The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-03-26
THE SINNERS AND JAYGOULD.


The strike in and about St. Loui
has grown In seriousness since yester
day. Jay Gould's impolidc and bon
bastic card, with the threats OF civi
and criminal suits against members o
the Knights of Labor, has been me
with card fOm the strikers, VIII,
characterize his SILLY emanations" a
IAN insult to the intelligence Of oul
school boys and challenge TO tn,
courage of our grandmothers." Thii
is word for word. His declaration
OF determination TO make no com
promise but to fight it out has beer
met in a most terrible way by strike
by the switchmen OF East st. Louis
embracing the ferrymen, which ef
fectually blocks all traffic except by
the Mississippi river. This, too, is an
answer to the insolently partial reso-
lutions of the st. Louis Merchants
Exchange, which sided with the rail-
road monopolists and had no word
for the workingmen either OF
advice or counsel. But this,
bad as it is, is not the
worst. There is reason to fear that
the strike may extend eastward with
still more disastrous, if not actually
destructive, effects to traffic and trade.
Thus "bad begins and worse remains
behind" The workingmen have made
every overture possible to them for
compromise and arbitration, but Mr..
Gould, in the pride, plenitude and
pomp. of his millions, and backed by
the eagerly-given opinions Of his rail
road lawyers hired TO construe his
will and wish in every law, refuses,
and declares war, hoping, no
doubt, that the exasperated men
may be driven to acts sub
yersive of law and that NAV
put them in the power of the courts.
But past experience, that of Wednes-
day especially, ought to warn the
workingmen that destruction of prop
erty is not the means they should EN-.
ploy if they desire the help of favor
ing public sentiment, such as has
generally sustained them in their en-
counters with power. Strong in their
position, as stated in the
dispatch from Fort Worth, Tex. which
we publish on the second page, an act
Df violence would be an act of folly.
Self-restraint must characterize them
1 they would win. In silent
,elt-containedness they must await
he issue. The result cannot
ong be delayed. Their power, man.
lged with discretion, will insure them
he continued respect of the people
and increase the sympa-
hy their conduct has aroused. They
must bear in mind thatif they make
misstep now they will not only en-
anger their present position and the
respect of triumphant vindication,
ut may postpone or delay the coming
1 the day now fastening apace when
abor will be elevated to a plane with
apital and its claims be considered not
'om the basis of degradation which it
as so long occupied, but as a quantity
-ithout which human movement
nd growth were impossible. The
resent contest should have this as its
reatest outcome. The immediate
ain Of money or time, or both, is a
oon worth contending for, but the
ltimate Of the elevation of labor
lust not be lost sight of. As Mr.. An ]
rev Carnegie says in paper which |
e publish on our sixth page, we
ust make q rapid advance from !
rikes and lockouts, Just as civ
zed nations are getting farther ?
I'd farther away from war. They :
e, as he says, "mere exhibitions of
rength and endurance" that are ex.
sable because they are the only 4
esent means to the end desired. y
ut they must be put away as bar v
rous and tending to help as low A
ages and long hours do, to the brutal y
ng of the race. Strikes must be left y :,
: behind, and the more civilized and g,
1ilizing plan of arbitration, and ulti- n
ately a sliding scale Of wages or CO. a
era ion be adopted as the only ra- =,
nal and reasonable way of guaran- n
ling capital and labor in anything 81
ar to continuous and profitable en- n
oyment. This ought to be kept a. a.
adily in view by the managers of the A
ike in st. Louis and in Texas and Of
kansas. They must be ttrong now q
be strong hereafter. Every gain ~ ~
Ide of time or of wages is an ad- II
ssion of the justice Of the working to
ms cause, and every strike like d,
present when conducted with ~ ~
nifty and in peace an argument for ro
necessity for arbitration that tc
weight, especially with freighters
others whose interests are most
mediately affected. Interstate COM tr
rec and trade cannot stand any
re strains like that which has al
st paraly1ed st. Louis, and threat E 9e
the whole country. Tho n,nna,, =,