CORNERING THE “ CORNERERS.”
What is a “ Cornerer ” ? The question may perhaps be asked by many, because honest men are not generally well up in “ Thieves’
English’’—until the thieves force the unpleasant knowledge upon them. Well, the term “Cornerer” is one of the many euphemisms for a greedy knave which Trade has found useful since it took to the tricks of the gambler. The “Cornerer” is “ a sharp fellow.”
Tricky Trade takes that as a compliment. The “Cornerer” is a conscienceless speculator who buys up cotton-crops in advance, in order to plump nis pockets by forcing up prices to a factitious level, reckless of the damage he may do legitimate trade and laborious in
dustry. Speculating in “futures,” that is, buying the crop before even it is sown, he secures for a time a virtual monopoly on nis own terms, and the spinners have to pay the piper. What the Eorestaller and Regrater is with respect to Corn, that is the “ Cornerer ” with regard to Cotton. His venture is looked upon as a “ legitimate speculation ” by those who would think it legitimate to speculate in food at the risk of famine, or in physic at the cost of epidemic and plague. Men not inspired by piratical principles regard it as ruth
lessly sellish scoundrelism, well meriting the pillory, which in other days would have been its punishment.
The Lancashire Cotton Spinners, with a view to cornering the Cornerers, have agreed to stop their Mills for a time, of course at the cost of loss to them and distress to their operatives. Whether all the Spinners themselves have been free from that rookless spirit of speculation which now in so many quarters reduces Trade to the level of none too honest gambling, is a question that some of the present denouncers of the “ Corner ” might profitably consider at tbeir leisure. But Mr. Punch sympathises with the real sufferers from the Cotton Shylocks. His Pillory is not disestablished. To see this rascally “ Ring ” smashed, the “ Cornerer ” hoist by his own dirty device, tossed high in a sheet of penance, and “ broke by the fall,” is what all honest men would desire. As “a nation of shopkeepers,”
let us at least look well to our weights and scales, and purge the mart of those cruel and nefarious “tricks of Trade” which alone make commerce a bye-word and a reproach among men of heart and honour.
“MARY ANN.”
“ The Scissors Trade at Sheffield is becoming as notorious for cases of rattening as was the Saw Trade, over which the notorious Broadhead presided some years ago.”— Standard.
Bad news comes from Sheffield in quite the old way : They ratten the grinders of scissors to-day ;
The bands are all broken, the wheels are at rest, The workmen are idle who laboured the best;
And sad is the heart of each hard-working man,
At the murderous threats that are signed “ Mary Ann.” Come out, Men of Sheffield, from all the old town,
And dare with strong hand to put rattening down !
Time was when a Bkoadhead, of infamous name, Made Hallamshire honour a byeword of shame :
Take the brutes by the neck, strike as hard as you can,
And you’ll soon hear the last of the vile “ Mary Ann ” !
Shocking Foolery.
Zora, the “wonderful chair manipulator,” who, performing at the Aquarium, tumbled off the top of a tall column of chairs, but did not kill himself, is said to have suffered no worse injury than a “ shock to the system.” Stupidity supports a system of giving performances of which the enjoyment chiefly consists in seeing the performer risk breaking his neck. It would bo well if Zora’s fall gave a conclusive shock to such a system.
She Didn’t Mean It.
Miss Brown of London—good address this, and her other address which she made to the Trades’ Union Assembly was not quite so vague —said “ There ought to be no Rings.” Oh, Miss Brown of London!
No Rings! and—no legal Unions, eh, Miss Brown of London ? As the song says, “ What will Mamma say ! What will Papa say ! ”
“LASCIATE OGNI SPERANZA VOI CH’ENTRATE!”-----
As Botticelli Brown said to nis two Friends, as, tired and thirsty, they came into a Welsh Watering-Place on a
Wet Sunday !
What is a “ Cornerer ” ? The question may perhaps be asked by many, because honest men are not generally well up in “ Thieves’
English’’—until the thieves force the unpleasant knowledge upon them. Well, the term “Cornerer” is one of the many euphemisms for a greedy knave which Trade has found useful since it took to the tricks of the gambler. The “Cornerer” is “ a sharp fellow.”
Tricky Trade takes that as a compliment. The “Cornerer” is a conscienceless speculator who buys up cotton-crops in advance, in order to plump nis pockets by forcing up prices to a factitious level, reckless of the damage he may do legitimate trade and laborious in
dustry. Speculating in “futures,” that is, buying the crop before even it is sown, he secures for a time a virtual monopoly on nis own terms, and the spinners have to pay the piper. What the Eorestaller and Regrater is with respect to Corn, that is the “ Cornerer ” with regard to Cotton. His venture is looked upon as a “ legitimate speculation ” by those who would think it legitimate to speculate in food at the risk of famine, or in physic at the cost of epidemic and plague. Men not inspired by piratical principles regard it as ruth
lessly sellish scoundrelism, well meriting the pillory, which in other days would have been its punishment.
The Lancashire Cotton Spinners, with a view to cornering the Cornerers, have agreed to stop their Mills for a time, of course at the cost of loss to them and distress to their operatives. Whether all the Spinners themselves have been free from that rookless spirit of speculation which now in so many quarters reduces Trade to the level of none too honest gambling, is a question that some of the present denouncers of the “ Corner ” might profitably consider at tbeir leisure. But Mr. Punch sympathises with the real sufferers from the Cotton Shylocks. His Pillory is not disestablished. To see this rascally “ Ring ” smashed, the “ Cornerer ” hoist by his own dirty device, tossed high in a sheet of penance, and “ broke by the fall,” is what all honest men would desire. As “a nation of shopkeepers,”
let us at least look well to our weights and scales, and purge the mart of those cruel and nefarious “tricks of Trade” which alone make commerce a bye-word and a reproach among men of heart and honour.
“MARY ANN.”
“ The Scissors Trade at Sheffield is becoming as notorious for cases of rattening as was the Saw Trade, over which the notorious Broadhead presided some years ago.”— Standard.
Bad news comes from Sheffield in quite the old way : They ratten the grinders of scissors to-day ;
The bands are all broken, the wheels are at rest, The workmen are idle who laboured the best;
And sad is the heart of each hard-working man,
At the murderous threats that are signed “ Mary Ann.” Come out, Men of Sheffield, from all the old town,
And dare with strong hand to put rattening down !
Time was when a Bkoadhead, of infamous name, Made Hallamshire honour a byeword of shame :
Take the brutes by the neck, strike as hard as you can,
And you’ll soon hear the last of the vile “ Mary Ann ” !
Shocking Foolery.
Zora, the “wonderful chair manipulator,” who, performing at the Aquarium, tumbled off the top of a tall column of chairs, but did not kill himself, is said to have suffered no worse injury than a “ shock to the system.” Stupidity supports a system of giving performances of which the enjoyment chiefly consists in seeing the performer risk breaking his neck. It would bo well if Zora’s fall gave a conclusive shock to such a system.
She Didn’t Mean It.
Miss Brown of London—good address this, and her other address which she made to the Trades’ Union Assembly was not quite so vague —said “ There ought to be no Rings.” Oh, Miss Brown of London!
No Rings! and—no legal Unions, eh, Miss Brown of London ? As the song says, “ What will Mamma say ! What will Papa say ! ”
“LASCIATE OGNI SPERANZA VOI CH’ENTRATE!”-----
As Botticelli Brown said to nis two Friends, as, tired and thirsty, they came into a Welsh Watering-Place on a
Wet Sunday !