New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-11
TUP COIL STRIKE-ITS FATE.

fbn same right OF combination AZ capitu''OS~
tbat neither class have any right whatever 10
,u,ish sncb of its members as chO0sc not to
be governed by the decisions OF the actHai
or assumed maiOrity-so much we may ASSUME
TO havo been long since established. why ~
il, then, that the public ear IL stil phinca
with reports of riots, maimincs, and murders,
resulting from strikosi Cannot even Ignorance
and Stupidity be effectively taught That VINO
ever lays violent hands on another be-
cause that other secs fit to accept wages which
tho former rejects, is guilty OF u fragrant
crime 7
We believe in Strikes to this extent: When
solicited to work for less than we consider
fair recompense, we most respectfully but posi-
lively decline. The right to do 80 lEheres III
the poorest and weakest alike with the richest
and strongest But it never occurred to us
that we had the slighteSt ground for com
plant when we heard that another had ac-
cepted the compensation refused by US, or
even done the work still cheaper. We mover
felt the smallest temptation TO "put French
"roof" on him, nor even to Shy stone
through his window.
We have often refused to worl; for what
seemed to us tie inadequate compensation
| proffcrcd; hui we never imagined that such
refusal either imposed on us the necessity OF
standing idle or afforded us an excuse for so
! doing. On the contrary, our strike was SIMPLY
| a refusal TO do As work on the terms he
| protifrcd, because we chose TO week instead
! for B. OF c. If declining AS proifer had lott us
10 alternative but idlencsS, We should havo
| felt in our bones the prophecy Of inevitable
| defeat
We do not decide that tho Anthracite Coal
| Miners had or had not good reason for their
recent Stlikc--thcy are their own Judges as to
that. But, having struck, we insist That they
should have instantly sought and speedily
found other employmcnt-should have notified
mankind that they were on hand for any
work within their ability. If it were cutting
| timber, or opening mine, or grazing rail-
road track. or clearing land, or putting Ill
crops, they could net reasonably cNpcc. to
earn nearly so much at it as at that calling
to which their best years had been
given, but they could surely find employment
of some kind that would have given each OF
them a dollar per day. That dollar would have
kent the wolf from the door for The next SIX
months, thus enabling them to maintain their
Strike on terms approaching equality; whereas,
by stopping work entirely, they practically
notified their employers that they could hold
out about so long and no longer. That looks
to US like going TO war and providing lot OF
| pumpkins TO be used as shells, with curraDts
| for buckshot and cherries for Mimic balls. If
| if be true that strikers mast stand idle, while
they await concessions from their employers,
then it is madness TO strike at ali; but We can
not believe it necessary.
We do not assume tho justice of the strike;
neither do we dispute it. Employers as well
| "a employed have rights and are subject to
| necessities II is no more just That lie who
mines a tun of coal to-day shall be paid for
so doing than that he whose capital paid for
opening the mine, then erecting breaker and
other costly devices Cor laboTsavinS, should
| likewise be compensated for h;s ycitment.
And, so multiform and powerful are the al
Iurcments to drink and dance, and game,
whereby the majority are estoppcd from ac-
! cumulation that we hope no honest induce
ment to frugality and thrift will ever he
DESTROYED or weakened. There is no human
being so destitute that the law which secures
to every one the proceeds of his own forecast
and diligence does not befriend and benefit
even him. We hold it, therefore, as advan-
tageous to Labor as to Capital that tho owner
or lessee of hline should be enabled to profit
Icy working it,
Yet, while we blame neither operators nor
miners for their late disastrous collision, we
strongly feel that the managers of the Coal
| Railroads have an account to settle with those
who gavo them their abused privileges No
railway of considerable length could be con-
structcd and run without the aid of Law; and
the chartered and cOmmon-law rights of
railway company are sought and conceded as
subServient to ends of general bcnoficence.
| Stockholders are expected to receive profits
| that is their moral right-but they are to DO
secured by serving, not by skinning the pub
| lie. The spirit of the compact which under
lies every railway charter is one of give and
takc-sO much for so auckland company
which should wantonly close its road to travel
and transportation Indefinitely would thereby
forfeit it's charter. How much short of this is
the treblng of its regular rates on Coal
by the Reading Railroad Company? Admit
that the letter of its charter does not forbid
this, we insist that the spirit clearly does, and
that every State should forthwith by general
act assert its right to control the charges of
any and every railroad ss as to preclude
Tapacity and eXtOtion. Whatever spccious
excuses may be proilered, we deny the right
of any railroad company to decree such
enormous enhancement Of its rates, no matter
for what purpose; and in this instance tho
object contemplated was at best questionable.
Let us have our laws so framed or modified
that the like cannot occur again.
The World asked us questions with regard to