New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-01
Scotia coast, the necessity for precipitate haste
is not apparent.
COENT TIE COST.


When the strikes now dwndling arc over,
one of the first things done, in the interest VI
the workingmcn even more than 1or inc IN
formation of TIE public, should be to count 'he
cost of these movements The men VINO 30 OIL
strikes without making any CALCULATIONS W
ASCERTAIN what the chances OF success may w
are usually too set in their opinions to take the
GOOD advice that is offered then. They nave
been taught by the people who lead them 10
susncct all the counsel that comes from without
and to look upon it as being somehow IN the
interest of 1captal" alone. But the hgnres
which show what the unsuccessful strikes OF
this wear have cost cannot be put ASIDE Id tho
same way. There they will be, stubborn facts'
for all to read and to ponder. Inc iaooi
bureaus, in the States possessing thehl' cahho'
employ their time to wiser purpose than III
collecting the statistics of the recent strikes.
The lesson of such exhibits can hardly fail TO
be learned by the most obstinate ana sus-
n;c;ous and If ia n lesson which all labor organ
izatious will have to grasp before they Gun
become really useful to their members.
Unsuccessful strikes involve destruction Oh
capital. Even successful ones IL maintained
long may do the same, may cost more than can
nossiblv be got out of them, even though every
no,nt demanded be conceded by the employers.
The method of drawing contributions fIom
emnloved labor to sustain that which Ii on
stril.e NAV tend to confuse the outcome some
| what Int the general result cannot long remain
| obscore to those who can comprehend PLAIN
focts To maintain these strikes large
amounts. being the savings Of labor, have been
sacrificed Not only the strikers, but all who
| contributed to their support, are 80 much
| poorer. Nothing of this lost capital Will De
| restored. because the strikes have failed. The
net result, therefore, is that the conditlon
| of the strikers is worse than it was, and
that Che power of the labor organizations to
nrotect their members is diminished. AS most
of the strikes were not justified by existing
conditions, as many of them were little more
than wanton attempts to display the power OF
the organizations; the consequences OF them
were at no time doubtful. What the inevitable
results must be the press pointed out frankly
and faithfully, bnt its warnings were disre-
earded, and now it remains only to commend
the study of the bill of costs to those chiefly
| concerned.
PERHAPS no work is more demanded just now
than a clear and concise history OF strikes.
Such record would demonstrate to working
men the untrustw Orthincss of most OF the lead
ership to which they have submitted Them
selves, for it would prove that on an average
two strikes ont of three fail. Now these fail
ures are the result, nine times out of ten, OF
perversc rccklessness. The most unpropitious
| seasons are commonly chosen for action, as
when trade is depressed, when production Is
overdonc, when prices generally are declining
| At such times there is no hope OF success
simply because employers find it cheaper to
stop work altogether than to yield to the
demands made upon them. Apparently every
body but the strikers can sec this, but they shut
their eyes to the truth, and allow laundering
leaders to throw them out of employment. 81
they waste their substance and that OF their
friends, and weaken their organizations for any
useful purpose. If they can be got to look the
facts and figures in the face for once they will,
however, be compelled to realize that striking
| blindly and rccklcssly is suicidal work. ant
that to get any real good out of their organlza'
tions they must first cease to put faith In
tonguey demagogues and blatherslitcs, ant
must make up their minds 10 follow the advice
of sincere and sensible leaders when they have
| chosen