New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-28


freight has begun again Oh some Of the roads,
and will probably he resumed within few
days on MI. The alarming outbreaks At Chica-
go and san Francisco are not proofs OF contin-
ned resistance by the railway hands. but Illus
trations Of the reckless and GevlllSh Snut
which m organized defiance Of law naturally
iBcitcs The strike. as q struggle b'tUcen Ia
Dor and capital. has resulted in failure OF
the strikers. They do not get the demanded
restoration Of pay o. any important road, nor
on any considerable number of minor roads.
1T least ninety out Of a hundred of tho men
who have been on strike VIII return to
work if at all on precisely the wages when
they refused TO receive. Not few, having
refused 10 cease resistance TO the laws, will be
permanently excluded from railway employ
mont. and a considerable number for acts of
violence. or fer destruction OF property, or for
lotcruptinS mails, or contempt OF United states
Courts, vii vet DO held to . strict account.
Il will be a mercy To all other worhnSnrn
Il the punishment inflicted in these cases Is
severe. fox they ought to learn that dispute
about wages is no excuse for violation OF law.
When the contest is over, we hope that the
workingmcn will seriously consider what their
Trades Union has cost them. This strike would
never have been made but for The anxiety of IA
newly organized Traiumens' Union 10 show lis
power. People VINO cntrust such vast rcSf0n-
sMiity 20 any set Of men, ought to know
whether they are competent. This strike was
ml3e at a time when the land was crowded
with unemployed and hungry workmen; AZ \
time when The railroads had been driven TO
/. last nv trIDpt
fall Of stocks, by proved imaossibility of Dor
rowing money abroad, and ~ failure to devise
any satisfactory mode Of preventing war Of
rates for ihe future and ut a time when bnsi-
ness IN all branches was comparatively stag
naut and the attention Of the public, ~ the State
and the Federal Governments was almost wholly
unoccupcd. Ii was made ut such points that
/ the "bi0Od-tub of Baltimore the wild boat
men of MARYLAND, the miners OF Pennsylvania
balf cra2cd by the recent hanging Of "Molly
Maguirc" murdcrcr4-the roughs Of Philadel-
phia, the unemployed wOrlimen Of Plttsburg,
the crazy Communists Of Chicago, and the
most reckless and desperate men of other
Northern cities, might readily be induced To
ION and control it. Thus il has come to pass
that decent w0rkmcn have been disgraCcd by
the Infamous associates whom their leaders
took care TO Invite, and by the black and
bloody deeds which not mnatuiai!y followed "a
strike under such conditions. Il has failed, be
cause there could not have been :, worse time
for struggle with the railways; and IL has
failed with inettaccable disgrace because il
seemed designed 10 arouse and certainly did
not rcpcl or restrain, the bases; ald most dan
cerous elements OF society.
So much this particular Union has done for
q class OF woriingmen. Also, j. ha- made food
and coal more costly for the miliiors of workers,
it. has intensified the stagnation of busincss
Sc has added to the number of failures ard
tllus has made it certain that wori, viii fail
Tor thousands who might otherwise have
found continued employment. THESE are the
blessings which ore Trades Uujou has con-
frrred upon jas dtluded dupes! These are the
rewards which they receive foI creating and
supporting another organization ayowediy hos
tie to capital, and in its spin, and many Of
its acts hostile 10 civilized society. For the
mea who have violated law, the Trades Union
brings the bullet or the dungeon. For the
men who have struck, peaceably but foOlishly,
loss of labor, waste OF money, q CALLING scnsc
OF defeat, and share III the common los OF
business and property. For I!horcr, gen
orally, the cost, amounting 10 millions and
the forfeiture OF puGlc sympathy For the
leaders 81 ,hc Trades Union. some uo;0li,ty,
some money! and, we sincerely nope, the pun
i,,lmept which thew richly deserve.