Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-06

Labor Troubles and Arbitration.
1t is hardly probable that the strikers
who have taken an active part in prevent
ing the movement Of trains on the Toulu
system of railroads viii ever get employ
ment on those roads again. 1t is certain
that those who are known to have en-
gagged in destroying property viii not
Enough men have been secured TO run the
trains. and if they are not interfered with
bv the strikers they will soon have
acquired sufficient experience to meet
satisfactorily all demands upon them.
/ What the strikers are demanding now
is not an adjustment OF differences, but
to be reinstated in their old positions, and
IN order to enforce their demand they
have assumed an attitude of hostility to
law and order. The Governors of the
States in which the labor troubles are To-
Gated will nave to see that the laws are
enforced, and life and property protected.
Apparently they Will not have to do this
in the face 0f public sentiment. Usually
public sentiment is with the strikers-it
always is when it is apparent that work
ingmen have real grievance-but from
the beginning it has been against them in
the Southwest. The reason is that there
was no good cause for the strike.
The employees Of a great system OF rail
roads, without having made any
complaint or having any complaint
to make, were ordered to quit work. The
local leaders OF the labor organizations,
in, bc 70 MI of
thought they could dictate in the
matter of single employe, and undert took
to do so without even stopping to inquire
whether the employe in question had been
Justly discharged or not. In pursuing the
course they did they showed themselves
TO be more tyrannical than capital, of
whose tyranny workingmen so frequent.
ly, and often justly, complain.
The public is quick to catch the salient
points OF an issue of any kind, and it
quickly reached the conclusion that the
Southwestern strike was based upon
nothing that entitled it to even respectful
consideration. 1t it had not been for the
fact of the great unpopularity of Mr..
Gould, the chief owner OF the roads whose
interests are affected, the popular express
sions of disapproval Of the strike would
have been much more emphatic.
Tue strikers who find themselves with
out employment have only themselves
to blame. 1t is true, doubtless, that the
majority of them joined the strike not
because they felt they We're being treated
unjustly, but simply because they were
bound to do so by the regulations of the
labor organizations with which they are
Connected; but if they select blather-
sixties for leaders they must expect to
suffer.
No one will deny that labor has griev-
ances, and that it often submits to wrong
and oppression long while before resort
ing to retaliatory measures to secure re-
dress. Capital takes every advantage.
1t seldom is satisfied with fair dealing,
and it recognizes justice only when it has
to. On a railroad that cost $1,000, 900,
stock to the amount of $l0,000,000 is
issued, and labor is oppressed in order
that big dividend on the stock may be
earned. Prices of stocks tluctuate in
Wall street in proportion to tue amounts
that can be wrung from labor.
Capital will take all it can get, and la
Dor is liable, under the influence ofunwise
leaders. to pursue, often without just
cause. course calculated to int1ict great
damage upon commercial and industrial
interests. The problem is to find a way
to adjust the differences between labor
and capital without resort to strikes to
enforce labor's demands, or to the mill
tary to protect capital.
Arbitration is the only thing that prom
Uses to solve the problem. The Knights OF
labor intended to give it fair trial, but
thus far have failed to do so. There is
reason to doubt whether they ever can.
Congress has proposed a crude measure
Tor the purpose OF trying 1t. Perhaps,
eventually, some way will be found to
make arbitration ia practice what it is in
theory. We may then reasonably expect
that the strike and the boycott will disap-
pear.