, 1881-05-08
THE PHILOSOPHY OF STRIKES.

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ycrsal support Of the Whole con'nunity.
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i TIE PHILOSOPHY OF STRIKES.
There is rs mitch infection In strikes as
there is In smallpox or Asiatic clolera. One
labor strike almost inevitably leads to an
other. About the beginning Of the recent
series of strikes was the demand of the con-
d,1ctors and drivers Of the West Side Horse
Railway Company for increased wages. and
the temporary suspension Of operations on
that line pending the refusal OF the Company
to yield to the demand. The West Side car
men, whose claE,s were exceptionally good,
struck while the iron was hot, and their sue
| cess led rapidly to similar attempts In other
cities and among other classes Of work1ncll,
who had less cause Of complaint, to secure
better pay. These attempts have been at
tended with varying degrees Of success, but
the agitation is not yet allayed, and will not
be, III all probability. until Il reaction shall
set In against the orerucanands OF the WORK
ing,llell. It is unfortunate that there IS no
lucans to gauge tile proper relations between
| capital and labor; the tendency Ut the former
is to grind down aid Of the latter to push
upward Until the check comes on either side
by the practical inability Of the other to
yield further.
Labor strikes and lockouts are the natural
incidents Of two extremes Of industrial and
commercial conditions. Tley come III the
period of depression and likewise at the hight
I OF prosperity. In tho former case the el-
pIoyG5 resist the tendency to contract their
| wages, and in the latter they insist upon an
| expansion. Strikes under a condition OF
general depression are ut once more forlnld-
| able and more pitiab!e than at the other eX-
| tremc, for then they involve great suffering,
| and ut the same time develop 4 desperation
which too frequently leads to disorder and
| violence. The strikes of to-day, though al
most us general rs they were few years
| ago, during the most trying period OF the hard
times, have not aroused the same amount Of
bad blood, nor caused the same disturbance
III business, nor created anything like as
much apprehension on the part Of peaccable
and law-abilling citizens. There has been
| generally Il basis for tie adjustment OF the
differences between the employers and em-
ployes, and, where such adjustment could not
| he reached directly by an agreement upon
| new terms, the opportunities for employment
I have been 50 abundant that the strikers have
| sought work in some other field and busl-
ness has been so good that the employers
have found labor At current rates rather
than endure the losses Of prolonged suspen-
| siun.
Tho impulse Of se1f-detensc prompts the
capitalist or his manager on his behalf to
reduce wages at the first Indication Of a.
| tlminution Of profits, and II he rises superior
! r+1 i,14- hns q
reduction when actual loss in business con-
fronts him. AS the cord tightens in the all
| vance of hard times he continues to bear
| down upon tile wages class Until the latter
| can stand no further reduction without an
| apprehension of want aud suffering III the
family, and then comes the lockout, with
| possible conflict aud violence. Wllgn the
| turn comes and the affairs Of the capitalist
| look brighter and he begins to make money
again, the passion of greed prevents him
from voluntarily sharing lis prosperity
with the wages class. The demand for in
creased pay must come from the employees,
and, III case of refusal, the only remedy In
the absence Of a system of legal arbitration
| is q strike. As rents. food, clothing. urd the
cost of all the necessaries and comforts of
life increase, the workingnlen continue to
| demand increased compensation until they
| oycrreach themselves, and the true level Is
fixed.
The reaction III the case of strikes is as
natural and inevitable rs the strikes them
selves. The increased demands Of the me-
| chancs lead up to increased prices for agri-
cultural implements and supplies OF all
| kinds, as one instance. But the farmers an
nual purchases are limited by the realization
upon his ANNUAL crops, and this Is governed
| By the season and the foreign demand. If
| agricultural implements 60 so high that tho
| farmer, with all income which has been de
! termincd by other conditions, cannot afford
to make new purchases, he will repair his
| old tools or go without new ones, aud thus
the demand for agricultural implements falls
| off. The supply at the shops becomes re-
| dundant as a consequence, and the price goes
| down. With the fail Of prices comes a re-
ductlon in wages. That is one instance or
reaction. In another. the mechanics and
laborers continue to raise their demands for
wages until the master builders and con-
| tractors begin to lose their jobs The
man who has put aside say 5000 for
| building house this summer is informed
|
| $1,000 upon the new scale of prices for labor
and material caused by the strikes. There
upon he abandons his project for the time
being. A succession OF such occurrences
occasions lull i'll building enterprise when
Il great rush was expected. Tbs mechanics
and laborers thus discover that they must
lower their demands in order to obtain work,
and the building project is resumed after
time upon the basis originally contemplated.
The principle of reaction could thus be Illus
trated Ill manifold ways.
Experience has developed a philosophy of
strikes. but that philosophy suggests no
other remedy than that of reciprocal modera-
tion and discretion on the part Of employers
and employees. In the absence OF justice on
tho one, side. aud forbearance on. the other,