The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-18
PRESS COMMENT,
The Rights and Wrongs of the Case as
Viewed by New York Papers.

viewed by New York Papers.
| New York, July 1.-THE newspapers are
giving considerable space to the threatened
telegraph trouble, both in the nature of in
| terviews and editorial comment. The Mail
and Express says:
"rhe situation is one that deserves to be
| very carefully scanned and thoroughly un-
| derstood by all directly and indirectly inter-
| ested; that is to say by every body. The
| electric wires are the nervous system of the
| country. Their functions are SO vital that
no corporation or association of men would
| long be allowed to control them in disregard
| OF public interests. The civilization and bus
| iness of the country having been developed
on basis of universal telegraphy, the
| basis must be preserved without
| interruption. The public has rights that
will somehow be enforced and there is a
| limit to the natural right of employees to
| strike 1t is our belief that the directors
OF the great employer OF telegraph operators,
the Western Union, are disposed to deal
I. .squarely and generously with its employees
| whenever they deputiZe any one or more to
| present causes of complaint. The danger
| with the newest of the labor organizations
| is, first, that it is secret and oath bound and
| liable to fall into the hands of few selfish
ly ambitious wre-pullers; and, second, that
| the capacity for wholesale mischief pos
| sessed by the telegraphers is too liable to
| turn the heads OF some OF the leaders.
| The operators cannot afford to
allow few men with their heads
turned by sudden power and opportunity to
| precipitate conflict in which the aggressors
will be outlawed from public favor and pri-
vate consideration. 1t will not be well for
the operators if they so lose their heads as to
| provoke the lasting dsfavor of intelligent
! people for recklessly using the peculiar OPP
| portunity given them to annoy the public.
Let them be prudent and keep intelligent
/ tl,,.,, /
| they will get all to which they are entitled"
The Evening Post says: That which in
| terestS the public most, and which the pub
| lie can form an opinion about, is the means
to which the operators propose to resort in
| order to enforce their demands, A strike of
| the teegraphers now, when SO large q pro-
| portion of the business of the country in
every department is carried on by tele-
| graph that credit itself in the commercial
and financial world may be SAID to rest on it,
is very serious matter indeed. Telegraph
ing is mystery-a small mystery, it is true,
! but one which nobody can master in day
or in a week-so that telegraph operators
have it in their power to iutiict enormou
loss and inconvenience on the community
by refusing 10 do their work until their EN-
ployers comply with their demands. Now,
the question whether any body Of men ought
to be allowed, for any purpose
to inilict loss and Inconvenience ON
the public, is one of which the
growing compleXity OF modern society
will soon compel a peremptory settlement.
The country cannot allow strikes OF en-
ployes in these public services any more
than it can allow or themselves refuse to
carry on their business as a means OF ex-
tracing what they think fair rates of trans
portation."
The Commercial Advertiser says "The
last development in the telegraph trouble is
that spectators in Wall street are offering
money to operators to strike. This is the
last phase OF the war on telegraph cOmpa-
MES, but the publication of the names of the
unscrupulous persons who are urging on
struggle that would produce incaicuabe
loss to the country may not be so pleasant to
them as beating Western Union stock down
would be. These people tread on dangerous
ground when they make this attempt"
The Herald says: Although their petition
Is couched in respectful terms, it leaves the
impression of asking 100 much. 1t requests
that days work be made eight instead of
nine hours, and nights work seven instead
of eight, reduction OF One-ninth in one case
and one-eighth in another. y t the same time
il wants all wages increased fifteen per cent,
irrespective of age skill or position OF the
operator, besides extra compensation for Sun
day work. The real effect OF these demands
will be best illustrated by an example: Day
operators receive, say $50 per month, or
counting nine hours TO day and six davS to
a week, about 80 cents per hour Under the
proposed rate. monthly wages will be $50. 25
day work will be eight hours during six days
in the week, or about As cents per hour, an
actual increase OF more than twenty-seven
per cent In regard to the Wheatstone oper-
ators, an increase OF sixty-dve per cent is de-
manded for them. On the whole, it may be
doubted whether the operators have pre-
Sented a strong case. That evils exist cannot
be questioned, but they will not be remedied
by the course taken"