Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-10-11
DAILY POST-INTELLIGENCER


HsAEIS|2A 1asAAI 80
With its attendant riosina ard dessruc-
ton Of property, forcibiy calls the pzb-
lie mind 10 contemplate once more THE
vast change vhioh has taken place in
the conditions Of the labor problatD
within the past few pears. The eoarsa
Of reasoning which might have been
applied 10 that problem decade ago
would be found 70 BE- totally unhttsd 10
IL II applied now Tie change is 50
great that ons can scarcely believe that
it has taken place within small frae-
ton Of the lifetime Of q single genera
ton.
A strike fifteen years ago. either II
England or America. meant simply 4
cessation Of work On the par. Of the
offended vorkmeu, accompanied, Of
course. by lhs use % arguments 10 dis
suade other workmeu from taking the
places Of the ssriksrs. While there
we're, Of coarse, sueh Isolated broils
and disputes ~ oocar 10 all seasons Of
excitement from whatever csuse il may
arise, no sneh thing as e1ncersed vic
lenne or organized coercise action vas
dreamed Of. II the halloween, rail
road or manufacturer against whom
the strike vas directed was able TO pr
suade other workmen 10 take the place
Of the strikers. be could 90 on With his
operations without molestation. The
whole theory Of strikes rested on the
assumption that the demand for skilled
labor was greater than the supply, and
that when the operatives 10 the employ
OF any particular manufacturer laid
down their tools and refused to york,
new operatives eoald not possibly be
procured ia time for operations TO 90
on without interruption. aud the EN-
ployer would be compelled either 10
oome to terms or 10 shut down his
works
Many strikes based on this theory
we're successful. Many we're not. Tbs
proportion whieh we're ne. successful
gradually increased As the number of
skilled workmen became greater and
greater In proportion to the work to be
done. Finally workingmen realized
that strikes of the old style could no
longer sncoeed. There wers 30 many |
skilled workmen in every branch OF
trade that striking operatives oonld be
replaced by workmen OF equal skill al
most Immediately. II Capitals pud
oilers left his furnace, Capital could go
into the streets and procure other pud-
dlers Just as good. He could do this 10
spite OF all the unions, organizations
and pledges that could be devised.
Obviously II there we're 10 be any more
successful strikes there must be q
change In the theory. The change took
place. According TO the new theory
strikers not only had right TO decline
TO work, but they had also right 10
prevent others from working in their
places, even by violence IL il were
necessary. Workingmen accepted this
theory with some reluctance, but fer
the most part they accepted 1t. Society
refused 10 accept IL. The result W. q
the struggle of 1877. Riots oeoarred n
half the cities OF the Middle States, aud
Numerous lives were sacrificed. TIE
result was practically victory for tie
workingmen. Society accepted the new
Conditions. and sinee that time strikers
have been allowed TO stop railroad
trains and to prevent new employees
from entering mines and factories.
There have bsen occasional conflicts,
bat the opposition to the new theory
has been spasmodie and Intellectual.
From this to destruction Of property
IL net long step, and IL has already
bsen taken by bands OF strikers in vari-
ous cities. In st. Louis at present the
property Of the street railway eompa-
nice Is destroyed ruthlsssiy, and no one
seems 10 think 10 at all extraordinary.
~ - AAft 20 sbAptrt tuat hkausA III tHfh
violeRce ia perpetrated, net by strikers
but by outsiders who have ma real inter
est In the struggle but the fact that
people generally do not disspprove OF
their actions shows how great change
has been wrought in the public mind
Excesses Of this kind. OF course, usually
take place in the large cities and in dis
iricts where European psuper labor has
been introduced. In smaller towns and
throughout the country generally a re-
fusal TO allow employers to continue
their operations is not accompanied by
demonstrations Of violence. Cars are
side tracked and mills are shut down,
bot ordinarily no deliberate destruction
OF property takes place.
One may well wonder what the next
step will be. Ii 10 evident that the
change is still going on. bat IL IL i'm
possible 10 tell What the result vii, be.
He would be wiae man who could sue
eessfuliy predict what the conditions Of
the problem will be ten years from now.