New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-13
4 STRIKE AGAINST REASON.

1t is only the unsuccessful insurgent who is
rebel. A little of the same spirit is shown in
the moral judgments of men regarding great
strike. If it succeeds, men conclude that the
employers could afford to pay the wages de-
manded, and therefore the strike was jTstili-
able. If it fails, the common inference is that
the state of trade did not Justify the demands
made, and therefore the strike was wrong.
There is only a very rude justice in these con-
illusions. Many a time in the history of in
dustry, great manufacture has been pros
trated for q long series of years by a successful
strike. The men extOrted what they wished,
and yet the result was incalcuable injury to
themselves and to the industry upon which they
were dependent.
How can this happen?' many will ask.
:" Are the manufacturers in the habit OF paying
wages which they know will ruin them z"
No. but manufacture depends for its success,
in remarkable degree, upon sound Judgment
in regard to the future. Not many men have
the gift of prophecy; the man who never crra
has vet to be found, and most men aIe i'll error
oftener than they are right, in trying to antici
pate the future in business matters. slope
springs eternal in the human breast and the
manufacturer inasmuch as he wants profits, is
constantly tempted to put an end to the idle
ness of his capital and his machinery, even
though the result seems doubtful. Very often
this has been DONE in different branches of
industry, when a season of general prosperity
and good prices would lave made il possible for
the employer to pay with profit. But the markets
turned the other way; the demand for products
proved smaller than was expected or COMPETE
m or
stances rendered the raw materials more
costly, or general diSheaItcnmcnt or distrust in
financial circles deprived the manufacturer OF
| credit upon which he had counted Once in for
some loss, men are very apt to struggle on,
| hoping to pull through, and expecting a speedy
| change in the tide. How often the world has
heard the same sad story-grcat establishments
| closed, after a long struggle against adversely,
| thousands of workers turned adrlit with their
wives and children, many to suffer, and some to
| starve In the end the workers suffer more
than the capitalist.
Whoever will study the industrial history OF
| England will learn why some great branches Of
| industry, once fOurishing. prosperous ana
| powerful in that country, have been crippled by
| successive yeas of disaster In some, the
| struggle to make profits under difficulties las
| been pushed so far that the manufacture has
permanently dcterioratcd, so that it seems we'll
nigh impossible to get an honest piece of work.
ia others, opportunity has been given for the
upbuilding of competing industries in France,
! Germany Belgium, or this country, until the
| British establishments find themselves without
| hope of market for a considerable part of
their annual product, if all work at their full
capacity. The consequences to the workmen
! have been low wages and irregular employ
ment for all, and suffering without work for
many. lncalculable harm, TO workers as well
as to employers, has resulted i'll Great Britain
| from the struggles between labor and capital,
and the worst disasters have quite is often
been produced by the success Of labor as Icy
the struggle itself or the defeat. In the natural
partnership between labor and capital, 1t rs the