Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-07
Tho Galveston Strike.


Galveston is suffering from a great labor
strike. The vast commercial interests OF
the city are at standstill. The railroads
are declining to receive freight at interior
points destined for the seaboard at Gal
weston. Ships are waiting at great ex-
pense for cargoes which they cannot get.
Business OF all kinds Is almost wholly sus-
pended, waiting for a settlement Of the
issues which the labor organizations have
raised. The strikers are masters Of the
situation. They say TO the business com
munity: "You can do no business until
our grievances are settled"
Has not the time come for the settle
ment Of the difficulties between employers
and employees by other means than
strikes? Must the business interests OF
entire communities be injured in order
that few men with u grievance may get
a hearing?
1t cannot be denied that employees fire.
quently have grievances for which they
are justified in ssld0s redress, but 1t can
not be right ceHainlE,,f Tor employees to I'M
dertake to force a settlement Of their
grievances by methods that have the
sanction Of neither law nor reason.
There ought not TO be as much hesita-
tion as there is in dealing promptly and
effectively wIth those who undertake to
ut a stop TO all business in community
in order to gain their ends. Every man
has, Of course, right 10 say that he
Will not work for less than certain sum,
but he has no right to say thai no one
else shall WORK for IA less sum than he is
willing to work for 1t was only last
month that the car drivers and conductors
Of the street railroads IN st. Louis de-
manded better wages, and when their
demand was not granted they not only re-
fused to take any cars out but also
refused to permit other employees to take
them out. The annual iair was in progress
and many thousands of people were at
the fair grounds when the strike took
place. The only way they had to reac
their homes, in many cases several miles
distant, was to walk or to pay eXhOrbi-
tant prices tor private carriages. There
was great indignation against the strikers,
and it was very just Indignation, be-
cause those who chiefly suffered from the
strike were not in any respect RESPONSE
BILE for the things of which the strikers
complained.
The great majority OF those who are
damaged by the Galveston strike have no
power to correct the alleged wrongs of
the strikers. The strikers care only for
their own interests. They seem to be in
different aboutthe injury they inhlct upon
others in their efforts to get their own af-
fairs adjusted to their satisfaction. They
are not, therefore, entitled to as much
sympathy as they would be if they were
careful to do no injury to others in seek
ing redress for their own wrongs.
There ought to be in every community
where there is large number Of laborers
a sort OF board of arbitration, composed
Of men having the confidence of employers
and employees to which all labor matters,
liable to cause trouble, should be referred.
1t ought to be understood that the de-
csion Of this board should be final.
Strikes are becoming very frequent,
and the loss which they cause is i'm
mense. 1t is apparent that il some plan
q not adopted for the adjustment OF labor
troubles the time IS not distant when the
demand for the interference OF the mill
cary will be much more frequent and
urgent than it has yet been.