The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-08-17

1 80 hlAk AZ ~ " hAukl0 AIlHkhuE
have lockouts or strikes occurred In an,
industrial establishments where the,
have been adopted. My judgment there
fore Ia that their application in the man
agement Of our railway and other grea
industrial Investments would DO atten nde,
with like satisfactory results. Thes
opinions are neither new or hastily form
ed. Whether caPitaLcan be persuaded Il
adopt them the future will decide. ! hav
heretofore expressed my confidence 1t
their correctness and practical efficiency
and now repeat that III | were the manage
Of cOlliery or Of railway line and ha,
the power 10 try the experiment, woult
test the principle with confident assur.
anCe Of successful issue. The highes
considerations oi interest and secu
rIty impel TO It's adoption b.
the managers OF these great In.
duStries. The employees being interested
in augmenting the receipts, would havI
the strongest motivel to prevent what,
ever. was calculated to defeat these
results. Instead OF the diScontenteC
striker, he becomes the vigilant guardian
and 10y al protector OF the intere8ts ant
the property conGded 10 his charge. But
does this concern the public most deeply
Industrial enterprise has converted the
noble cities which dot our State from the
Ohio TO the Cuyahoga, into marts Of
manufacture, dependent for their supplies
Of fuel upon the products Of the mine and
facilities Of railway transportation
Let combined and concerted revolt from
Scranton TO Lawrenceburg interrupt these
supplies at n critical juncture, even tor u
brief period, and Imagination fails to
iathom the suffering attendant on the re.
sulting coal famine. The internal com.
merce Of the continent is dependent on
our grand system Of railways. On the
muscles Of railway labor the mighty pro.
ducts Of the Nations industry are borne
to market. Let this refuse the burden
even for little while and the country is
paralyzed. AmOre efficient conservator
Of social order than armed police
a more inexpensive and less dangerous
protector Of public safety than military
force, are contented employment and
bread; let these be secured by the appli-
anCe Of peace and the growing cloud of
peril, at first scarcely larger than mans
hand, rather than be permitted to develop
into the hurricane Of destruction, may
yet be dispelled, and the danger Of a
military government and standing
army lie averted. 1t does concern the
public deeply. 1t was because ol
this concern that the Cleveland
Convention took action on the subject
and brought it prominently forward for
discussion. 1t was unwilling that the
public mind, aroused by recent events to
scnse Of the magnitude and great i'm.
portance Of the question, should relapse
into repOse without recommending the
creation Of tribunal commissioned Ia
search out the cause OF the events and
suggest peaceful methods for their re.
m0val. 10 this end it recommended
the creation Of National Bureau
Of industry in order that labor, whose
interests are inseparably linked to the
common welfare, may be brought into
closer relation to the Government. Hith.
erto the great interests ot agriculture
manufactures andtcommerce have had
their channels Of access to general sym,
pathy. 1t Is now proposed that labor
shall have the like consideration Of the
functions Of the bureau, which will be
n matter Of legislative detail 10 be
nodded and enlarged az circumstances
shall demand changes, as it doubtless
will be changed with the duty Of col
lecting the statistics and experiences Of
the labor problem in this and other
countries and disseminating their lessons
to the building up Of u correct acknowledge
and the formation Of an enlightened pub
lie sentiment in regard to the operations
OF our industries. 1t can be made pow.
erfully instrumental through these
in the repression Of discomfort
without turbulence on the one hand or
the employment OF force on the other.
am unwilling 10 believe that American
labor Is incapable Of being influenced by
considerations Of reason and Justice; that
it can only be controlled by the law Of
force; with capital it has no conilict-cnn
have none. Satisfy 1t by reliable infor-
nation that its condition results from
causes aud circumstances incapable
Of being controlled, and it is
best that these circumstances can
be reasonably endured, and it will
acquiesce in the situation il il
arises, as it sometimes is the
case, in the operation Of our great rail-
way system, from Proiigate mismanage'
ment, from reduction Of income by reck.
less competitor, from the absorption
Of earnings by extravagant official
salaries, from illiberal restrictions
or oppressive commercial exactionE, OF
from any other unjust cause alike injuri-
GUS TO the capital invested and the labor
it employees, let just minded and
generous people become satisfied OF these
facts, satisfied that there highest interests
are endangered; that their material pros
perity ia jopardized and their instltu-
lions imperilled by the existence aud
operation Of such causes, and the
influence Of an enlightened over
powering publicopinion will compel theil
correction. will prevent turbulence by
repreSsing these causes Of discomfort, will
not await lis outbreak to be beaten down
by arms to the formation and enlighten'
ment Of such opinion, and in the sugges
tion Of peaceful methods for the correc-
tion of the evils the bureau can be made
an efficient fundamentally. The method
Of compensation that have ventureL
TO suggest may or may not be ap
proved. II will not il one better b,
brought forward. Be this AZ il
may, the mighty interests involved can
afford to be inditlerent-labor can't aflort
it; capital can't afford ii; the public safe
ty cant afford it. know the hazard o
venturing on the untried. Conservatism
sits still or moves in old rnts, and is con
tent, while progress rises to the height o
new occasions. Republicanism is pro,
gress ever struggling to advance man
kind to places OF higher develop
mCnt and security. To this ent
not TO cndanger hut to secure, not t
change but TO protect, not TO blend but tC
harmonic the rights Of labor and tn,
rights OF capital on the basis Of imparlia
Justice to both.
After an exhaustive discussion OF III,
resumption act and the relation OF specl,
payment to Opublicand private debts, j Judg,
West sums up M his conclusion tha
they cannot be discharged with the lega
tender notes Of any issue without viola
Iinp the faith anil honor nf tho n,tinpL