The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-07
Tho Gasmen's Strike.

The Gasmen's Strike.
Our citizens are to be congratulated that the
strike of the gasmen employed in the New
York Gas Company was not partici-
pated in by the employees in other works. and
that consequently the city was not left in utter
darkness This we say without prejudice to
the cause of the workmen, who in their efforts
to obtain recognition of the Eight Hour law
have, so far, conducted themselves with ad-
mirable temper and good sense. Whatever the
merits of the question at issue between them
and the grasping gas companies, there is a
larger interest to be considered, and that is
the safety of the citizens. One night OF dark
ness, with the metropolis given over, as in
great measure it would be, to the lawless
classes, would, on the principle of the great
est good tor the greatest number, be
more serious evil than even the con-
tinuance Of injustice to the workmen
in the gas houses. Travel at night in the city
in the full flicker Of such light as the gas
companies are pleased to give us is, unfor-
us to regard with indifference the mere threat
of night without it. Last night came near
enough being night Of darkness to forewarn
the citizen as we'll as the gas company of the
peril. Had it been weekday evening. with
all the shops and factories and places Of public
resort ablaze, the street lamps would have
been out before midnight Sunday evening
as it was, many districts had little or no light.
Before ten o'clock the lamps below Grand
street showed but faint flicker, and many
were dark altogether. It was apparent on
every hand that the promise of the Manhattan
Gas Light Company to keep the city supplied
with gas was being badly kept; that the ''new
hands" were not able to do their work eff
GENTLY that the assertion Of the officers of the
company that the labor Of the striking gasmen
was not skilled labor was in so far untrue, at
least, as to show that the old men had the skill
to keep the city supplied, while the new men,
under the most favorable conditions, so far
failed as to provoke forebodings only too well
founded. The company is trihing with the
safety Of the citizen and the security Of the
city. This trifing is not matter easily TO be
overlooked or endured, and the gas monopo-
lists must understand that should the strike
become general and the companies fail to
supply us with light, the workmen will not be
held responsible. The conditions under which
these men earn their bread are such as to COM
mand the sympathies of the public; and as
long as they abstain from violence in their
efforts to improve these conditions they will re-
tain the respect of their fellow citizens. The
public censure will fall on the rapacious gas
monopolists who not content with grinding
the faces of the poor and the rich alike by
exorbitant charges for light, press hard upon
their employees and refuse them proper hours of
rest The workmen, however, ought to consider
well before engaging in strike of such grave
consequences to themselves and to the public.
A strike is rebellion, and rebellion is never
justifable except where there is reasonable
prospect of success. Defeat or partial VIC
tory would be ruinous to those engaged in it,
and their condition rendered worse than be-
fore. These are considerations for the men
who have not struck, and who will doubtless
be asked to join the men Of the New York Gas
Company. Whatever measures they may re-
solve to take let them continue to act with
moderation and inside the law