The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-05-17
gT1e BURu1NGToN STRIKE.
THE HERALD, 49,
Salt Lake City, Juan

1T would seem now that the last hope
of the Chicago, Burlington d quincy
engineers rsteikers had departed Inc
engineers have counted on receiving
,somethjng of an endorsement oil tnesr
cause at the hands of the ~ stoCA7
tho,ders. that is to say. that the owners
of the.roSd would condemn the ac'eon
of Manager Stone, and those VINO stOoo
out against the demands OF the eng
nsers The latter have said that the
shareholders woGld tire OF the
losses imposed on them oy the
strike. and at their meeihs
vopIdiet it be understood that they
did notauprove of what had been done
some going so far as to assert the pehe1
that a radical change in the manage
ment of the road would be made. The
annual meeting of the stockholders was
held on Wednesday, when the present
hoard of directors was reelected. Ids
will he disappointing to the strikers;
mt the owners of the road went further
.and adopted resolution commanding
the nresent officers for the stand taken
in the last strike"
If the engineers are wise anu
will look to their own interest
thew will at ence declare the
strike of, and as many OF them as can
will return,to work. They will do this
regardless of what their leaders may
-say to the contrary. 1t should be EVIL
dent to the men, as it is to everybody
else. that the strike has failed. Inc
ooupany may not be served as well as
twas before; indeed, it is not as well
served. for as a rule the most capable,
the most faithful and the most trust
worthy engineers are members OF the
brotherhood. The badge OF the
Rrotherheed may almost be az
.cepted as q certificate OF capaohity
.snd trustworthiness, SO careful
has the order been to ADMIT
onIv good men. But while the 20" IS
not 10 well served. it is served, and Is
doing business in spite Of the strikers;
trains are running regularly. freight
md passengers are transported as OF
old. and the lines are operated as II
there had been no strike.
All of which proves that the strike Is
a failure, and this being true, the longer
the men hold out the longer will they
lin their own light and the greater
will be the harm done to themselves
They have nothing to gain by
rfurtber effort, for it is clear
that they cannot succeed in what
thew set out to accomplish. 10 keep
ND the fight after the battle
has been fought and lost, will be very
apt to bring the Brotherhood down from
the lofty position it has occupied
where it has commanded the admlra'
ton and respect of all. We would
greatly dislike to see the eminently
nraiseworthy and respectable assocla-
.ciation degenerate to the level OF some
labor organizations, which are little
else than striking machines; and
we do not think it will degen-
crate. The membership is made
mn largely of men who cannot
he led easily against their best interests
and contrary to their own judgment and
wisdom. Respect for discipline and
taaltv 10 the order may for time in
duoe the men to follow and obey IN
wise leaders and stand by mistakes OF
Judgment on the part of those placed II
authority. but the character of the
men in the aggregate is such as to sug
qest the inprebability of mistake like
the Burlington strike being continued
in defiance ofcommen sense and to thu
manifest injury of the order.
There is just one thing for TIT
brotherhood to do, now that all hop'
of victory has fed, and that is to admit
that the strike was a blunder, by de-
cyaring it of. Grand Chief Arthur's ad
administration has been so free from mis-
takes, and has been SO uniformly
praiseworthy that he can AFFORD T.
acknowIedge an error when he commits
one, especially as such acknowledge
1nent will at once elevate him to tn
Joftv and commanding position whicl
he occupied before he undertook tasl
vbich it was apparent to others b
could not accomplish.
It's an E1glish crank who has nov