Telegram-herald., 1889-04-25

ON Manhattan Island Ntfe <.--
what n.ore ihaa six th3u,aat msn sia-
tleFs1 10 tle necessary business ef tran,-
ferrrg people from eue part ~ tle eiry tu
another iaei f-.t t.tt they hsi q -r.eg-
alcr. whether size facts Justified taelr
teella- or not. GO uor propose 20 tteiae.
and fle wisdom 90 folly ~ their sao,e-
qHrat course. leave 10 others e. disels..
The fact 8lrh which tA- police hsd e. deal
las in the sudden appearance of nearly ali
these SIX thousand men, uotouiy as Nllun-
tary oilers, but as an organized body de-
Iermined 10 obstruct the business az
trauspurtttlou even % the eKtelr of pre-
venting involuntary idlers from obtaining
work until fhe several corporations in-
vo.ved sholld have yielded 10 their
terms
II may not Pc cut OF place, however. 10
cal attention % the general make u9 ot
street railroad employees. IA 80 large
body ot men - six thousand, 10 is natural
that there should be some of superior iu-
tellseac and rather better than rudl
mentary education. Various hard cir
cumgances la life combine naturally 70
brlug into the lower paid occupations some
men whose talents and schooling might
have fitted them Tor a more profitable
ranks of drivers. conductors and stable
men are recruited from the unschooled
and the uutaugAt This is no theory but
the Inevitable conclusion that follows
many years of careful observation and
constant dealings with all the many
classes OF people that make up the popu-
lafion of "a great city.
Theasitstion OF labor problems in re-
cent years has led, is everyb body knows.
TO the Use OF organizations Of great
strength among wOrkingmen. These or
gauikations depend for their energy upon
+ the willingness 20 the general body OF en-
/ pioyees 10 follow the counsels of leaders.
Experience I'm independent strikes IN the
various trades and emplOyments for
many years. has taught workinCmen the
severe lesson that without unity Of pur-
pose and Conference OF action comparl-
! lively little could be gained Selling hold
/ OF this idea, some men, whose ambitions
were greater than their scruples, played
upon IL until the general body OF uu>billed
/ employees WAS convinced that their only
safety lay in that unity which was repre-
scented by the ideas Of the seif-instituted
leaders. l call attention TO this fact
with what may seem necessary emphasis
because it underlies So deeply the outcome
Of the recent strike, that fair under
/ standing OF the events cannot be reached
without realizing its force. do not be
lieve that more than one in ten OF all the
street railroad strikers personally felt
the grievance which was published as the
csuse Of their action. That there may
have been causes for complaint in over
work and short pay DO not doubt. but.
as admitted by the strikers themselves
the chief object sought for was the recOg-
+ nitiOu Of their organization, which meant
OF course the recognition of the leaders
I OhedienL TO their leaders commands
they left their work and staid away
7 from il in the face OF the overwhelming
flood Of iabor-seekers, solely because Of
the influence their leaders exercised upon
them. After the most careful observa-
tion am led 20 the conclusion that the
. strike would not have taken the course il
did, namely, that OF immediate riot, had
the men felt each one personally the
weight OF grievance against his com
pany. Ia oil the labor troubles that have
I occurred here since have been connected
with tAe police force OF this city. there
was none turned SO quickly into organ
lied violation of the law as this one did.
The railroads bad been tied mp scarcely
/
breaks that required the utmost ex-
ertions OF tie police 10 quel.
II had ever had occasion 10 doubt the
efficiency Of the regular police force Of
New York. these recent street-car riot.
wonld have dispclled it entirely. There
was no thought except In the minds
Of few persons who did not realize
what they were talking about. az calling
ont the military. To us. upon the inside oi
tine situetion, as well rs 20 careful ob.
servers. II was evident from the start that
the police were able 20 cope with tho stu.
alton. although every man ou the force.
from tie superintendent 10 the freshest
reserve. viii admit that IL required long
hours OF bard and constant labor as well
81 quick and energetic action aud the eX.
ercise ot good judgment. Had similar
body q men ~ equal or even less nnm.
bers suddenly thrown themselves idle
upon the labor market ~ London. of
Dublin. or Paris ! ann certain that the
military forces ~ tle general government
would have been called into action hv the
emergencies Of the occasion. It no uu.
common thing ia reading The history Of
European nations 20 learn ~ piafoons o'
soldiers firing iscelaneousIy into e
mob ~ rioters. such occurrences in fhi'
c0rutry arc rare. ana there hes beer
nothing of tbe kial in New 9rk i0l
very many years.
L. might take TOO much space 70 DIS
cues al. the reasons shat occur to nie fo'
this Difference. Ihey are involved in fhs
constitution II the different socia. fabrics
which are considered In one word. 4
may Pc said that the Influence of rereh
Hsau Institutions a7ou the mass cf th'