Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-26

to contract it is inalienable, but the strike,
as popularity used, is in the nature of con-
spiracy against other inalienable rights. 1t
is not to be classed with other means to
adjustment, such as arbitration, or the
competition of cooperation, but is, as Mr..
Carnegie some time ago SO we'll expressed
it, duel Of endurance, and Just about as
sensible as the one time wager of battle in
which physical strength was supposed to
determine the right or wrong of a ques
ton. Loekouts are as reprehensible, and
blacklsting by employers is:ust as foolish,
wicked, cruel and vicious conspiracy
against labor to coerce where reason and
justice alone should determine.
Proft-sharing and cooperation are de-
stined to be great adjusters of issues be-
tween employer and employee. If it is
replied that because of lack of experience
in business management cooperation by
labor often fails, when resorted to in resist
ance Of alleged wrongs, the answer is that |
the principle is not affected, and that sin
cere and patient and well-understood CO.
operation will, as does employing capital, !
develop executive capacity. At any rate
the strike cannot be justified in any degree |
until arbitration efforts have been ex-
hausted, and then the right to quietly |
cease the employment that offends the !
worker ought to limit its manifestation. |
No one denies the right of labor TO asso-
ciate itself in Unions. The right of wage
winners to so associate themselves is
neither greater nor less than that of en-
ployers. But Unions of both classes, in
these days of unreasoning contention, gen.
| orally become tyrannous, and in the case of
the former are usually dominated by a |
few Shallow-thinking men, who lead the
membership into great folly.
Here we have the statement of the of
ficials of the Cooks and Walters misguided
and now defeated Union, that they went
out" simply and solely because their union
had by bare majority vote contracted
with the Bakers Union to strike when
ever the latter did, and the bakers in turn
were pledged to the same action if the
cooks and walters went out Was ever
any compact more silly or suicidal? Be-
ing pressed for an answer to the question,
/" Do you think your action wise, or right,
{ or just to the employes?" the reply of the
cooks and walters ring-leaders was evas-
i've" Well it was our contract, and we
are incorporated, and the bakers could sue
| us for damages" In other words as poll
ticians sometimes do with their following.
| the independence of the cooks and walters
was sold out at the caprice of few in
competent and self-opinionated leaders.
Publicity is an important element in
bringing about adjustments between en-
ployer and employe, but appears not to
have been tried in this case. Public SYM
pathy and opinion are powerful factors in
controlling tyrannous tendencies, and as
employing capital always seeks popular
support, being dependent upon it, it is
sensitive 10 the reproach of public opin-
ion, for self-interest is, after all, the I'M
DERIVING motor of business, but the foolish
strikers made no appeal to it before resort
ing to violent methods. On the part of
employers Here is error also, whenever
they refuse to recognize the right of labor
to organize for mutual elevation and the
advancement of its membership The
value of such organizations, properly d.
rected, employers must concede, precisely
as they recognize the usefulness of combi-
nations of capital for great accomplish
ments, when controlled by wise policy.
We come to this in the end and the
pitiful collapse of the San Francisco
strike wildly illustrates it. that terms
OF employment of capital or labor are
matters of contract, controlled by the de-
mand that calls for the lowest price and the
supply that demands the highest reward
Between these two extremes are the con-
servatiye influences manifest in public
opinion, the requirements of American
civilization and the principle Of protection
from disastrous competition. The strike,
the lockout and the blacklist are violent
manifestations stimulative of lawlessness
and result from denial of the mutually of
rights. The employer is no more justified
in throttling labor or afixing the stigma
of the infamous blacklist, than is the
striker in resorting to the road agents
method in order to prevent another from
working for what and whom he pleases
The strike, at its best, is but a passing
remedy and never produces lasting results
1t is, in its modern manifestations, with
rare exceptions, cruel, savage in its tend
encies, and, even when kept within the
bounds of the law, promotive of lawless-
ness and disorder, and except in rare
instances, which prove no rule, reacts with
terrible severity upon those so misguided
as to be induced to employ it. Now that
the strike in San Francisco is over, let the
employers upon whom demands were made
by the strikers heed them, examine into
their justice and reasonableness, and show
themselves entitled to the approval of just
men by righting every wrong and volun-
tarily conceding every right demand And.
so, too, let the employees take wisdom from
experience, and resolve not again to be
made the dupes of ignorant or vicious
leaders, or participants in the strike that
seeks its ends through such means as those
so recently employed in San Francisco.
THE BENEFIT OF THE ORPHANS.
Mr.. Charles Croker, of San Francisco,
once resident and foremost merchant of
Sacramento, has, on learning of the need
| c. IL