New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-09

nortant strikes in any previous year as have been
witnessed since January l, and 1t has hardly ever
bannened that the strikers have been so gener-
ally unsuccessful. Because they cannot dictate
terms at this time, some of the workmen are
inclined to feel bitterly toward those VINO nave
been willing to do the work which they de-
clned to do. In their anger, the new men are
called "scabs" and "rats," and they are de-
nounced as if it had been a crime for them TO
take the places which others had lett vacant.
Indeed, many of the striking workmen act ana
talk as if they had some absolute right TO be
employed in certain positions, and al such
wages as they see fit to ask.
There cannot be greater mistake than that
which these men make. place to work, III
this world is place TO work and not to be ld!e'
When the old hands refused 70 work they re-
fused 10 ill certain places, which thereupon be-
came the property Of any person who couiu
! and would 90 the work. II q man throws
away hi loaf OF bread be has no night to ma
fault because s0ille hungry man or woman
picks IL I'D. 20 If ne taIows away his place 1or
| earning iosTe.. the man who wants that place
and can MI il has an absolute right TO do So
| Foul names are most improperly used, when
/ they are discharged at men who are dong
honest work that somebody else has refused to
do Always the presumption OF night Is III
| favor of the nan who works, as against the
man who is voluntarily idle. What if the men
who chose to stop work should be called
"loafers "-would they like 1t But 1t would
| not be more unjust than it is to abuse man
| for irving to earn an honest living. lhe man
who refused to earn his living may nave had
excellent reason for trying to do better. DuV
| the man who is nOic earning his living mas no
occasion to make excuses or explanations; he
has done better, and is now paying society by
| honest work for the living that he gets.
GAbl this is Itiless and cruel" say the
s+r;kers. here we are out of work, with wives
and children in want, and yet this man Is
| defended though he takes away our bread
Not at all the striker should remember that
he first threw away the bread that was his.
| Nothing compelled him to stop work. ii an
| other can live on the wages PAID the striker
| could have lived on them If he had pleased
He had perfect right to stop, IL he couid 10
| bette1 for his wife and children. 30 the other
man had an equal right to take the JoD, IL he,
Inv taking il, could do better for his wife and
children. Cannot the unhappy workman real
| i've that the scabn also had dear ones to take
| care of. and that he was in sore needY Think
|
| of his weary weeks of waiting and searching,
| when there seemed to be no place in all the
world for willing man to do honest work.
Suddenly place is opened. The man who has
filled il refuses to fill it any longer The work
must be done society needs 1t, and Will pay
for tiff not as much as the striker wanted, at
least enough to save somebody else and his
dear ones from want. How gladly he will
III
already. the former employe declines to do
Has he not a rightP Is it not utterly shameful,
and UNANIMOUSLY pitiless and cruel, to insult and
threaten him for an honest effort to earn bread
for his wife and children?
sWhat, then, is the striker always IN the
awrong?" Not always. 1t may he his duty 'o
vacate a place which it is the duty and the
privilege of somebody else to fill. Or that the
striker must Judge for himself. lie best knows
whether he can provide for himself and those
depending on him, if he refuses the work that
he has been doing. No one has right to
coerce his decision But if he chooses to quit
he has not the faIntest shadow OF right to
blame another for doing the same work. tn,
dntv of the striker was and is TO earn his own
living and TO provide for his own family and
if he chooses to seek q new place that Is hii
right. But he has no right to quit place, and
at the same time to claim it as his own.
II is more than two months since the lrol
workers stopped. Many of them have found
other work. and thereby have showed out OF
employment men quite as deserving as them
selves. Have those other men no night to take
I'D the work which the iron-puddlers refused
to do? Six weeks ago the freight handlers
stopped work the men who have since learned
their tasks have as complete right to the