Harris-Ingram Experiment
Page 10
CHAPTER IX
CAPITAL AND LABOR IN CONFERENCE
Colonel Harris's awakened conscience was considering seriously thequestion, "How can I right this wrong done to Ingram?" when the Expressstopped at a station thirty miles out of Harrisville, and into his carcame the son of James Ingram, George Ingram who was now superintendent ofthe Harrisville Iron & Steel Co.'s plant. Somebody, perhaps Gertrude, hadtelegraphed from Buffalo to the superintendent to tell him on which trainColonel Harris expected to return.
George Ingram was visibly affected as he took the proffered hand ofReuben Harris, and inquired about his health and the whereabouts andwelfare of his family. Harris implored young Ingram to tell him all aboutthe strike, its latest phases, and what the municipal authorities weredoing for the protection of his property. George Ingram gave him a briefhistory of the troubles up to the time of his leaving Harrisville. Hetold how the manager aided by the company's general counsel, Mr. Webster,had used every possible argument with the workingmen's committee; that astatement even had been submitted, showing that very small or practicallyno profits had resulted from recent contracts, which were now beingcompleted by the company. The effort to arrive at a satisfactoryadjustment with the employees was thus far absolutely fruitless. Sincedaylight the four thousand men had been parading the streets with musicand clubs, forcing employees of other establishments to quit work, andthreatening to destroy the steel plant.
The color in Colonel Harris's face came and went as he listened, showinga white heat of indignation. Ingram sat facing his employer, watching theemotions of a strong man, and not then daring to offer any suggestion,for he felt strongly in behalf of the employees, who always looked uponhim as their friend.
Colonel Harris was a man of powerful build, wide forehead, overhangingbrows, broad chest and shoulders, short thick neck, and strong armsdeveloped at the anvil. His superintendent from boyhood had studied him,but never before had he seen the lion in his employer so aroused.
Arriving at Harrisville the wealthy iron-master, accompanied by hissuperintendent, stepped into his own private carriage, and immediatelydrove to the general offices of the Harrisville Iron & Steel Co. Thedirectors of the company were in special session to devise means ofprotecting their threatened property and of crushing the strike.
B.C. Wilson, the manager, rose to greet Colonel Harris, who shook handswith him and the directors, and then the meeting was resumed, Harrisacting as chairman of the board. Colonel Harris soon grasped thesituation, and he approved of all that his directors and manager haddone.
Rising to his feet, in a firm tone, he made a vigorous talk to his board:"Gentlemen, my views as to the best method of dealing with the importantquestion before us are known to some of you. Four years ago a similartrouble perplexed our company, and our failure then to act decisivelyresulted in prolonging the discontent among our employees. Their purposesare as apparent to-day as then, viz., to rule or ruin our giganticenterprise. Capital and labor should be the best of friends.Unfortunately, trusts and labor organizations are alike avaricious andselfish.
"Centuries ago, in Belgium, weavers dictated terms to capital, and hurledrich men from balconies to death upon spears below. This unnaturalrevolution lasted for a short time only; brains and wealth again acquiredcontrol, and they always will control. To yield to our employees theprivilege of fixing their own wages, and a voice in directing the affairsof our company is to cloud or mortgage our capital. This is a mostunreasonable demand. Why should they expect us to share with them ourproperty, title to which the United States has guaranteed?
"If our state, or national government cannot or will not defend us in thetitle to our property, on which they yearly levy taxes, then we willplace our interests beneath a flag that can and will give ampleprotection. This terrible uncertainty as to titles and values in theUnited States will yet wreck the republic."
It was natural that the directors should heartily approve ColonelHarris's utterances, as he was the owner of five-sixths of the stock ofthe company. He then asked Mr. Webster their general counsel, to readto the board the position which the company proposed to take before thepublic.
Mr. Webster was a tall, elderly man, who had served five years on thesupreme bench of his state, an attorney of few words, but well versed inthe laws of his country, especially in corporation laws. Holding a sheetof paper in his hands he read, "The Harrisville Iron & Steel Companyclaims the fundamental right to manage its own business in its own way,in accordance with and under the protection of the laws of the land."
The board voted its approval of the attorney's position, and also votedthat a petition be drawn and immediately sent to the mayor of the cityasking protection for their property. The board then adjourned.
Colonel Harris, his manager, and Mr. Webster entered a carriage, anddrove rapidly to the mayor's office, while superintendent George Ingramdrove back to the steel works to execute his orders, though he did notbelieve in harsh measures. Harris presented the petition to the mayor,who hastily examined it. Bands of music were now audible on the street,and a long procession of workingmen, bearing national banners, was seenmarching towards the city hall. Citizens on the streets held theirbreath, and policemen feared the outcome.
Colonel Harris rose to go, but the Mayor seized his arm and said,"No! you and your friends must stay here and meet a committee of youremployees who have an appointment with me at three o'clock.
"Already I have said to the same committee, who called at ten o'clockthis morning, that I should expect them to influence your employees tokeep the peace, to aid in protecting your property, to disperse quietlyand remain in their homes. Colonel Harris, please be seated, you and yourfriends must remain."
