, 1877-07-29
PUBLIC SENTIMENT.
LETTERS.
THE GREAT PUBLIC vs.. THE RAILROADS.

To The Editor Of The Tribune.
CHICAGO, July 2S-Now that the strike il
virtually over, it becomes us to look around ind
! ascertain its causes, and tx the responsibility
| where it belongs.
Such great events do not take place without
adequate cause.
| There is always some reason, or unreason, at
thu bottom That the business of the railroads
las been light, We all know. That they have for
two years past been engaged iu the work Of cut
ting e:lch others throats, VIC also know.
| But these facts do not justify the roads in
! cutting down the rites Of their employees to the
| starvation point. Nor will public opinion sus-
| tain the roads in this inhumane and selfish
| course.
That the workinguen have had cause Of COM
| plant, is one OF those selfeyidcnt truths which
| need 10 demonstration.
The Wall street spectators have forgotten
the fact that tile employees of these roads are
human beings, creatures of flesh aud blood, who
| cannot live upon air, and who require the same
clements OF su bsistence which they require
themselves.
While these soulless beings have been pursu-
ing their plans for raising the value Of railroad
stocks by raising the rate of frcights and in
! csrasing passenger fares, the infamous idea
came INTO their heads that the present was
o'.5
ing business of the roads. Now WAS
the time for the Wall street bulls to put up
slogks >; oy pnilng uown labor. Slowly sradpal-
wages until a point was reached when any
:alsne. feaueG'oh meant terrlolc ofstresa anu
want to every laboring man upon the roads.
al this punt another reduction was made, as
much as these Snylocks There are as many
shyfoeks among Christians Us Jcws) had the
courage IT, uiAke.
1t was the last drop. Human nature could
stand iio more.
The long, patient and almost starving army
nit to the terms that were thus foryed
upon them by men who did not un-
dcrstana their condition, and had no more
sympathy for them than it they were ''stocks''
aud stones. Stocks il they had only been rail-
road stocks, how mitch greater would their sym-
pathy have been! But as they were ouly mer-
only pour suffering human beings-what inter-
est in their fate cOuId he exnerfeI frn,n ti,usa
horutu beasts who rcnd aud tear each other
daily in the marts OF Wall street, where ucsh
aud blood, the flesh and blood Of honest labor
is held is Of no more value :. than the dust in
the balance"
These men who had been speculutins in hu-
and the result has shown that they mad gone
TOO FAR.
The sooner they rctrace their stems the better,
or the troubles of the roads, 50 far from being |
tuuGtt VIII 6tAfCeIy nave begun.
The public have rights WHICH the railway |
leaders will act wisely If they respcct. ard re-
sptct than then must.
No ono wishes IT, do any wrong or to i1flict
any wa''ton injury upon the railroad property OF
lt1s country buI the puhlic desires anu mas
NV ,'iferrt IL anaen. ~. H., az
fercnt order of things.
The public demands that the foolish war be-
t Tween railway RAW eorporatlons sfall ecase. me
tn, ,y;ti he .,r - upv, te %can ~
Justice in the long run never prospcrs, 1.-THE
mills Of the gods grind slowly, but they grind
very W nne:
hara ne {aUAc IT, uetnlus ron thG ra.foaus tha1
l,u1 that thcir cmn1ovrs siail hs na, a ,;tin1