the domination of committees. But there is no species of domination, no tyranny, no Continental despotism, no barbaric rule, in which the many are so helplessly, so ignominiously, so reluctantly dragged, and starved, and led captive by the few, as in a strike. This alone shows how little reason has to do with the affair. Wherever the many will be led by the few, it is vain to argue with the many ; and the few perhaps have arguments of their own that you can have nothing to do with, But we will proceed on Mr. Watts's supposition that in alm )st every.case an artisan does an utterly absurd,ridiculous, and suicidal act by joining a strike. The next thing is to ask why he does so. The ingenious essayist and Lord Monteagle, with a characteristic confidence in the power of sound doctrine, evidently think that much /nay be done by opening the eyes of the artisan and enlarging his mind to the folly of strikes. If he will only go by the rule of three, the tables of interest at 5 per cent., and other right rules of reason, be will see at once how little he gains, or rather how much he loses, by even a successful strike of five weeks for a shilling a week more wages, when his memory must tell him how shortlived all arrangements have been, and how soon a bad time may close the mill in his face. The case is so plain that it hardly wants a teacher. As the artisan returns home, after declaring himself on the strike, and takes his seat before the hearth which he must soon stint of fuel, by the table which will show gradually less genial fare' amid furniture, and crockery, and linen, and good clothes, which will find their way to the pawnbroker, and children whom he must take away at once from school, and soon see half starved and halt naked, he must be able to work the figures of the question quite as well as Mr. Watts. He must know perfectly well that he is gsing to make a fool of himself, or be made a fool of. He must know that no advance will make up for the total loss of a dozen weeks' wages, or even half a dozen ; that it will do him no good to deprive his employer of money or credit ; and that, if he succeeds in getting an advance, it may only end in making his trade wholly unprofitable, in gazetting his master, and closing his mill. All this he knows, we will venture to say, as well as Mr. Watts can teach him, though he may not be able to put together so many interesting illustrations. Why, then, does he commit the suicide? Why does he throw his wages down the gutter Why is he, all of a sudden, so unna-. tural a father, so bad a husband ? Why does be rebel against reason and sin against knowledge? The answer is that he feels a strong duty and obligation to his own order and class, and a consequent duty of obedience to its elected leaders, while he has no such sense of duty and attachment to his employer. The probability is that he knows very little of the elected leaders, except that he occasionally hears their strong voice and confident tone at a public meeting. It is equally probable that he knows even less of his employer. Here, then, is the reply to Mr. Watts' able argument and Archbishop Whately's admirable lessons on money matters. The moral and social influence round the artisan almost compels him to take part in the strike. He is naturally gregarious. He is not accustomed to independence of action or of forethought. Most probably he has not much power of making his opinions known, even if he has them, He hears on all sides the rumours and threats of an intended strike. All at once there is a strike. If he does not join it he is a marked man. To all purposes of social happiness he is a ruined man. He may think the strike ever so foolish or wicked, but there is no help for it. He cannot swim against the stream. All the reasoning in the world is lost in such a case.  But this only goes to-show that the evil must be taken in time. We take the liberty of assuming that it is an evil, for we believe there is not a mingle