The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-03-23
Che Aeupsha Telegraph.
KENosHA, WIS. MARCH 90. 1871.
STRIKES AND THEIR LESSON.

The recent strike Of the Pennsylvania
miners which almost produced coal
famine in New York. is another proof n'
the immense power which is c0ncentrst
inc i'm Ihe hands of the Trades Unions.
Whatever may he the merits of this par
ticular caxe-whether the coal companies
were jus fled III the action, or whether
the miners were reasonable in tn ir de
mands-the result was thai several OF our
large cities saff. red from want of COAL
simply on acc ,unt cf disagreement he
tween the miners and the coal com panies
backed by the railroad corporations
What has happened with regard 80 COAL
my rake q ace with many other things
which are classed among the necessarles
of life, and it is important that some
measures SHOULD, if possible, he taken t"
stop til, sc violent q llisIons tetWten cap
ital and labor. True, no outbreak at
tended the strike, but the amuont OF IN
convenience and pecuniary suffering u
entaIled upon the poorer classes IN he
cities. if not upon the miners families,
cau,o O. easily be r, ckoued The trouble
in tn se strikes is, that there is no nc.
KIN ,wlpdged court Of fin ! appeal to de-
eide the points Of diff renee, and no
Judge competent To adjhdicate upon tue
Gains of the contestants.
Rrfpre the establishment of Trades
Unions, many employers doubtless were
overbearng and extnrtionate with their
operatives, but now the effort SEEM tn be
opl zee the capitals in the hands OF hls
hired men Members of the Unions not
tn, rk xphpp their rgs
qu.remeuts are not complied with, but
refuse tn allow others. DESTROYS of en-
po,ment, t., fill their places. In the
present inst nee, the railroad companIt
were uut,. as much 10 blame az tn.
miners, and probably more SO, bet the
danger from monop Diies is toe we'll un.
derStood Ia need turf her discussion. The
point we d sire To urge 10 that while we
have much to dread from the unscru-
puous men in cs,ntiol ot Monopolies, we
are in no less danger from the 81 callesi
labor retormers The Upions have not
vet acquired unlimited power, but they
are constantly gathering strepg a, and il
is becoming quite as Important to know
what to do with them as with the cor
D rtiions which are gradually gaining
control of our vast railroad interests.
In case of deasl-lhck between cap
it'll and labor. relief may sometimes, as III
the present coal strike, be obtained by
means Of Congress onal interventlon /;
but this $. eclal legislation IS, at hest, u
doub fl exp" dient, and 1t w"nld be
M CD better wera it possible, to have ali
trade disputes settled by C uncils ot arhI-
traton,s or in the courts of Justice. We
musr come to some such method OF SCI
Element fist or last We are now speak
ing not of restraining monopolies gen
crafty, tut Of disputes which may arls;-
belWcen Trades Unions or rather mem
beers of such Unions AMI their employers.
: English operatives have passed through
just such struggle rs hat which is now
going on in this country, and they have
finally determined IT, re.cr al! such dis
pnte9 to- arbitration and there IS no
better plan for us. Strikes sometimes
benefit few individual s, but as a gen
eral thing, they work injury TO all con
cerned in them, and often, as in the r.
cent coal strike. to the public at large.
VIII n the workmen express their will
ingness tn submit their grievances to
aritration, capitalists must do likewise.
aud both will then be able to work to-
gether uninteruptedly, each contributing
to the success of the other, and yet, ut
the same time subscribing their own best
interests Hearth & H0nse.