Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1886-01-28
STRIKES.

Strikes are by no means of re
cent origin; there has been strikes
from time immemoral, but the
strike as conducted nowadays is
Of comparatively recent origin,and
1t has assumed a magnitude that in
former years was not dreamed of
As the strike is now constituted
5000 or 10000 men or even more
may strike and stop work at Q
moments notice and the business
of hundreds of miles of railway
may be completely stopped. Man
ufactories employing hundreds Of
hands can be and sometimes arc
stopped with scarcely any warn
ing. In most instances, the strikes
are ordered by a secret board. The
question directly at issue is one
between capital on the one hand
and labor on the other, these rep
resent those only who are directly
or rather personally interested,
Tho great mass of the people-the
general public is also interested,
almost as much as those who
furnish the capital and labor. 1t
is from the general public that the
railroads and manufactures derive
their business, and it would seem
that the general public is interest
ed in the strikes almost to as great
an extent as the strikers. This
was illustrated IN the strike at
Galveston last fall when the entire
business OF that city was suspend
ed for q week, and along the entire
line of the Santa Fe railway the
public was put to great inconven-
fence by the failure ofthe railroad
to bring in and carry out freight.
The general public is fair'mlnded
and would have equal justice done
to both employer and employe.
Judge G. B. 5abin, OF the United
States district court, has been Civ
ing the subject some study and has
written a long letter to the Dallas
News in which he reviews the sub
ject at length, and seemingly from
purely judicial and unbiased
standpoint. He says It is a hard
ship for men who feel that they
have been i'll treated and that they
ought to strike to be out of work
indefinitely and have their families
in want. 1t is equally as great a
hardship for manufacturing sstab=
lIshments to have its workmen re-
fnse to work without an advance
IN wages which at the time it is
unable to pay. It is great hard
ship for people who wish TO travel
on important business to find them
selves halted by the very people
supported by the proceeds other
fares, and told that they (the en-
pIoYes) have gone on a rampage
with their company about the rate
of wages. 1t is q hardship for the
people who are shipping all kinds
of commodities, particularly live
stock and perishabIe goods be-
tween different points, to meet up
with species of instructions order
ing an imperative halt in all Or
any honest and laudable business
or enterprise. Judge sabln makes
this suggestion as q remedy tor
the evils complained OF:
"What the public needs is a tribunal, or
under our mixed system of state and
federal power, separate or mixed tribun-
sis, to hear and determine questions of
strikes and the work go on all the same pend
ing hearing ofthe cause. here ought al
20 be some statute treating or permitting
such tribunals to treat labor contracts in
many, if not all, cases as floating or varying
contracts as to hours of labor, amount Of
wages, considering the difference of seasons,
.ightness Of tines, rigidity Of capital, fuctua-
lions OF markets, losses from fires, floods or
other general or great casualties so that JUS
ice can be done between employer and en-
ployes."
This suggestion on its face would
seem to almost fully meet the re-
luirements of the case and if fair
y and impartiaIly carried out
would do equal and exact justice
to all concerned. 1t is, however,
an open question whether it can
be carried out.