New-York tribune., 1877-11-23
THE GALAXY.

"The Truth about the Strike" 10y Robert +.
Porter with which this number opens. complains Of the
dearth Of facts taat has characterized the accounts OF
that event by public press and UNDERTAKES 10 supply
the defect by record Of personal experience during q
two months tour at the of action In the state OF
Illinois, ne found not much speak Of and with the eX
ception Of a slight scnmmage between the police and the
mob in Chicago, the strike nothing but a farce.
Whatever trouble there certainly, did not grow out
OF the lack Of work the reduction OF wages. The
distress n Illinois apart from the usual poverty III city
like Chicago. is purely imaginary Hundreds OF man
ufactorcs IN active operation; the workmen are cn-
ployei at living wages; they dwell in comfortable homes
have plenty to eat and drink and wear and know little
or nothing ABOUT hard times except what they read i'm
newspapers In the state Of Indiana, tue writer found
the same coad ton OF Affairs as re There was an or
ganzed communist element i'm indianapolis that had for
some gwen the authorities considerable trouble iu-
oiudiur some four hundred able-boied men who were
camorous for public relief TIe loader Of tho crowd
was an odd fish, who calls himself the worangman's
Moss" Mr Porter tOos the trouble 10 interview the
prophet but without ganinS much In the way OF inspira
tion. "Tns nIu is such stgdage carier that at the
expense of digressOn W II describe hm. IHe after
noon called upon Aim found him at tea There were
no spare chairs iu the house, 50 he invited me TO Sit
upon the veranla, ami lc SatdOwn beside me. This
leaders appearance was extraordinary in the eXtrems.
small thin man sqt side His hair was Of gray
ely color. short a1d uDs1; his Ogerlau sug fore
head almost o5scured his little weasel while hare
liz ma his face rather repusiye. His skin Was "a
wholesome; his fnseruas, unlike his hair, were long
and in mourning because bcrei Of soap. Clothes ne had
none The coat he wore was literally threadbare his
pantaloons dingy age hardly hung together while
his to.s pceprd from beneath the uppers OF nis sole
less boots. This The man whose sanguinary appeal
for bread blood tho court house steps listened
TO with by thousand citizens OF Indianapolis
and whose remarks were teegraphed throughout the
length and breadth Of the land II the readers Of daily
newspapers could only the leaders o. these move
mcnts shorn Of the colornc OF special dispatches
'terribla communist element in the Unitei States
would serve only 10 scare children and stir
up alarm in the hearts Of nervous old ladies'"
The of the recent outbreak, in the opinion Of the
writer not owing TO tn} OveIprOiuct0n in mauufac
tuiiug industry but 10 mistaken notion the part Of
The worEingmens organizations that oyerproductiOn
danger against which they had protect themselves.
Instead Of encouraging labor. they have constantly
worked and are st working for the aim OF keeping
down production The remedy for the evil suggested by
TIE writer consists chiefly ia tue elevation OF skilled
labor aud the opening Of foreign markets Our products
wanted all tine world. Central America, Can
ada aud Mexico stand ready to take our surplus manu-
factures. Tno strike, he afrms instead OF beng ma
tional calamity w II il brings about these things prove
a. the end national blessing All the circumstances
neced with the strike show that only sporadic
outbreak, with no significance except as warning 70
prevent s occurrence nBaln ana 10 remedy the mistakes
which brought it about IF those remedies aT-
Piled" he remarks, and wisdom and craftsmanship
characterize nc action Of our rucrsespecaly regard
co our commercial treaties with other cOuutres-We
shall hear Of strikes anI .abJr outbreaks" Tie
views % the writer hopeful cheerful to excess but
their rOs-eOOred complexion is agreeabe tJ look
a. than the pictures OF the extreme croakug the other
eide, and perhaps bring forward as many fac in
their support Mr Secretary wees has another chapter
OF "Ihe Administration Of Abraham Lincoln" II
James jr., contributes charming paper the Sub
urbs Of London" and Mr. Grant White rcces the story
of Othello and Desdemona der The title OF The Flor
entine Arithmeticiau"