The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-24

The railroad ircmcn, brakemon, and other
inhorcrs with whom the extensive ana Ter
rible riots Of the last few days began,
had at Tie start legitimate and wcll-founded
reasons for complaint; but lay raising tn"
standard Of civil disorder and resistance To
law, they make it impossible that these
grounds should at present Ice considered.
pcrn'ms, "a remedy through violence. they
postpone every real remedy, for the ti.,'
beng. A. Is out oi me question that mon
Should be allowed to bear sway. \ n.on Is
chaos and the destruction Of everything for
which men associate in society. The lirst
thing to be done Is to rcc-tili-h the SUI
prcmacy of the law. Untl that r. ACCOM-
plishol, nothing else can be- attempted or
thought o.
What Is II that the railway lahorers COM
plain OF Briefly. that their wages are Insult
ficicnt to support life, and that thoy ar now
required to perform moro work than Is pos
Bible for thcm. On the other hand, the rail-
way managers say that they are not maxi
Ing anything. and that il is Impossible
Tor 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 lalorcrs is true and
die answer Of the managers is true. or the
four great trunk lines the New York Com
tral, the Eric, the ennsylvana, aud the Bal
timOrc and OhlO-thcre is not one that il now
able to pay more than the starvation wages
against which the workmcn are SO terribly
rebellious. one Of these roads Is already in
bankruptcy; two others are near that point ;
md the condition OF the fourth-thc New
York Central is such that every practical
business man knows that it is not earning,
md for long time has not been earning,
money enough to pay its dividends to its
Btockholders
This extreme condition OF these four cor
porations, while 1t is aggravated by general
pauscs Is directly produced by what for
Bome years past has been known as the rail
road war, in which they Lave all been en-
gagged. In this so-callcd railroad war. each
md all OF them have been working 10 reduce
lhe rates Of freight and passage 80 low that
none OF the competitors could possibly pay
It's expenses. It has been literally II 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
Tor their stockholders, they are actually
reduced to the starvation point The riots
with their blOOdshcd and arson, are but {
darker phase In this railroad war
With occasional variations this sort o
competition has been going on between
these railroads for twenty-five years
though it has never before been so dcadl.
Ms now. II Is something entirely unneccs
Bary. Nothing would be easier than L
establish and maintain among them ra
tonal and remuneratiye rates Of business
In fact, treaties and contracts have repeat
edly been agreed upon to this end; bu
they havo never been honestly observed
The first that we remember occurred a.
long ago as the year 1852, or Whereabouts
Rates were then established which they al
bound themselves to adhere TO- and an UNI
pirc was appointed 60 impose penalty fo
violations Of the contract The first viola
ton which was brought tohis notice he pun
ihhcd by declceing a time of 5000, tobc pal,
by the guilty party; and that was the en-,
Of the contract and Of the arbitration. TIN
fine WAS not paid, and the war was opcnl,
renewed. Since then IT has gone ON
with occasional hollow truccs, until, will
the general decline of business attcndin.
the Inauguration Of II Frauducnt Prcsi
dent, they have cut into each OTHER NOR
Tecklossly than ever with the results whio
ye now scc
AS soon ne tho riots are ended, IN
hrst thing TO be dono by tho parti,
having these railroads Ia charge 10