Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-23

section 5276. revised statutes of the United
States, which provides that call costs or ex-
penses incurred in apprehending, securing,
and transmitting such fugitive to the state
or territory making such demand, shall be
paid by such state or territory" The Unit.
ed States statutes establish just rule, and
our laws should be made to conform to it.
Section 5, chapter A., general statutes OF
1868, should be repealed. 1t confuses our
officers, and, in many cases, results IN de-
priving them of payment for official services
honestly rendered, and for which they are
Justly entitled to payment The sherlffs OF
several of our counties have incurred expenses
of this character during the past year which
remain unpaid.
THE MISSOURI PACIFIC STRIKE
Shortly afterth adjournment of the legis-
lature. in March last, a very serious difficulty
arose between the Missouri Pacific railway
company and certain of its employees. re-
sulting in the practical suspension of freight
traffic on the lines of that great corporation
in this and several other states. / was at
once called upon by some of the officers of
the company, and also by few municipal
officers, to furnish military force for SER
vice at points where the trouble was most Sc
rious. 1t seemed to me-, however, that so
grave an exercise of authority as that of Or
dering out the military forces of the state
should not be resorted to, except in the most
extreme emergency, and that 1t was my duty
to first ascertain whether such an emergency
existed. l therefore proceeded to Atchison,
telegraphing to the railroad commissioners
to meet me there, and sent the adjutant-
general to Parsons, the most serious compli-
lions being reported at these places. On
our arrival at Atchison. we had conferences
with the railroad officials, and with commit
tees representing the railroad employees, and
became satisfied that the latter had just
grounds of complaint. They were orderly
and peaceable in their behavior; they had
resorted to no acts of violence; they declared
that they did not intend to disturb the peace,
or violate any law; and they expressed an
earnest desire to resume work, and remain
the faithful employees of the company, if the
wrongs of which they complained were re-
dressed. / at once represented these facts
to the general manager of the company, and
earnestly urged the adoption of measures to
remove all causes of discomfort, suggesting
that this might be accomplished by arbitra-
ton. This suggestion was finally adopted,
and the railroad commissioners and myself,
together with several of the state officers of
Missouri, proceeded to St. Louis, where we
had full and frank conference with the
chief officers of the Missouri Pacific railway
company. The officers of the two states
presented at this conference, plan of settle
ment which fully recognized the grievances
OF the employees of the company, and re-
moved them, and the railway officials ac-
cepted and adopted this plan in all its de-
tails. Within twenty-fo hours thereafter
business on the company's lines was fully
resumed, and has not since been INSTRUCTED.
My experience, in connection with this
labor trouble, and the investigation ! have
since given the subject, convince me that
provision should be made, by law, for the
settlement of such difficulties by arbitration.
In this case, on the one hand, the chief Off
GERS of the company denied responsibility
for the reduction of wages of which the en-
ployes complained, and expressed their
willingness to hear, discuss and adjust, at
any time, any real grievances of their en-
ployes. On the other hand, found the en-
ployes of the company irritated almost as
much by the belief that there was no authori-
ty to which they could safely appeal for re-
dress of grievances, as they We're by their
sense of wrong. They, therefore, adopted
the only course to secure redress that seemed
open to them, viz. a ''strike." They recog-
nized fully the losses this involved, to them
selves, to the company, and to the public,
but they pleaded, in extenuation of their
action, that by no other means could they
obtain fair hearing and just settlement
of their complaints.
These men were intelligent, industrious,
skillful mechanics, and thoughtful, sober,
citizens. They discussed
their grievances and action candidly and
clearly, and was impressed with the fair
ness of their statement and the justice of
their conclusions. They deplored ''strike,"
and the fact that strike seemed to be the
only method of redress open to them inten-
5ified their sense of the wrongs they COM
planned Of
l earnestly recommend the passage of a
aw providing regulations to govern the arbi-
fration of disputes between employer and
employed. Pennsylvania has enacted such
/ law, and it has fully demonstrated its USE
ILLNESS in effecting an amicable adjustment
If labor troubles, and in preventing
strikes" In England and France, arbitra- |
ion has been attended with many happy re-
ults in adjusting serious complications. |
Ind 1t is, in my opinion, vitality important
o the peace and order of civil society, as
veil as to the happiness and prosperity alike
yorkingmen shall be enabled to submit |
heir grievances, real or fancied, to the de-
,ision of an intelligent and impartial tri-
,unal, which will carefully and fairly in
'estigate the facts, and pronounce its judg-
nent.
This is especially true of disputes arising
between railroad and other great corpora
ions and their armies of employees. And it !
eems to me that the state, which interposes |
is undoubted authority to regulate freights |
md fares, to locate depots, switches and |
ide-tracks, and to compel corporations to
provide adequate safeguards for the protec-
ion OF animals, has ample power to provide
or the arbitration of differences between
'orpordtions and their employees, where such
LITER n 'e may not only distrub the peace OF
he state and interrupt its commerce, but
Meet the well-being and happiness of thou
andS of its citizens.
MEMORIAL DAY.
During the past ten or twelve years the
oval people of the United States, inspired
~ sentiment of reverent respect for the
memory of our heroic dead, have by sponta-
eous consent dedicated the 30th of May of
ach year to ceremonies in honor of the SOL
iers who cheerfully sacrificed their own
ives to save the life of the republic. "They
eed no praise whose deeds are eulogy," and
othlnG that we can now say or do will add
othe glory or brighten the fame of that gal
ant host who, a quarter of a century ago,
anne thronging from farms, workshops,
frees and schools, to fight, to suffer and
D die for the union and freedom. But the
tory OF their sublime self-sacrifice and their
auntless courage should be kept forever
resh and fair in the hearts and minds of
ne young, until the end of recorded time.
o long as men and women teach their
hlldren to revere the memory of patriot
eroes, so long, as the peaceful present
onors and emulates the example of the
past, there need be no fear that the
cad have died in vain, or that ga government
the people, by the people, for the people,"
i'll perish from the earth. The steadily