Year: 1870

movement in England. / am not san


guine enough to hope that all oul


troubles are oyer but do believe tha,
all serious danger for as ID past, and
that If we lose the, lead, which, accor.
ding to the latest returns, we still hold
among the producing nations Of the
world, it will be because We are fairly
beaten IN invention or applied skill, OF
IN that dogged persistency in worn
which has hitherto done 50 much fol
US, and not because our employers and
work-people are engaged in the time.
honored and world-Old pastime of cut
ling each others throats. Is it a. well
with you here, my friends? Have you
nothing to learn from the old country
in this matter? Well, it is exceedingly
difncult for q stranger coming among
you for few months to Judge. but,
unless l am mistaken, see the threat
enings Of trouble for you over this
labor question. Labor and capital in
the New World seem inclined to ignore
or despise all the lessons oi the Old.
and to fall together by the ears, instead
Of marching together hand in hand to-
warSl the grandest work the earth can
otier just now-the subduing and
development Of this vast and magnifi-
cent continent OF yours.


l have no right to otter counsel TO
either side, and may possibly be even
regarded with suspicion by employers
ot labor over here, as l have been till
lately by those Of England. But as
have helped the working men al home
TO tight their battles, and have had the
happiness Of earning their confidence,
trust their brethren here will take the
few words l nave 70 say to them in
good part, and as those, at any rate, of
u friend. Is it then the fact that YOU.
tire working men Of the United States
are running simply on the old tracks,
and are furnishing up the old weapons
OF trades-unionism, which have so
often run into the hands of those who
welded them? Are you really trying
by your organizations to control the
free will Of those Of your body who are
not Unionists-to restrictions and
limitations on the hours Of labor, the
admission of apprentices, the use Of
machinery. the rate of wages, and to
carry out your ideas by the old method
of strikes! These things have been
done often enough in England. II not
wise even there, at least they had a
Justification which here is wholly want
inx. Where the labor market is over
stocked, and there are often two men
waiting for one mans place, can un-
derstand. and have often sympathzed
with and defended rules and practices
intended to spread work evenly, and
requiring self-sacritice from the abIets
workmen that all Of fair capacity migl3
earn u livelihood. Where all the natural
wealth Of the country Gf nay use the
niiEaSel. .is " ready inonoDoliZed. where
ial out Of which wealth is created-are
in private hands, and there is the
keenest competition. for the use of them
as there is with us. one must not be
too critical as TO the methods by which
the great body Of producers have en-
deavored to secure their share of the
products. But here you have well-paid
employment waiting for every man
who is ready TO do an honest days
work. Here the natural wealth of the
country is for all practical purposes
unappropriated, and lying around you
in almost unbounded profusion. You
have nothing to do but TO exercise a
little thrift and foresight for few short
months, to spend for that time less
than you earn, and there are the means
IL the hands OF every one of you of
obtaining house. land, whatever form
Of wealth You are most eager for, with
only too great facility.


On what possible plea of reason, or
justice, or necessity. or even Of hand
to-mouth policy can you undertake to
control or limit the right to work on his
own terms, in his own way, of any mau,
when there is ample room for twenty
times your present numbers, and your
land is crying out for all the work
which every man among you can put
into it: When the great trades-unions
Of England are becoming every day
more peaceable and reasonable as they
become more powerful, aud are jealous
Of every expenditure which is not for
some prOvident or benevolent purpose,
are the unions and the working men
Of America going to pick up the old
armor, instead Of leaving it to rust
where it lies, and to spend the earnings
which belongs to the wives and children
as much AS to them, in a crusade for
preaching the gospel of idleness! l
cannot believe il, for if there is one
truth which this nation has hitherto
preached faithfully to the rest Of the
world, it is the gospel Of work. The
worth and nobleness Of good hard work
is the best outcome Of your history
so far as l can read it, and the signs
that the old belief is not dead are
among the most cheering memories
which l shall carry back with me.