The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-23
THE STRIKES ABROAD.


ENGLISH OPINION REGARDING THE wANToN
DESTRUCTION OF PRoPERrY-No SYMPATHY
WITH RIOTERS.
LONDON, August 8. 1871
Americans must not imagine that We in England
have been indifferent the progress Of the great rail-
way strike On the contrary. with the exception OF
the late Presidential election, know OF few events
since the close OF the late civil which have at
tracted SO much attention from all classes in this
country reference to which English opinion
has been unanimous.
When the first intelligence of the strike reached US
people seemed take 1t for granted that the accounts
Of rotng were greatly exaggerated that the citizens
in the disturbed towns, aided by the civil force and by
the good sense of the majority OF the Strikers would
speedily restore order. and that in all probability the
railway companies would the wisdom oil yielding
in measure to the demands OF their employees in
preference TO submitting to q SUSPENSION OF thor
tralnc
Tho wish was, extent, father to the thought;
for must canddly inform you that your great railway
corporations are not very popular In this country nor
looked upon Us models OF honesty. Our people have
heard much of Erie and other railway frauds and
the memory Of Jim FisK's achievements is too green,
ana too many of our people have embarked too many
dollars in American railways to permit them to synpa-
thize with the companies when engaged in struggle
Win tnese men. luuepenuont OF tnat, railway se''
wants in this country much sympathzed with
class They BEEN since tho FIRST Inauguration Of
railways both underpaid and overworkcd. Within
the last few years, through their own exertons and
the powerful assistance they have received from by
far the largest OF the PRESS and from many In.
huential public men, their condition has been vastly
improved. There Is STILL, however, very general
OPINION that their wages are inadequate and their
hours of labor greater than tney should DO Besides
thls tha ltvns nf
sacrlcod; in some instances, perhaps through what
may be the false economy on the part Of railway COM
panies.
NO SYMPATHY WITH DRsPERADoEs
Sympathy with the American strikers was very
sbortlivtd As soon as 1t became Known that they
PROCEEDED from aut Of violence TO another, recS.
less alike of tue amount OF Inconvenience they caused
10 na paU OF tie u Working Classes Enysh sympathy
fell from them and from that time To The present
have never spoken to workingman Of average neli-
gence who did not condemn their conduct in the
gest possible terms These strikers have, IN the
opinion of our workingmen, degraded themselves ny
an opposition to the laws which thoy and their class
had voice In framing for the protection OF every c
IMPROVEMENT IN ENGLAND
English workingmen have made great advances In
political and general knowledge within the last twelve
or fifteen years They have. as rule, passedslho
stage whore members oil small combination fancy
they can coerce an entire community, and, although
reckless enough as to the amount OF suffering and
they have sense enough to know that any attempt
at lawless violence would be certain to entail
not only c'ndgn punishment 1hs%
Of all public sympathy on their behalf. 1t is
true that quite recently an attempt has been made
among the grinders IN Sheffield to revive the Mary
Ann" outrages, winch brought such iniamy upon
them a lew years ago; but although the Sheffield
grinders are probably the most ignorant and brutal
class OF skilled workmen in Europe they have not
yet extend tue attempted revival further than
sending q couple Of threatening letters to some en-
ployers calling upon them TO dismiss non.society mon,
nor do imagine they will venture any farther
TRADE OuTRAGEs.
c1io Il,
never dream OF them nowadays. 1t Is, If
recolect right fully quarter OF century since the
military have been called out to aid the civil power
in suppressng "a trade riot The PHI sca force Char
list movement was, TO q largo extent, movement
against low and totally insufficient wages strike
IN middle OF contracts, undertaken by contrac-
tors calculation OF the rate Of wages At the time
OF undertaking the work, as in the case OF tho new law
courts of London, can only terminate, as did q
former attempt OF the kind at the General Post Office,
when the contractors IN despair had their work done
better and lar more cheap'y IN Belgium. The ship.
building STRIKE which rs now IN iul swing on the
Clyde. Will, II persisted in, drive that most lucrative
elsewhere to return and railway servants
be replaced with far greater ease than carpenters
jolners snpwrIghis
USELESS LOSS AND SUFFERING !
1t ptable to think of the millions OF dollars
which have been already lost TO the United States
in the very midst of heavy financial and labor CRISIS
and II Will doubtless take many years to undo the evil
In thus CASE 1t appears to observers here that
the too prevalent laxty in the administration of the
law America and tho aid given TO the strikers by
lawless bands oil rOwdies and tue extent OF ntmida-
lion permitted has in great measure led 10 this ds
astrous movement We In England are q law abiding
and aw.upnoldisg people, and have generally found
the police ana special constabes amply sufficient TO
prevent The disloyal misguided or rultany-oi whom
we have unfortunately but too many IN our midst--
from ng the Rubicon OF law and order Were
even the misfortune OF widely spread railway strike
TO beall nave little doubt that IN the present
state our legislation such would speedily be
adopted put end 10 the DISCRIMINATION result.
ing from the interruption OF trAlic and insure its
sumption within a week, and that without resort to
the extremes which have unhappiy been necessitated
ON the other side oil the AtaRtlc.