It is a great truth that you cannot
extinguish violence by violence. You may put it down for a time;
but while you are crowing over your imaginary success, see if it
does not return with seven devils worse than its former self!
No one thought of treating the workmen as brethren and friends, and
openly, clearly, as appealing to reasonable men, stating exactly and
fully the circumstances which led the masters to think it was the
wise policy of the time to make sacrifices themselves, and to hope
for them from the operatives.
In going from group to group in the room, you caught such a medley
of sentences as the following--
"Poor devils! they're near enough to starving, I'm afraid. Mrs.
Aldred makes two cows' heads into soup every week, and people come
many miles to fetch it; and if these times last, we must try and do
more. But we must not be bullied into anything!"
"A rise of a shilling or so won't make much difference, and they
will go away thinking they've gained their point."
"That's the very thing I object to. They'll think so, and whenever
they've a point to gain, no matter how unreasonable, they'll strike
work.
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