The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-07-28
Saturday. July 9s, 1877.
Facts for the Crisis.

The railroad fremen, brakemen, and
other laborers with whom the extensive
and terrible riots of the last few days be
gan, had at the start legitimate and we'll
founded reasons for complaint; but by
raising the standard Of civil disorder and
resistance to law, they make it impossible
that these grounds should at present be
considered. Seeking a remedy through
violence. they postpone every real remedy,
for the time being. 1t is out OF the ques-
ton that mob should be allowed to bear
sway. Amob is chaos and the destruction
of everything for which men associate in
society. The first thing to be done is to
reestablish the supremacy OF the law.
Until that is accomplished, nothing else
can be attempted or thought of.
What is it that the railway laborers COM
plain OFF Briefly, that their wages are in
sufficient to support life, aud that they are
now required to perform more work than
is possible for them. On the other hand,
the railway managers say that they are not
making anything, and that it is impossible
for them to pay living wages, because they
do not receive from the business of their
roads money enough for that purpose.
The complaint of the laborers is true,
and the answer of the manager is true.
Of the four great trunk lines-the New
York Central, the Erie, the Pennsylvania,
and the Baltimore and Ohio-there is not
Que that is now able to pay more than the
starvation wages against which the work
men are 80 terribly rebe)lious, One of
these roads is already in bankruptcy; two
others are near that point; and the condi-
ton Of the fourth-the New York Central
is such that every practical business man
knows that it is not earning, and for long
time has not been earning money enough
to pay It's dividends to its stockholders.
This extreme condition of these four cor
porations, while it is aggravated by general
causes, is directly produced by what for
some years past has been known as the
railroad war, in which they have all been
engaged. In this so-called railroad war.
each and all of them have been working to
reduce the rates of freight and passage so
low that none of the competitors could
possibly pay its expenses. 1t has been
literally cut throat business, and while,
but for this insane competition, all OF them
might now be paying living wages to their
men if not earning something IN the shape
of dividends for their stockholders, they
are actually reduced to the starvation
point The riots, with their bloodshed
and arson, are but darker phase in this
railroad war.
With occasional variations this sort of
competition has been going on between
these railroads for twenty-five years,
though it has never before been so deadly
as now. 1t is something entirely uuneces'
sary Nothing would be easier than to es
tablish and maintain among them rational
and remunerative rates of business. Ii
fact treaties and contracts have repeatedly
been agreed upon to this end; but they
have never been honestly observed, The
first that we remember occurred as Ions
ago as the year 1852, or Whereabouts
Rates were then established which they
all bound themselves to adhere to, and al
umpire was appointed to impose penalty
for violations of the contract, The frs
violation which was brought TO his notice
he punished by decreeing a fine of $4,000
TO be paid by the guilty party; and tina
was the end Of the contract and of the ar
bitration. The fine was not paid, and tn,
war was openly renewed. Since then /
has gone on, with occasional hollow truces
until, with the general decline of bushes
attending the Inauguration of fraudulen
president, they have cut into each Othe
more recklessly than ever, with the result
which we now see.
As soon as the riots are ended. the frs
thing to be done by the parties havini
these railroads in charge is to make just
comprehensive and permanent arrange
ment, establishing equitable rates anon
them, and making provisions which car
not be set aside Tor the enforcement an
maintenance of the agreement. This raj
road war must not 60 on. There must b
peace and the reign Of law. The railroa
managers must be honest and just tOwar
each other, aud then they can be honest an
just toward the public and their employees
OF the bitter fruits of dishonesty and Gu
throat competition the country has ha
enough. N 4. Sun.