Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-10

The New York Street Car Strike
The New York street car strike last
Saturday, which was declared off within
twenty-four hours after il was ordered,
dealt the organization of the knights OIL
labor a heavy blow. The public had been
led TO believe that the organization is
against strikes and boycotts. The Cen
eral Assembly, which met in Cleveland
lately, took occasion to say that the
Knights discourage and discountenance
strikes 1t took from the local assem-
blies, except in urgent cases, the power to
order strikes. Notwithstanding this ac-
/ ton OF the General Assembly there was a
strike last Saturday on all the street car
lines in New York and Brooklyn, except
the Third Avenue line. On that line no
Knights of Labor are employed.
1t does not appear that the General Ex-
ecutiye Board was consulted about the
strike at all. The local assembly-tbe
Empire Protective Association-acted
upon its own authority. 1t does not ap-
pear that the case was an urgent one. In
deed. from all the facts that are known,
There was no excuse for the strike. and
as far as has yet appeared, no one has at
tempted to Justify it. The car employees
did not want to strike. They had no
grievances. From their own testimony
they were entirely satisfied with their
wages and their hours of labor. 1t is
probable that the reason of the strike was
that the local leaders of the Knights
wanted to show the street car companies
that their failure to make the Third ave-
nue. strike success had not destroyed
the discipline of the Knights. That is
about the only reason that has yet been
given. The local leaders cannot even
claim the credit of putting an
end to the strike. 1t might
have continued until the present time had
not the Second Avenue line taken the bold
course of announcing that if the strikers
did not return to work at once their places
would be filed by Others who would not
be disch arged when the strikers got ready
to return. This course caused the strikers
to virtually ignore their leaders and an
nounce their willingness to resume work.
They were all the more ready to go to
work because they realized that their
action was without justification or reason.
The question which presents itself is
this: What does Mr.. Powderly and the
G eneral Executive Board propose to do
in this case? Do they propose to ignore
the action Of the Empire Protective Asso-
citation? 1t is difficult to see how they can
and still retain the respect and confidence
OF the public, or even of the Knights who
condemn such action.
If the General Executive Board does
what it ought to do, and what will have a
beneficial effect upon the organization of
the Knights of Labor, it will withdraw
the charter of the Empire Protective AS
sembly. If INSTRUMENTATION Is permitted
in one instance it will have to be per-
mitted in others, and soon all respect for
the central authority will have disap-
peared.
The defect in such an organization as
the Knights of Labor is that it is about
impossible to get as leaders of local as
semblies men who are capable of acting
with GOODNESS, discretion and judgment
in times Of trouble. Those who are more
likely to do workmen harm than good by
their action generally manage to get into
the places of power. The great strike on
the Gould system, which resulted so dis
astrOusly to workmen. was an ill-advised
and indefensible one, and the strike OF
Saturday in New York was without any
excuse whatever. Before the Knights of
Labor can reasonably hope to accomplish
any good for themselves through their or
ganizatlon they must get wiser and safer
local leaders.