The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-09-05

- RrsAlsn Of tie Csnnics 81 Capital
and Labor.
AUSTIN, Sept. 4.-lCorresponGsnce.l
There IL popular prejudice against
al corporations, but perhaps moro
pronounced against railroad corpora
lions, and any strike Of railroad em.
ployes Is sure to have the sympathy
Of all those who are not anxious
to travel y step or receive freight
by rail. The strikers have
grown wiser In their day and genera
ton, and by prudontly restraining
their sctisn to persuasion have kept
within the pale OF the law and pre-.
vented that large class OF bummers
and loafers, 10 whom violence gives an
opportunity for plumber, from becom-
ing identified or rather identifying
with them honest woranen.
IL was noticed In the railroad strike
at Galveston that the moment per-
aonsl excitement was about 10 carry
some ono OF them beyond the limits OF
legal argument and per
susaion with employees who
proposed to run engines, that a cool
AND conservative voice, speaking as
win authority, commanded q salt. 1t
was ike the voice OF an officer when u
regiment was about to stampede. 1t
controlled and quleted tho impulsive
ard0r that would have precipitsted a
eroise OF military authority.
In this the knights of Labor have
grown wiser. 1t exhibits, also, the
TACT that the combinaiionso OF work men
are much moro Thoroughly organized,
ana 1t also gives promise of much
more Effectiveness to their action here
after.
While public sympathy IN generally
with railroad operatives, IL must be
remembered that there are two sides
TO this question. IL has been often
said that railroad dividends are made
~ inc cost OF railroad operatives by
taliroad corporations, which arc said
70 DO sOulless. That In u fact, aad az
these corporations arc largely monopo-
lists tho only
WAY TO CURE THAT EVIL
10 for the Legislature OF tho state to be
very careful in the terms of the char
tiers, by which these roads arc
permitted their privileges. know il
10 impossible to fix by lenislation,
any. scale of wages between the rail-
ROAD company and their employees, but
u seems To me 1t would be entirely
competent for q Legislature to fix q
certain profit that must be made by
the company before dividend should
20 Declared. 80 that the companies
should not be allowed to reduce tho
wages OF tho operatives in order to be-
able to pay dividend, or the State
might reserve the right in charters for
tho board Of public works to
ARpITRATE ON QUESTIONS OF WAGES
Detween the company and
~ employees. Certainly some.
shinR Of the kind must DO
done now, as the workmen are no well
organized, to prevent oppression by
ooIpolations that would result IN
strikes that will injure all commerce.
IN the other hand, railroads are alb
solutely necessary for the develop
ment anp prosperity OF the country,
ana their rights should be as equitabiy
protected, but 1t is evident ,lotbing
can be done for that protection "a long
az the strikers obey the law and use
only argument to prevent the other
W0rkmen from taking their places.
During the time OF violence when 40
THE RAILROAD COMPANIES
had largely the advantage; they could
and did call on the strong arm OF the
military FOR protection, aud then thew
recovered large damages from the city
or county that failed to protect their
property from violence.
NOW the railroad companies are
check-mated by Its striking operatives
keeping within the law by using Of
fective argument against those en-.
pl0yed TO take their places.
y mas thus become important for a
rHitoau company to act
with Justice to their employees
70 prevent peaceful strikes,
II tho companies would exercise tho
same wisdom that the Knights Of La.
Dor have recently, their differences
viii DO settled easily. It IL to be hOped
that the recent strikes will have this
e1sot. Workingmsn arc sometim0s
mislead by the speclous srguments oi
demsgoguea, but they are thinking
and sensible people.
Inc p0liov Of the Knights Of Labor
mas Deem effective and will teach cor
p0rattons u lesson that they needed.
A "masterly inactivity" together with
. little persuasion to follow wOrkmen
mas In great degroo solved this DIM
cult problem OF labor and capital, at
which ! am aure the general public
will rejoice. 1t III to be foai oil that
demagogues will tako advantage of
this victory OF the Knights OF Labor
ana stir thom up to excessive de-
mands. Ihave, therefore, thought tho
argument that made to the mill Old.
erattves opportune In order that the
knights OF Labor might recognize that
capital has advantages that II would
ipjure them to try TO take away.
j. II. b. M.