THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY Q (X. 3 ^ ENT \ / Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 4 \ https://archive.org/details/seriousaddresstoOOoast A SERIOUS ADDRESS TO THE MILLOWNERS, MANUFACTURERS, AND CLOTH-DRESSERS OF LEEDS, WHO HAVE ORGANIZED THEMSELVES INTO A ‘ TRADES’ UNION’ To compel their Workmen to abandon a Right, which the Laws of Britain grant, to every Subject. “ LIVE AND LET LIVEr PRICE ONE PENNY. BY RICHARD OAST1EB, SECOND EDITION. HUDDERSFIELD : PRINTED BY THOMAS KEMP, NEW-STREET. 1834. 33). S'? Oa'/S Z V a iffimous Sfc. Gentlf.mfn, I will not apologize to you for this in- trusion. — f will not be silent, on this occasion. — -You are laying the foundation upon which to build national slavery and national crime ; — you are, by your present position, ac- celerating the motion of the Car of Ruin, which is fast over- running this once happy Country. You are, many of you my intimate Friends; towards not a few of you, I entertain feel- ings of the highest respect. — If I did not think you were in a wrong position, I would not trouble you; — if I fail to prove you in error, it will be my fault, and I alone will bear the blame. — I will set nought down in anger or malice, — I will not fear to speak the truth. The first question I ask of you is — Whether are the Laws of this Land, or the uncontroled Will of the “ United” Masters, to govern the Operatives It has certainly, in some places, been a maxim; that a man has a right to do what he will with his own ; ” but, do recollect my Good Sirs, how many of you , have assisted in defaming an individual, who dared to act upon this principle ; how many of you have denounced that nobleman, as a tyrant, and pro- nounced the maxim to be dangerous to a Briton’s Freedom. — Yet what was his case ? — He let to his Tenants, Houses and Land, at one fourth, nay even an eighth of their real value, and then expected they should waive a Right, or use it at his bidding ! Then many of you hooted him, and called him Tyrant. You are however; after abusing the Duke of Newcastle as a Tyrant and a Traitor, now improving upon his plan, and ab- solutely requiring the W orkmen to enter your employment, by first abandoning a right, 'which the Law and Nature give them, the RIGHT of uniting for mutual protection ; and at the same time you only offer them Common Wages for their Work, and no security for the continuance of present offered prices, or for constant employment! ! — Had you offered them some four or eight times as much Wages, as their work is worth, when you were wishful to bargain away their legal and natural rights; you would have been in the self same position in which you found the Duke of Newcastle and, according to your own declaration, you would even then have been 1 yrants over your Workmen, and Traitors to the Constitution ! Do not think it hard that I should speak thus plainly do not think to get rid of the Argument by charging me with an attempt to sow discord between Master and Man, —I own 1 can see nothing more sacred in the Character of a Mill-owner or a Manufacturer, or a Cloth-dresser, than in that of a Duke, — I declare I see no more sin, in sowing discord between Master and Man, — than in sowing discord between Land- lord and Tenant,— and I confess, I would rather see the men rebel against this Tyrannical and unconstitutional Law of yours; than see you triumph over the Law of the Land, and over the best and proudest feelings of Englishmen ! ! If the Duke of Newcastle was wrong, and many of you have over and over again asserted that he was a Tyrant and a Traitor ; then are ye now in a worse case than he was ; for you do not, like the Noble Duke, offer a price, and a high price, for the commodity you wish to possess, the right of your Workmen ! — . But who ever heard of an “ Union ” of Landlords or Aristo- crats, to compel their Tenants to sign away a Natural or Legal right, as a condition to the occupancy of their Houses or Lands?— Verily, my good Sirs, ye have taught the People what Tyrants the Aristocrats were, but it has been reserved for the “ March of Intellect,” to teach a “ Liberal ” Mill- owner, or Manufacturer, or Cloth-dresser, how to out Herod Herod, in Tyranny and Cruelty 1 Recollect your workmen are more than three years old. 1 hey have been taught by many of yourselves , to hate the Borough- monger, because, he interfered with the rights of his tenants , ALTHO* HE PAID THEM WELL FOR THE SERVICE THEY RENDERED ; and shall ye expect to escape the Hatred, Scorn, and Con- tempt of your Workmen, if ye dare to rob them ol their Legal Right?