"Well, Mr. Mayor, since you insist, we will remain, but our companydemands the protection of all our property, and the preservation of peaceand lives in our midst. You are the city's executive officer. The paymentannually by our corporation of thousands in taxes, calls for anequivalent, therefore we ask that you maintain the dignity of the cityand her laws."
The mayor stepped to the telephone and called Major Strong, the chief ofpolice. "Send at once a captain and twenty-five policemen in patrolwagons to the city hall. Hold fifty more men in readiness."
A great throng of people occupied the sidewalks and the windows ofadjoining buildings. Thousands of workmen crowded the pavement from curbto curb. The vast crowd below, though impressive was not new to ColonelHarris nor did it alarm him.
Four years before, his employees were out on a strike for several months.Then the issue was, "Will the company recognize the demands of theAmalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers of America?" The replyof the company was, "No!" The struggle then was severe, but the strikefailed. The present issue was, "Will the company pay an increase ofwages?"
The committee of five of the employees soon entered the mayor's office.They were much surprised to find that Colonel Harris had returned to thecity; it was believed that he had actually set sail for Europe. Thecommittee unfortunately was a radical one, and did not represent theaverage thoughtful and conservative type of workingmen. Evidently thecommittee had been selected for the purpose of intimidating capital, astheir manner did not indicate a conciliatory policy.
Mr. Burns, acting as spokesman, said, "Mr. Mayor, it is 3 o'clock, and weare back again promptly, as you requested, and you see that our committeeis increased by several thousand workingmen on the street below who havecome to demand bread of a soulless corporation. Mayor Duty, what do youadvise us to do?"
The Mayor was nervous as he replied, "Mr. Burns and members of thecommittee, I confess that so many thousands of honest and upturned facesof workingmen move my heart. If I were able it would give me pleasurefirst to ask you all to partake of a good meal, for more satisfactorybusiness is usually accomplished after people are well fed. You ask myadvice. Here, gentlemen of the committee, is Colonel Harris, youremployer, let him speak to you."
Memories of a wife and three babies at home, dependent for bread u
pon hisown earnings at the forge, flashing upon the mind of Colonel Harris,sweetened his spirit and softened his voice, so that he spoke briefly andkindly to the committee, repeating, however, what his manager had toldthe committee at ten o'clock, viz., "that the present bad condition ofthe steel market would not permit the company to grant the advance ofwages they asked."
The committee, aware of the large profits of former years, sullenlyretired, and after the company's decision had been communicated to theanxious thousands below, the employees of the Harrisville Iron & SteelCo. slowly returned to their homes. The mayor ordered his chief ofpolice to dispatch immediately in patrol wagons fifty men to the steelworks, to guard the property and keep the peace.
After the committee retired, the mayor said, "Well, Colonel Harris, whatwill be the outcome?"
"Mr. Mayor, we cannot foretell anything. You never know what workingmenin their lodges will do. There, as a rule, the 'Walking delegate' and afew agitators rule with despotic power. If a workman, whose large familyforces him to take conservative views, dares in his lodge to suggestpeaceful measures, an agitator rises at once in indignation and demandsthat traitors to the cause of labor be expelled. This throttles freedomof action in many labor unions, so that often what appears on the surfaceto be the unanimous action of the members of workingmen's leagues, is butthe exercise of despotic power by a few men who have nothing to lose, andwhose salary is paid from the slim purses of honest labor.
"Usually those who talk much and loudly think little and unwisely, andthe opposite to their advice is safest to follow. The greatest needto-day in most of our labor organizations is wise leadership, and thiswill result when the best element in the labor lodges asserts itself.
"The despotism of ill-advised labor is to be dreaded by civilization morethan the reign of intelligent capital. This is especially true in theUnited States, where under wise laws, wealth cannot be entailed, andwhere most large fortunes soon disappear among the heirs.
"A simple pair of shears illustrates perfectly the relationship thatcapital and labor should sustain each to the other. Capital is one bladeof the shears, and labor is the other blade; either blade without theother is useless, and the two blades are useless unless the rivet is inplace. Confidence is to capital and labor what the rivet is to the twoblades. The desideratum to-day in the business world is full and abidingconfidence between capital and labor." Thus speaking Colonel Harris andhis friends left the mayor and returned to their homes.
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After a visit to Niagara Falls, Mr. Searles and his party went on toHarrisville, where Mrs. Eastlake rejoined some friends and continued herlong journey to the Pacific Coast. Colonel Harris met his daughter andMr. Hugh Searles at the station, the latter, under the circumstances,being the last person he cared to see. The carriage was driven at once toReuben Harris's beautiful home that overlooked Harrisville and blue LakeErie.
After dinner Colonel Harris explained to Mr. Searles all about theinopportune strike; also that it was impossible to say when the steelplant would be started again. Mr. Searles decided next morning that aftera short ride through Harrisville he would continue his journey throughthe States to California, and possibly to Australia, where he had anotherimportant interest to attend to in behalf of a London client.
It was further arranged that he would return to London via Harrisville inabout six months, if so desired by Colonel Harris, otherwise he wouldcomplete the journey around the world, returning to England by way of theSuez Canal.