New-York tribune., 1886-04-20
STOPPING SIREET car TRATEL.

The general @ne-up" Of the street car lines
yeste, day was not at all like that OF frihay'
March 5. Last month the companies feit 'haI
they were in the wrong and they yleidou
onickly. Now they know that public sym
nathy is not with the strikers and they Will
probablv make stubborn Eight. When 1t was
a question of wages and hours, and it was PLAIN
that the men were suffering injustice, as
their nav was bcggary and their work mcrci-
less. the people of New-York were glad to see
the drivers and conductors succeed although
the suspension of street car travel Tor the
9, eater part of day caused general lnconVeh-
icnce and discomfort, and no one could JUSTIFY
the use of such weapon. Few OF our street
railroads have been managed in way to gain
the public good will. Most of them have
cheated the city out of its just dues and have
sorddly neglected the comfort both of their
patrons and their employees while heaplng up
large profits from the franchises which, in
some other cases besides that of Broadway were
undoubtedly obtained by bribery. When wage
earners demand from these corporations only
what is fair and reasonable they will always
have the active support and hearty good wishes
Of the great mass of the people.
But unfortunately the drivers and conductors
or those who control their course are now in a
false and untenable position Street car travel
all over this great city. with the exception of
Eighth and Ninth aves., &as stopped yesterday
because some aCitators insisted that the Third
Avenue Company should DISCHARGE few non
union men. This is surely not a grievance to
90 to the public on. The Third Avenue strik ers,
it is true, demand other things besides the dis
L. g h,.f },
the real issue. Both the company and the
strikers are wiling to leave the settlement Of
the schedule OF wages to the arbitration of
the Railroad Commissioners. But the company
insists on its clear right to determine whom 1t
shall employ and whom it shall discharge. II
it is 20 be compelled to turn faithful servants
into the street at the dicatiOn of any one 1t
might as well tear up its tracks and retire fro IN
business. SO long as the strikers stick to their
inexcusable demand for the discharge of non
union men and break up the whole street trans
pOrtatiOn system of the metropolis IN such
quarrel, they are making the worst of blnndcrs.
Yes, more. They are guilty of Il great crime.
Ii they will rectde from tina, intolerAblc and
indefensible demand lhs whole deplOrdble
matter may be quickly settled. Bat if they are
blind 10 ;heir own interests as well aS those o!
the community, and s'lck to their unjust claim,
there is trouble in st t,re for them and for the
city too. Even if they should gain temporary
advantage, they would have weakened them
selves fatally.
This ti.-up." however. is not the work OF
the rank and Tile of the drivers and conductors,
hundreds of whom are not in sympathy with it,
4 few h0t-headed leaders have brought matters
to this lamenta be pass. The men who are un-
willing to lose their wages and see their wives
ANA children suffer III IL quarrel with the cause
of which they have no personal concern Duld
make their wishes known and try to exert "a
wholesome restraining influence on their un-
reasonable leaders. the men deserve credit for
the qaiet and peaceful dispOs tion which most
of them showed yesterday and for their reidi-
ness TO care for the horses IN the stables so that
none of the helpless beasts should be aprived
of food or water. Que outbreak occurred on
the Third Avenue line. but the great body Of
the strikers is made up of good hearted citi |
zens, not prone to violence or to inte ference !
with the rights of persons and property. They |
are willing to work long and hard for moderate |
pay. They deserve generous treatment and that
all their rights should be respected. But in the
general "tie-up," VIII ch threw thousands of
the Third Avenue Company to discharge non |
nnion men. they have yielded to influences of a
most pcrncious and Icprehensble sort. We
hope that they will speedily come to their
senses.