— Will you dare, in the face of England, to assert a power greater than the Law, — and expect the Law to protect you ? — I maintain that you have no more right to require your Workmen to abandon a right, which the Law allows them,— 2092 4 than Earl Fizwilliam has a right to compel his Tenants at Mal- ton to vote for* any man he sends them;- — and who ever heard of any Nobleman requiring his Tenants to sign a document to do so ? — Your Declaration is as honourable to yourselves, as such a document would be to Earl Fitzwilliam, — your Declaration is as constitutional as that would be, — And if your men sign that De- claration of yours, they sign away their rights as British sub- jects, — and will become the voluntary Slaves of their Mas- tets !! — Let any man shew r me where you have a right to deprive your Workmen of their rights, any more than the Borough- monger has to deprive his Tenants. — Your Declaration is, nei- ther more nor less, than Treason against the Constitution of England ! — Treason against the Liberty of Englishmen ! And, in the face of day, it gives the Lie, to all your former profes- sions of “ Liberality.” The men have a right to unite, according to Law; — and you have no more right to take advantage of their necessity , and thus to compel them, to abandon their rights, — than they have a right to take advantage of their numbers, and by force, to deprive you of your Property, or of your Lives! ! — You are teaching them to despise the Laws, which guarantee your pro- perty — when you forcibly deprive them of the benefit of the laws, which are intended to protect theirs ! — You teach them to seek for your blood, when you starve them into submission ! ! By the illegal and unconstitutional Position you have now taken, you teach your men to dispise all Law, all authority, and to take all advantages — to become deceivers and destroy- ers; instead of honest, faithful, industrious producers. And let me tell the Magistrates of Leeds, however legal their decision was, it was not constitutional , when they deci- ded — “that relief should not be granted to those men who refused to sign the Master’s declaration.” — I know the Constitution of England gives to no man the power, to require as a condition of servitude, the abandonment of his Legal Rights. — T he master may bind his servant to do certain Work — but he has no Jega right to bind him from goingto Church, or Chapel, or Lodge. — Suppose a Master were to offer me work, on condition, that I would sign a document, declaring I would refrain from attend- ing Church, and that he made this a condition of giving me work — would any Overseer dare to refuse me relief; if l were willing to work, — but determined not to abandon my right of going to Church P — I am sure not and where is the differ- ence P I confess, I cannot see one. — It seems to be forgotten, in these “ march of intellect ” reforming days, that the Poor are the original Freeholders, and take precedence of Princes, in their title to the soil. 5 Let no one forget too, that the " Leeds Strike ” is a strike of the Masters, not of the men. The men were steadily engaged in their industrious habits; and the Masters, on a sudden, re- solve to deprive them of their Rights, or to starve them to death. Shame that the Law should refuse to let the men have a piece of bread ! But you will perhaps say, “the men when they unite, intimidate and otherwise act illegally . ” 1 suppose they do, — and who wonders? - Iam sure I do not. — But, poor fellows, — the Law punishes them when they break it ; though you , their Masters, taught them that trade, about three years ago ; you taught them to despise the Laws, to insult the King and the Queen, and to “ stop the Tap’* against the Tax-gatherer. — No wonder, I say, they now hiss and groan at the “ black sheep.” — You taught them to hiss and groan at the Queen, — and surely she is as sacred a person as a “ black sheep !” — No wonder they threaten you, — you taught them to threaten the King — and surely the King is as high and dignified as you are! I have not yet heard of them insulting your wives, — though you taught them to insult the King’s ! — They have not yet shewn you the bloody axe, and the crape, and the execu- tioner, — its not your fault they have not; you taught them thus to treat Royalty, — they have not yet kicked you out of your houses, and warehouses, and mills ; though you taught them to dethrone the King, and to deprive him of his crown and sceptre. — No, no, — They have not gone very far yet, — and still ye have no mercy ! ! — What if the King of England had behaved to you , as ye and your friends have done to the Ope- ratives ?