New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-03-14
Wednesday, March IA, 1883.

w IldlC1 LOCO.
We witness with anxious eyes the de-
velopment of the strike inaugurated
by the engineers and fre-men of the c..
B. 81 Q. Ry., and follow the progression
with keen understanding of the pos
sible result We become aware of the
fact that mighty organization, trans
acting business as common carriers, is
at war with a host virtually as power
full, and no definite prediction can be
arrived at, considering the power at
equality. Who loses by it? The pub
lie at large, and however justified we
are in demanding a speedy settlement
of the pending difficulties we are pow
erless to exercise any influence of di-
rect Importance. But who will exer
else it? The managers of the besieged
road or the employees I? One of the con-
tending factions must issue out of this
important struggle as victors, and we
may be assured that the result of the
fray, whichever way it will present it
self, will exercise a decisive influence
on all succeeding contests.
The railroad engineer as factionist
controls greater attention and forces
more acknowledgement than a simple
Knight of Labor, for he is the prince Of
10 ka aar ital of
hand, which came to him as direct re-
suit of his ability. 1t is capital against
capital, and although the common car
riers may control reader supply of
monetary means, their aggressors,
without whose labor the former can not
thrive, exercise such power that will
forcibly affect the ultimate result. If
the company must concede uncondi-
tionally to all the demands made by
their striking employees, then the power
of the latter will ever after be main
factor in business transactions, and one
which on each and every occasion
desires the main word.
Arbitration in this contest will not
present equal footings, inasmuch as the
strikers demand committee consisting
of employees and only one employer to
adjust certain claims, and we as a neu-
trail public draw the conclusion from
the above fact that the strikers present
unjust demands, and our sympathy is
rendered primarily to the managers of
the road. Another demand uniustly
made by the engineers and tire.men is
that the G. B. & @. Ry. is asked to
grant free transportation tickets to all
members of the employees family. An
accedance to the above demand would
violate one of the provisions of the In
ter State Commerce Law and cause le-
gal proceedings against the road, and
considering the two main points of dis
pute, i. e.
A. Shall the company have a right
to adjust wages according to an en-
ploye's ability, and
B. Shall the company decide wheth.
er or not an employe is fit for q posi-
ton, we must needs accuse the strikers
of entertaining arbitrary demands.
How shall the public, which exper-
fences necessarily the greatest incon-
yenience, act in this matter ?
If the government, i. e. the people
controlled the avenues of transporta-
ton, would these strikes, which cause
loss of thousands of dollars worth of
property, inaugurate a stagnation of
business and jeopardize human life, be
possible We answer: no!
Public, and not private government
would constitute an authority which
would not be forced to listen to unjust
demands, which would inaugurate con-
ditions relative to adjustment of wages
subscribing the welfare of its employees,
and maintain a standard of righteous
adjustment for all cases. s'Privaten
strikes, which do not tax the public at
large, call for no government interior
ence, inasmuch as arbitration is power
full to adjust the claims of employer and
employe.
Governmental control would stamp
the occurrence of railroad strikes as an
impossibility.
Senator ingalls, philippe in favor of
the nandinn mansion hill oallod forth