National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-05

Such Is the philosophy Of the situation In
this country to-day, and none are so humble
to defy it, nor any SO high and naughty to
contemn 1t, with impunity. The epidemic
of strikes and boycotts which now prevails
throughout all our industrial affairs has
not come upon us causeless any more than
comes causeless the epidemic which attacks
our bodily health; and II should, as far as
possible, be met, considered, and treated
with all the skill and wisdom, all the
liberality and generosity with which we
strive to alleviate, remedy, and prevent the
recurrence Of any physical plague. The
disorders we see-the interruptions Of the
ordinary processes Of production and trans
poItation-are but the indications Of the
real disease-the symptoms Of q malady
whose inner sources must be found and
stopped or purified, else the evil is likely
to proceed to greater, If not fatal lengths.
And that this general outbreak is the result
Of disease is fully demonstrated by the fact
that, while 1t aflicts our whole industrial
system, attacking the interests Of capital,
employers, corporations, aud the public at
large, its immediate and principal victims,
the greater sufferers, are the worklngmen
themselves. This is manifest, and to none
is It more manifest than to the working
men. A vast body Of sober, Industrious,
skillful, intelligent, and orderly men all at
once abandon their very means OF living,
take to idleness as business, and, in some
cases, become rioters, violent and dostruc-
tive. 1t is impossible for any rational OBJ
server to regard this remarkable phenome-
non in all its phases and honestly pro.
nounce II willful and deliberate crime, pro-
ceeding from vicious natures desperately
bent on mischief. The men, indeed, de.
prive their employers and the public OF
their services, but first and directly they
sacrifice emselyes-thereby eyincing the
strength of their sense of wrong and in
jury and establishing the honesty of their
intentions. II may be all q mistake In its
mode Of operations, as 1t Is certainly dis
astrous, temporarily at all events, to public
prosperity; yet 1t is self-eyidently the outer
manifestation OF an inner disorder that
/ must break out In some way.
Throughout Christendom labor has long
shown how dissatisfied 1t is with existing
arrangements. In all civilized countries,
| hS Ncll us III llllh, IL uhS rcbOTleu 10 various
organizations and devices to formulate its
complaints and better Its condition, And
the significant fact in all this ferment is,
and has been, that labor agitation for re-
form in its relations to capital, or employ
ers, has advanced pari paSsu with the
growth of intelligence among the working
classes, The most patient, long suffering,
and obedient toilers are the most ignorant
and debased. 1t appears that education is
necessary for men to realize their wrongs
and TO know what hurts them. The unen-
lightened serf accepts his condition and It's
oppressive incidents, its hardships and
depriyations, as part OF a fixed and neces-
sary order, like the seasons, with their
blights, storms, freezlngs, and other ills.
But the tree Of knowledge, with its doom Of
labor, also brings capacity to distinguish
good and evil which rouses the laborer to
demand at least fair share OF the fruits OF
his labor and due respect for his useful
ness and manhood. That he does not know
precisely how his demands are to be prop
erly met-that he sadly errs In ways and
means to attain his objocts-only proves
that he ia no wiser In his concerns than
others are In theirs.