— Ye would not now have been in a condition to de- prive your townsmen of their rights.-- No ; ye would, a very many of you, have been at Botany Bay, long before the Love- lesses. Verily, my friends, you yourselves have sown the whirl- wind, and as yet you have only reaped a mild and gentle breeze. The men cannot for their lives, be persuaded that you are de- serving of more respect, than Dukes, and Queens, and Kings: and always recollect, you were the u School Masters.” And be very thankful the men are dull at imbibing the destructive notions with which your lessons were replete. When the poor men, for their ow n sakes, break the law, the law punishes them, — but when they broke the law, at your bid- ding, to serve you, — neither you nor them were punished ! Do you think the public will long allow you to assume more power and authority, than the King and the Law ? You are now taking a position you cannot maintain. I dare say you will beat the men, — but they will owe you a grudge ! 1 ! — and they will pay it you someday ! ! Their Leaders advise them to 6 stand out, and behave well; to keep Jaw and be quiet. This is all very good talking. I say, the men must either submit to the masters, and become their abject slaves, — or, quietly sub- mit to lay down in the streets and die; — or, break the law with impunity, and disregard the law of property entirely! — or or, what now P — Why the next or, is the best or of all. Or, the masters must abandon their un-English, un-Christian , un-natural , un-just , tyrannical , and disgraceful “ Do- what-I-like” position, and meet the men fairly and honestly, and “ unite” with them to protect wages and profits. Now, Masters, chuse ye. — There’s but a step between you and ruin, if you let pride rule now ! — Do as you would be done by. You know the men had cause for “Union;” — nay, you yourselves have declared they had. Its your interest that wages should be equal — You know they are unequal ;— then help the men to make them equal. They have faults, — I grant, they have. — And have you none? Never mention “ intimidation.” — You know you practice that much more than they ; — nay, I know you have even come into this neighbourhood, and collected the men together in different mills, and declared, if they would not sign the Declaration,” YOU WOULD BUY NO MORE PIECES OF THEIR MASTERS ! And you have told the men the consequence would be, they would be starved to death ! ! ! Horrible ! 1 — Horrible indeed, — but it is true ; and, if needful, I can mention the name of one of your Leeds Merchants who has thus disgraced himself. Remember the men are Britons, — they have rights, they have souls, they have arms, — and they will use their power rather than allow you to starve their wives, their children, and themselves ! ! — Tremble, Tyrants ! ! The shopkeepers know 7 that you intimidate, and so do many other tradesmen. Yes, it is a fact, so bent have you been to secure the starvation or the surrender of the men, that means have been used to induce shopkeepers and landlords to give them no credit for victuals or for rents ! ! Dont men- tion “insulting language,” — remember they were taught by you, even to groan at the Queen, they have not yet “ groaned ” at your wives. — Shake hands with them. — Mas- ters ! the Men ought to be your best friends. — Men ! the Mas- ters ought to be your best friends. — Then shake hands, — A’our interests are One. — Let your “Union” be One. Both learn to do as you would be done by. I wish you both well ; — but for the sake of the Masters as well as for the sake of the Men, — I hope there will be no signing away the Rights of Englishmen, — Twould be alike disgraceful to both parties. 