, 1874-03-30

Tho so-cnlod atriko OF tho employees Of the
Eric Railroad Ia successful to tho extent Of COM
plotely ausponding tho business Of tho road. 1T
should bo callod rather tho enforcement Of q mo-
chanic's lion for work and labor porforrnod.)
Tho point selected Ia Busquehanna Depot, q eta-
tion OH tho Eric Road juat within tho limo Of tho
State Of pennBylyania. At this place the Eric
Company has Its workshops and keeps 800 men
employed. The strikors hive not been paid
their wages for two months, and have takon this
means to collect their money. They have ar-
rested overy train passing over tho road, and had
on Saturday ninety locomotives in their poRaos-
sion and q aproportionate number Of cars. There
switched or on side trucks. Thoy intercept oil
travol over tho road except mail trains, and
have at least ono train OF emigrants who nre do
pendont upon tho charity Of the people Of the
town. Tie Governor OF ponnsylyania has Or
dorod out tho militia. who have taken
possession Of tho shops and property Of
tho Railroad Company, but have found 20 noces-
sity tor resort to force. aa the strikors hnyc
made no riotouB demonstrations. The proB-
onco Of the military savos the property Of
the Company from violence. This, however,
will not sottlo tho original trouble. and the
Company will sooner Or later havo to pay tho
mon their wages.
While It ia true that tho action Of these mon
ia arroating trains and stopping tho business Of
tho Eric Company ia unlawful and subjects thom
to lognl penalties, nevertheless tho sympathy Of
tho public will be with thom, and the Erie Com
pany will havo no right to complain. It is to be
presumed that tho Company Is very hard up
else this delay in paying the hands would not
have occurred. The particulars OF its financial
stress have not been mado public, but VIC can
conceive Of nothing which authorizes tho Coul-
pany to borrow tho money of Its operatives With
out their consent. Wewiu assume that tho ontiro
cash means Of the Company have boon takcn to
pay tho interest on its bonds. Tho question
which addresses itself to our impartial Judgment
is whothor tho bondholderH or these workmen
ha7o the moro equitable lien On tho actual in
como of the road. Whether tho man who puts
in day's lnbor for %, Or the man who has in
vested his money in tho property, Ia entitled to
bo paid first. The President Of the Company
has been in Europe some months making Anan
cial arrangements for changing the gauge Of tho
road 10 that it can horeaftor be operated ut lesB
cost. The difference between tho operating ex-
penscs Of tho broad gauge aud the narrow or Or
dinary gauge is equivalent to dividend on the
stock, and 1t is Of tho last importance that this
change should be effected. Mr. WatBon's ab-
sonce Was therefore equally necessary to tho
Company and tho employea. we fancy, how
ever, ii he had been at home that this riot
neyor would have occurred. He would have
found some way to meet the obligations Of the
road without levying forced loan on mon who
work for day wagoH.
Whilo tho rlotous proceedings are not to bo
justified, 1t must bo remembered, in oxtcnuation
Of the conduct Of tue worlsmon, that they hive
practically no other remedy. They arc depend
ont on their wages for bread. When tho wages
arc not paid, they are reduced to want. Tho rom
oly OF lawsuit ia mockery to starving
man, or, aB in this caso, a starving community.
The Company has only to raise tho money to
pay the overdue wages, aud tho turmoil will DO
at IN end. Enough money has probably been
lost by the stoppago Of business to have paid the
overdue wages. Tho economy OF raising money
by borrowing it from employees without thei1
qpnsont, is thus painfully illustrated. The Com
pany has already paid tho equivalent OF the wager
in the interruption OF traffic, but 1t still owes th'
mon, and must pay 1t second time.