Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-08-09

time" No wonder, poor little
chsps A cent is as big as oarl-
wheel to him, and while they are
making perhaps half a dollar
day extra, what should they care
if it requires the burning of mil
lions Of dollars worth of railroad
property to bring them such a
prof 1?
The damage inflicted upon the
cauntry by this week OF nnprc-
cedented interruption Of business
with its accompanying destruction
of life aud property cannot be
measured at present. 1t il safe
TO say, however. that the val ie of
the property violently DESTROYED,
though amounting to very large
figure will prove a very small frac.
tion of the total loss. Thus be-.
lieve that the indirect loss to New
York alone where nc violence oc-
curred will aggregate nearly or
quite as much as the direct dam.
age by fire and 5reakage at Pitts.
burg.
After all, however, the suffer-
ing entailed by what will past into
history as ''the great strike" will
be most severe among the work,
ingmen themselves. Of coursa
the original strikers, the railroad
men, are losers, but 1t was their
quarrel, aud that was to be ex.
peeted. But their sympathizers.
too, will suffer, and are suffering
equally with them. Take the
Pennsylvania miners for example.
In hot. headed sympathy with the
liremen and brakemen, this class
joined the latter in laying an EN-.
barge on the passage OF all freight
trains. The natural result which
they seem not to have foreseen,
was, that as coal was not permit.
ted to be moved, work at the
mines was suspended, aud they
themselves were suddenly left
without employment or wages, to
curse their stupidity in fighting
the railroad eonpiny on whom
their own bread and butter de.
pended. 1t is probable that these
men together with the thousands
of others who have aided in bring
ing about the stagnation which is
now starving them, will think
twice before deciding to make u
cImmon cause with the next set
OF laborers who see fit to quarrel
with their bread and butter.
But waile there is so much that
can be truly said in condemna-
tion OF the wiokedness of strikes,
1t is a very COOL plan to try and
loJk at the case from the -laboTeTs'
standpoint. Every writer and
speaker has kept crying, "ShoOt
down the rioter, give he striker no
quarteIP That is all very well,
but whatmade him striker and a
rloter? His employers have gam.
bled, mismanaged, aud cut each
others throats until tley were near.
ly or quite bankrupt. The easiest
wayloslve themselves or toincrea.e
their profits is by visiting their
mlslortunes on their employees;
aud 50, with the specious excuse
that all prices are siaiIing, they
cut from the poor mans pittanco
by successive reductions a much
Larger proportion than he can save
on his living expenses on account
of the general lowering of prices.
Nowwhat is the unfortunate labor
er to do? 81 long as he silently
submits to these reductions, pub
liz opinion presumes him to be
satisfied with bis pay, and pats
the employing corporation on the
back for its ''retrenchment' and
"praiseworthy economy" and if,
rendered desperate by inability to
give food to bis family, he rises in
rebellion he at once becomes "a
turbulent malclntent" who should
be sternIy rebuked, or else "a
feroCious rioter' who should ba
bayoneted without mercy.
There are then two sides TO the
story, only one OF which, so far as
| have noticed, has received ade.
"a to consideration up tothis time,
and while it is natural that the
restoration Of order should be the
first aim Of all good citizens, it is
to be hoped that the press and tho
public will not rest satisfied with
the accomplishment Of this object,
but will proceed to the earnest
consideration of the moral rights
of those whose misguided readi-
Dess to rise in this terrible man,
ner reveals an unmerited depth of
suffering among them.
RADIX.
An Ohio vouno man sot dawn