Suspension of Labor

Ogdensburg, Nov. 20, 1868

Editor of the Republican and Journal:

Sir: We noticed in your JOURNAL of yesterday, a, few lines from our worthy friend G. W. Pearsons, Superintendent of the Marine Rail way, and as we are personally interested in the so-called secret society, would beg leave to reply.

This Union was organized by the ship carpenters and caulkers in this place, in 1865, sixteen months before Mr. P. had the good fortune to become the Superintendent of the Northern Transportation Company’s Yard, for practical purposes and good ends, usages and our future welfare, and that our object should be well understood and carefully set forth, we adopted the following platform:

The ship carpenters and caulkers of this city have deemed it an act of duty which we owe to ourselves and posterity, to associate ourselves together, for a union of effort and more extended action in behalf of our rights and efforts.

Certain vagaries have been adopted in tho modern constitution and formation of societies which are based on false and repulsive distinctions, calculated to elevate wealth above labor in the social and political scale, and reduce the producer to a grade where preferments and honors will never reach him.

Such cases and such efforts are, in our opinion, anti-Republican, and inconsistent with the true spirit of American institutions and require at least in effort on our part to overthrow, before the consequences shall be more fully established and disastrously enacted upon the ship carpenters ind caulkers of this city.

We hold to the justness and truth of the principle in a Republican Government that merit makes the man, and we believe that industry, sobriety and a proper regard for our fellow men form the basis upon which that principle rests. We therefore recognize no rule or principle that would elevate wealth above industry or the professional man above the mechanic.

We recognize no distinctions in society except those based upon moral worth, usefulness and good orders ind no superiority except that granted by the Great Architect of our existence and for the good of ship carpenters and caulkers, and the interests generally of ourselves and our posterity; we pledge ourselves individually and collectively, by every laudable means, to carry out the principles of equal rights and equal privileges in society.

We have neither persuaded or compelled any man to join our cause, other than by his own free will and as we do not wish to monopolize labor in any respect, whatever, are determined to adhere to just and honorable acts in all circumstances. As the merchant sets his price upon his goods, we also have set a price upon our labor and it is optional with us who the buyer is.

In regard to our compelling good men to be discharged, we have to say : Two men were discharged last Spring, one of them recently from State Prison, for burglary and the other for being rather free with what did not belong to him.— Tho ship carpenters and caulkers declared that they would not work with such men and suspended labor until the services of those men were dispensed with.

The wages, have been reduced twenty-five cents per day without our consent and one week before our knowledge (two out of forty men excepted) after bargaining, fairly, to pay the same wages all seasons, providing we would not raise upon him.

We have remained faithful, endeavoring to establish his and our reputation, and now he attacks our morals, and refuses to carry out his obligations. The officers of the N. T. Co. have acted in every respect gentlemanly and claim to have had no action in reducing wages in their yard.

We are happy to inform you that three-fourths of the members who have joined and sustain this suspension of labor are good citizens who have whistled Yankee Doodle from their boy- hood up, and still stand firm to the old flag of our country, some of them years before our worthy Superintendent reached years of maturity. With this statement of facts we stand ever true to our colors.

J.C. Blair, Rec. Sec.

S.C.& C. L. Union 29.