The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-25

The strikes now prevailing Throughout the
country are regarded by many as the skifin-
fishing which prenedes The great battle that
must be fought between labor and associated
capital or monopoly That issue they claim,
must be determined before society can be re-
stored 30 Its healthy and normal condition.
The theory Of the strikers friends is That
,nonopoy ihust be reduced In Its power 10
control and Cypress labor, that ittnust not be
enabled AZ 1t has been by laws and artificial
SYSTEMS to reap the richest fruits and profits
ftom the toll and industry Of others; that we
monopoly OF capital was never exhibited IN
more repulslve form than by the directors
and stockholders Of ottr great tailfoaas' va.
the property on their roads has been acahneo
through tile favor and substituting OF vef'al reg
satuls orby Ingenious financial coiitilvahees
which. when closely examined, may pe re-
solved into some fraudulent scheme iike the
Credit NInlinr, and similar deeeits anu
swindes. -, Il
rbata Ia no doubt n good deal oi
truth IN This theory of the hnti4tallioaa men
The urpat railroad capitalists who pfeteno
IA have constructed these railroads with their
avn capital, and who regard their diyldends
aud n,otjia from the same as matters OF the
frat inheritance and as superior to the claims
N Tho laborera and mechanics whose skill and
laho,, have constructed and operated their
roads, should abate some Of their pretehslo',s'
when the returns from railroads cease % pe
renunerative. the question arises, shall THESE
ranltalsts lose their dividends and be shofh
u their profits. OF shall the abUtets Wages ,ss
he locked below the living pointf Ihelf
investment has been n real one, thau oi
their own toll and labor. There has been
no speculative or artificial valiie given TO their
work 1t represents the sweat Of their bfows =
unlike the contribution Of the capitalist which
la generally obtained through Ingenious Imam
eial schenes from others or from the state
And vet the capitalist has the whole adninis-
ttaiion Of the affairs uf the company. lie en-
lists the officials who receive enormous sal
aries. while the directors are of the class VINO
usually get rich by operating ON the streets
and In contracts. Now these administrators
naturally put higher estimate upon the
yalue If their services and Of their Invest
mant than they do upon the labor Of the
thousands Of poor mechanics who operate
their roads. If the decline OF business re-
| nnires a reduction Of expenses this reduction
must fall upon the poor stoket or fireman,
who gets his 81 30 day. The dividends anu
| bonds must be protected at oil hazafds. Inc
eap,taliHt and bondholder, who may have OBJ
| tanned his scrip for little OF nothing, must
| have his interest Mr.. Garrett generously
consents TO reduce his salary from $5o,ooo
to $4,000. and Tom Scott reluctantly recon-
| rilpH himself to scant subsistence on $ao, 900
instead Of the s1oo,ooo which he Ia said to have
received for some years past. With such pre-
tended sacrifices on the part Of these great
railroad chiefs all made in order to keep up
| tho ,t,otatjons of the stocks and bonds OF
their comnanies. no wonder the friends Of the
stokers, engineers. iiremen and day laborers
cry out bitterly against any reduction OF THEFT
miserable pittances Of III 30 and ~ day
and against the system under which they are
paid for only fifteen instead OF thirty days
when they arc on hand for the whole thirty
Such are the complaints of the railroad en-
ployes: such the grievances and wrongs
which have driven them to such desperate
resorts and have precipitated the conflict
which We In common with all true friends o
the laboring man. regret 40 much to lind dc
gen Grating into scenes of Communicate vic
lence and pillage.
But there is something more at stake |,
this crisis than the relief of railroad employees
from the grievances of which they complain
however just they may be-and that is TIL
peace of the country, the maintenance
social order and the vindieation Of tho law
A remedy must and will be found for TIN
wrongs under which the laboring men OF tn
North are suffering, but they cannot y
permitted to seek for 1t in violence am
pillage The friends Of law and orde
in this country are too numerous y
tolerate any attempt ut the Introduction Q
communism and agrarianism In the unlte'
states. The intelligent people OF the Mort
will demand with one voice that riot anu III
mutt cease, and they will successfully enforc
Tho demand First lot peace be restored
and then the proper remedy for the relief 9
the railroad strikers will be found. For tn
present there can be no compromise with Tn
instipators of riot and pillage.
|