The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-05
Gm catalogues.
wnEELINo, W. Va. MAY ., lSSO,


Al lost the grea! railroad slrlKe ID eHueH
by order Of the General Executive BOARD
OF the Knights Of Labor, and the late
strikers arc applying for restoration IN
its resolution the Executive Board Of The
Vniybts recites the fact that the business
interests of the country are suffering by
reason of the interference with railroad
traffic, and declare that the knights
"willingly comply with the request oil
the Committee Of Congress. This resolve
IA creditabIe to the Knights oil Labor, toE
Nv this course they have o to gain
than by continuing to wage a conilcl
which their wi officers have declared
never ought to have been begun.
Jay Gould's unjust treatment oil the
laboripg men on his road has been toTcl'
bly, brought 10 the public attention and
has excited a deep sympathy, but this
was not the grievance on which the strike
was based, for it was admitted that the
strike was begun without presenting any
grievance. Jay GouId's aue work with
MIR. Powderly and bis associates Of the
Executive Board has reflected no credit
on Jay Gould, but even that could moi
Justify a continuance Of q condition o.
affairs for which the Knights Themselves
said there was not Justification in the
principles Of their order.
The lrst tpistake was tho great blunder
from which tho Subsequent errors flowed
interference with trOflic, embarrassment
Of business, intimidation aud violence
The cost OF all this cannot be measured,
II is enormous and 1t has fallen on wage
earners who had no quarrel Of any kind
with their employees, but whose industry
could not escape from a commercial dis
turbance 80 radical and far'reachiDg.
The places Of great many strikers have
been filled. The new men will not be dis
placed, and the old employees who are
thus shut out will have TO look elsewhere
for employment, not u comforting retleC-
ton for them and those who sympa!hize
with them even in their mistakes. This
Ia by no means the least Of the cost to the
men who In All iII.adyised moment went
on q strike.
There is probably not n oil tho late
strikers who would have been in favor OF
going into the strike II he could have lore
seen all that has happened and could have
realized what the end would be. Wise
men try to retrieve their errors by avoid
ing the like OF them in the future.
EAThere 10 a Lesson for employers as well
as for employee in this %lsmentable affair.
fthe railroad managers had treated their
men Justly and considerably 1t is hardly
to be thought that the discharge OF one
nan would have produced 80 great a COM
milton. The employees would have pre-
scented their grievances first, assured that
tile fair thing would have been done. If
there had then been a failure to agree,
good feeling on each side would have
brought about arbitration, and the result
would have been accepted as a way out Of
the difficulty that did no dishonor to
either side. We believe the trouble will
help to establish arbitration on a broader
basis, and that will be q great gain.
We must all agree to the propositions II
we desire to have peace and prosperity in
this country. First, employers must not
treat their men as machines. Second, EN-.
ployes must not recklessly resort to the
strike. Surely kindness, %forbearance and
fair play will in the long run accomplish
more than Is 10 be hoped for from capital
assuming a naughty deimeanor and labor
throwing It's members in the field as an
obstructive force.