7 Masters, don't you see who it is that is your Enemy P — — Its not the “ Union/’ — its that bloody monster Ca- pital ; he rides a black horse, and carries a bloody knife. — He tramples on your profits in every market, — in every mill, — in every warehouse, — in every shop. He it is who bleeds you to the death ! — You are bleeding now; — H e has no mercy ! — Then shew him some ! “ Unite, unite/' masters and men; — merchants and shopkeepers; — farmers and landlords. “ Unite" I say, — one and all, against the monster, who robs you all of profit, rent, or wages. Do you ask, who is he ? He is that great disgusting Harpie, the keeper of a “ Commercial Slaugh- ter House," who watches all your movements, and in your distress, shakes his gold bags in your hearing, then beguiles you to your ruin ! He pretends to relieve you in your need ; and then lays up a stock of goods, to rob you of the reward of all your future industry and skill. — —He laughs at you when you talk of profit — he tells you he needs none of your goods! — but he has “ Cash ’’ for you. The “ Profit'* is his share of the trans- action, the “Loss" your own ! — Oh yes, this monster bleeds you e'en to death, and laughs at your distresses !! He tells you plainly “he knows ofothers quite as needy as yourself," and then pretends to leave you. You are in need, and your poverty gives the cry, and calls him back, — and then he cheats you ; and forces you to cheat your workmen and the Stapler! You know its true, but you'll be vex’d because I've told it. It is however, whole- some medicine, 'tis bitter to the taste, — if you'll be bold enough to swallow^ it, it will do you good. — You know its true. —— Then shun the monster, or he’ll ruin you ! — He has slain his thousands, — you know he has. *Tis he who dries up the river of profit — and not the “ Union." — He is the enemy of you all. Yes, yes, masters, most of you are even now bleed- ing out your life's blood into his bloody pail ! Wearisome nights, — sorrowful days, he gives you for your portion of this world’s goods He scrapes the marrow out of your bones, — he benumbs your sinews, — and then points to the “ Union," and says, — They did it. Be enslaved no longer by this monster. — Unite with all to tame him. — Shew him mercy, do not destroy him. — He is like: fire and water, a good servant, but a desolating master. Then tame him, and make him serve you. Perhaps some of you may be angry. If you are, lam sorry, and beg you'll cool a little, — I mean no harm. When in a better humour, read this short Address again, and ask yourselves, — Is it true or false P— If true, attend to it, — if false, prove it so, and by so doing, you will have proved you have a right to deprive your men of their Legal rights , 8 hut that a Duke is a Tyrant, who dares, for any price, to do the same. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, RICHARD OASTLER. Fixby Hall , Huddersfield , June 10^, 1834. POSTSCRIPT. — Masters ! — Men ! — I am not your Ene- my. — I WISH YOU BOTH TO HOLD YOUR RIGHTS, AS SACRED AS your Lives. Do take my Advice, or prove it wrong. Unite together to settle your own Differences and se- cure your Independence of the “ Slaughter Houses.” If you cannot agree amongst yourselves, Petition Parlia- ment to establish Local Boards of Masters and Men, to settle all your Quarrels. Ye have all need of each other. Your Enemy is the common Enemy of Both. “ The COMMERCIAL SLAUGHTER HOUSE.” R. O. SECOND POSTSCRIPT ! — Now a word for those Masters who pro- fess Religion, You are hurt at my Address, I know you are ; hut if you would read what St. Paul says to Masters, in his Epistles, (Ephesians vi. and Colos. iv.) and what St. James says, (chap ii. and v.) and what our Divine Re- deemer says, (Luke vi. 24,) and other places, you would tremble if you fejt as you ought. And will you pretend to excuse your violent depriving “ the Poor ” of their Rights, by the plea of keeping due subordination, &c. &c. O, you know , — you do know, that there is a lie in your right hands. You, or some of you, have been very busy in distributing Bibles, and the Poor have sense as well as you. ' They can see that you are not Bible Chris- tians, though you may be Christians of this “ Ism ” or that “Ism.” — Now do listen. This will not do, any more than the drunkenness and violence of the men. The one will ruin their souls, and the other will not save yours. And if the men lay the wickedness of your conduct upon Religion and the Bible, instead of upon your inconsistency, and if they are led to reject it, (however unreasonable their conclusions,) their blood shall be required at your hands. — R. O. T. Kemp, Printer, Huddersfield !. ■ l