Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1886 — LABOR TROUBLES. [ARTICLE]

LABOR TROUBLES.

A Simple Way of Settling Labor Trouble* —The First Strike. The Boston correspondent of the Hartford Evening Post makes the following points on strikes: There is a very simple way of settling this trouble and worry about wages existing between employer and employed, but there is such an obstinate quality in the mind of man that one must hammer for a long time before attention will be paid, like an advertisement for a day, that, however valuable its announcement, fails for want of repetition. I have had the honor of making quite a number of valuable suggestions that might have proved useful, if adopVA, but though I imparl ■ their merit.to some pretty good talk*- ■. 'v ver heard of one of my schoniee i • favored. Although discouraged, i -:•<■>. 1 my scheme, which may prove su. • ! under, tie circumstances. This.. '•> educate all directors and stockholders in manufacturing companies in the use of looms and mules and other machinery in our factories, until, upon occasion of a strike, they may be able to take hold' and do the work themselves, and thus atl • ' the soundness of the claim for more pay. This is just as easy as rolling off a log, and must result on.: way or other. I saw a strike, many years ago, among the printers on the Post, when Colonel Greene was editor. It was for three cents more per thousand eras. He refused to pay it, let them strike, summoned the iieads of his departments (all printers), took off his coat and all pitched in with a will to get out the paper. The colonel had achieved his first stickful, when, in attempting to correct an error in 'he types, he squabbled a line. He looked at it a moment and then said, “it ’tis worth it. Go to work.” Th; s 11,,y did, and harmony was restored. Undoubtedly the mode that I propose would result pretty much the same way, or might prompt to the establishment of a new class of operatives, the stockholders aforesaid choosing to spin their own yarn and pocket the pay. The “hands” in this case might>o fa stockholding and thus know how it is themselves. The first strike among our working people, I think, was at Dover, N. H., in 1827 or ’B. The Cocheco works were established in 1820, and the operatives were almost entirely American girls, who deemed that weaving and spinning were better than farming, and became “factory girl>” on the m lion of the works at Dover falls. A small factory up the river was No. 1, and the works at the falls were Nos. 2,0 and i, as I believe they are at the present time. Everything went on spinnmgly and smoothly until th, yimf which I write. There were exactions on the part of the corporation that the independent spirit of the fair spinners and weavers could not brook. A ruleW - .made tha* tin great gat,- id ■ ■ ■ ' t bull ringing, and i i through ! : ...... .. n , to be UK .; ! ! :i, ,io.U Of j. . , largely dis r< :'b,nod to the delinquency. gave, grou.l, Fence, ' • measures a . i ened opposition, and on a line morning the mills were idle. Every operative was out, leaving the overseers to run them alone. They met at some convenient square, and, forming a procession, with a full band, and bearing the American flag, they paraded the town, under a leader whom I well knew, a year later, and a stalwart manly guard of one for their protection. The corporation came down at once, the offensive rules were withdrawn for the time and everything went on harmoniously. But there arose, again, threats of war between James F. Curtis, a new agent, and Mill No. 2. lie was not a fortunate selection for th office, as he had been a sea captain, and endeavored to introduce ship’s discipline among his crew of girls. It would not work, and a general irritation prevailed. The climax was reached when he ordered the windows of No. 2 to be nailed down to prevent intimacy with the yard. This was done over night, and in the morning when they had found out what had been done and one of the loom girls had fainted, their linger knew no bounds. A strike in that mill was the consequence, and every girl left their looms for the park. I saw the excited crowd from an upper window opposite, and such a clatter of tongues has not been heard since Babel. Agent Burtis was sent for and went among them, angry at first, but that bird wouldn’t fight, and he came down to coaxing, begging them to return, arguing the necessity for the nailing down, which excited them the more, until he compromised the matter by allowing the windows to be open part way. Other inducements were given and they returned to their work, but during the altercation with him they had spotted his black coat with cotton locks until he looked like a new description of leopard.