Year: 1879

ocAf2~.EA J. .


on the deposits, thus showing On actual fall
ing off in the Savings.


Some time ago it was announced that
some Section Of the Socin1iats or Communists
in this city had taken steps looking to gen.
eral strike of the industrial classes OF nu
parts Of the United States on the fourth OF
July,-the strike to be to enforce the demand
for reduction of the hours OF LABOR to
eight, and the advancing Of wages IN pro-
portion. This movement is exactly parallel
to that which has proved SO disastrous IN
England, where the superiority OF BRITISH
trade and of British production has been
permanently destroyed; where certain IN
dustries, onoe hourishing, have been over
whelmed forever; where the artisans nave
been practically thrown out Of employment
for year; where NIL the acoumulatlons OF
the beneficiary funds have been wasted, and
the country injured by the loss OF produc-
ton and of trade, and capital has been
seriously diminished by irreparable losses.


The first moments of revival Of business,
the resumption Of trade, and the increased
employment Of labor are seized by these
destructiyos to put forward demands which,
if followed by such strikes as are urged,
must of necessity arrest improvement and
put labor back to even worse condition
than it has been in snce our commercial
calamity Of six years ago. Selfshness is an
essential offspring of Ignorance. As in En-
gland, so in this country. When the
English employers informed their striking
workmen that they had orders and contracts
which would give employment to $4,000
idle workmen at such wages as would per-
NIT the work to be done without loss,


the answer was a prompt and violent
refusal. The $4,000 men remained idle, and


the work went to Belgium and to France.
So now. when there is 8 revival Of trade. and
employers are able to engage, say, 100, 900 ad-


ditional workmen who are idle, the offer
is regarded as an evidence that the employers
can pay higher wages, and general strike
is ordered. The fact is ignored that the
demand for increased production is because
Of present prices, and that additional pro-
duction is to meet this demand at present
prices, and not at increased prices; there
fore, the strike for an advance OF 20 per cent
in wages must necessitate the discharge not
only Of the 100, 900 additional workmen, but
also of large proportion Of those already at
work. The progress Of improvement is at
once arrested, consumption is diminished,
labor Is suspended, wages cease, and there
is general relapse into struggle with poT-
erty and want. These men refuse to recog-
nize that in the general decline OF prices
wages retain their purchasing power, though
less in the number Of dollars. When
the cost Of living is reduced Is
per cent the dollar has the same purchasing
power that $1.25 had before the change.
They forget or refuse to know that every
addition to the number Of persons employed
tates the increase Of the number employed
in all other branches; that any increase in
the distribution Of wages begets increased
consumption, compelling increased produc-
ton and labor. In the face Of the estab-
lished fact that the renewal of trade and
pIOQucllou ~ olao 41uuetlatelJ oA0 0Aect1J
to the low cost to which production has been
reduced, these men in the Incorporate zeal
Of ignorant selfshness propose to advance
the cost Of production, and thus arrest and
crush out every revival Of industry and every
demand for increased labor. Never in the
history of human labor has suicidal madness
worked such enduring disaster as has been
wrought in England during the last two years
by strikes; and it is to be hoped that these
socialistic madmen may not succeed in lead
ing this country into like season Of loss
and ruin.