Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-03-03

The dispatches Of yesterday stated
that there was prospect OF th'
great strike coming TO an end. Il
the strikers go back upon the terms
published in the dispatches, 1t will
he az near an unconditional surren
der as possible. Not only are the
300 railroad employees Of the Read
ing road who went out, and were
afterwards summarily discharged
with a notice than they should new
er again have work upon the road
abandoned and left 10 seek employ
ment and wages elsewhere but the
miners 20 back without obtaining a
single concession. The manage
ment promises that when the strik-
ers are at work, II will consider any
Of their grievances, including the
rate Of wages; even this is coupled
with the condition that they shall
not ask for more than is paid by
other corporations, and shall not OBJ
lect 10 the discharge Of any one
who has, during the strike, attempt
ed 70 lntlmidate those employed TO
take the place Of strikers. This Is
exactly what the managers have Of
Gered from the beginning and exact
ly what Lewis said the miners
would never accept.
I'm word, the strikers have
gained absolutely nothing, and all
the loss and suffering which has
followed their ill-advised and foolish
movement has nothing to offset t..
They have inflicted some damage
upon the corporation. reduced them
selves almost 10 starvation and im-
posed heavy tax, not only upon
their fellow workmen who have
been called upon to contribute to
their support, but upon thousands
who have been thrown out of
employment elsewhere, and upon
all who have had TO buy coal during
the time; and as result have met
with crushing defeat, which will
10 further 10 destoy the power of
the Knights Of Labor as an organiza-
iion than anything that has oc-
curred since the order was lonnded.
This could not have happened ifI
the strikers Ind had lust cause for
their action, Il Is easy to say that
the outcome isa triumph of might
over right, that they have simply
yielded 10 ovepowerlng forces, but
V they had been right they could
not have been beaten. II they had
been simply sensible and reasonable,
public opinion would have sustained
them, and public opinion Is, after
all, the most potent factor Ia a
struggle of this kind. II Is 10 he
borne Ia mind that this strike was
not lnaugumled 10 obtain better
wages or better treatment, hut 10 1
establish the claimed right Of the |
association 20 which the railroad /
men belonged, 60 dictate 10 their
whom they shonld EN-. /
ploy and with whom they should do
business,
The a,t00 men who quit work al
The beginning made no complaint
hat they VEN ovcrworked or un.
Ger paid, and their only grievance
Nas that the Reading railroad was
delivering coal 10 other corporations
hat employed non-union helm.
When these men wero DISCHARGED 4
ND their placss nlled there was
'ided q demand for their rlnstate
nenl, and when this was met by
"a unqualified refusal, the miners
hVw down their picks They
ave, Il Is true, more substantial
eason than she ailnad hands for
hey demanded more pay, but Il has
'een pretty generally understood
hat their strike was mainly 10 assist
he iraln men Ia enforing their
cnands and that the question o.
,agse might have been amicahly
oitlcl G. thar had bsen the only
me-
n y nec,iles % say thai such .
inkg. Coz s'ioh 4 puuoso, was order
a hy aeiiaios Instead 81 genuine
sofklngncn, and chat a has never
.sd iho hearty support q most of
hose for who's lcuehl h was os.
.II.I1it hanln anI ..anrtaI an =