Daily Republican., 1883-05-04
RuinOus Strikes.

the country. Iron workers, miners,
bricklayers, masons, shoemakers, cigar
makers and wood workers, all want more
wages. Some OF the strikers have got
the advance they asked for, but others
and the large majority have not been
successful and are not likely TO he sue
Cessflll for some time to come-nOt until
employers and workmeu become ex-
hauStcd. Viewed in whatever aspect
we please the outlook is not encourag-
ing, and the public has good reason to
feaT tine bad effects of the strike upon
trade and business everywhere. Inthe
iron and coal trade the strike is most
general. Notice was served at Pitts
burg that after MOI day last half a
cent bushel less would be paid for
mining coal. The miners declared that
If the reduction was insisted upon they
would strike. IL was insisted upon and
they have struck Five thousand mi
ners about Pittsburg joined the thous-
ands of other tradesmen in the country
and now there is no knowing where or
when the trouble will end. AS usual
the merits of the labor question have
not been taken into consideration. En-
ployers take notion to reduce wages
and the workmen will not submit to it.
Workmen in other cases demand more
wages and the employers will not sub
nit to that, and this appears to be the
whole of it. Reason is but seldom ap-
pealed to, and each side seems to take
pleasure in testing the holding out quail
ties Of the other. Calm consideration
will probably come after weeks, proba-
bly, months, loss Of wages upon the part
of the miners and loss Of earnings upon
the part of operators. The aggregate
loss, even though the strike should last
but few days, will be enormous,
amounting to many thousands Of dollars,
and should II last for months the sum
will run up into the hundreds of
thousands and millions of dollars
There is no use Of all this distress and
suffering. The question will have to be
settled anyhow by mutual concessions
amicably agreed upon, and it might as
well be settled at the commencement
as at the end of a long strike In the
end, when. worknen have exhausted
their savings, their credit aud the gener-
osity of kindred trade associations. and
their wives and children clamOr for food
and the operators and employers grow
tired of loss OF earnings, representatives
Of the two factions will come together
and agree upon terms of settlement. In
the end one or both must yield some
thing in order to secure IA return of
wages and profits. That conclusion of
the present strike, like all preceding
strikes, is inevitable. All strikes have
to be ended, and in the very nature Of
things all strikes must so end. EN-
ployers and employed all know this
and yet it never seems to occur to them
to make arbitration the first instead of
the last resort. Neither side makes a
suggestion for an amicable conference
in order that the necessity for the pro-
posed reduction or advance in wages, as
the case may be intelligently consider
ed. Both exhibit fine manly stub
borness, both agreeing thereby to enor-
nous pecuniary losses. Yet amongst
them all there must be men who know
that labor has to be performed and that
there must be men to perform that labor
and that sooner or later there must be
an understanding between the parties.
If this understanding was acted upon
at first instead of later it would he a
great saving to each individual. Dig
nifty, preservation Of rights and many
other fine spun theories, sound very
well in their way, but they should not
be bought at too high price. When
they cost millions in wages and earn
ings, besides untold suffering it is pay
ing too much for them The exercise of
a little common sense by all the parties
concerned would end these strikes at
once. All engaged and interested IL.
sumc to be business men; if they are,
they should prove it by applying the
simplest business principles to their
disagreemcnts and proceed to settle
them on the principle that the deiber
ate sacrifice Of wages and profits is as
stupid and foolish an act as pretended
business men can possibly commit.
TIL LINES were very closely drawn
last night in H. Democratic caucu,
f,r a member If the Board Of Lewiston
between the swallow tail and overall
factions. 1t never orcurnd TO the "taiI,"
that such men as Mr. Qujun and Mr.
Mention were wor'l' uf consideration
when they recommended MI Larkcy
as the choice Of the minority \atur-
ally Mr.. Quinn ana Mr Mention want
ed to know who ompo,cd the Demo
cratic minority lud were Informed by
Mr.. Adele,
Mr.. Mention not having heen consult
ed threw bomb amongst III" taiIs'
by nominating Frmrls McC'oskey
Trouble was brewing fast aud it was
only assnaged by '"" can"uo in
which the "alls' ca, 1ur votes .or
Mr. McC'ookey and lo tails r'
80 for MIR. LarEey latter would
p, have succeeded hau 'hcy not rop"d
l. ON, # fine % alls