New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-03


at the best. Is very low. As body Of men they are
intelligent better educated than would naturally be
expected. Few among them are dull or british.
Their headquarters at Tenth-ave. and Forty fourth
st has been filed every day with determined, glum
faces. They regard the destruction OF
the union as equivalent to starvation.
One OF them said The public has no
idea Of what the union IS to us. 1t is everything
1t stands between us and imposons that WOULD soon
place us whei We were six or eight years ago. ihs'
was slavery II we could only got the people to APP
preciate our tuatlon the strike would be over In
stantiy and we should have all we are asking am
a conductor, making 81 IS day. ! have work al
the year round and things go am well treated
But the majority of the men here don't get more IMAM
81 o. That fellow over there made 66 cents inc ay
hefore The strike He reported at his depot al
O'Clock a. M. and he stayed around until D. m. lilo
Got inst two trips-66 cents. He don't look mo a
,ough docs bef lie looks what he is. decent sensible
man who can read and write and cipher lie mas a
vie. and two children. What do you think no can 40
e.. ,sar, On &c cents a day Lots Of us made
s,.A y.cos before We had the union. 1t Is only our
accumulation that keeps us out OF the reach oi
st ot down our earnings, and make us pay eXcess'o
and unjust fines. When conductor or driver Is us
hr.d or aned without cause, ne reports his case 10
a. rnIon II is investigated and II his story Is sus-
.,oa the nroper officer Of the union complains 10
ha oomnany and It's action Is reversed. This is con-
..rtv DONE and its effect is to bring about petter
do.s,andng and better feeling IN every way Dc
t,raen the companies and the men,
q Are ALL She employees union mems askcd another
striker
aYes,' lie said.
aUow does that come about9'
GWell when new man is put on the car 70 DO
sbroken in, the conductor driver who has him In
charge asks him who he is, where he lives ana mas
lived where he worked last and the like OF that Then
be bsgins to talk union to him. If he don't under
stand what the union IS we explain It, how It WORKS
IN our advantage and how he has no protecnon out
eide Of IT, That is enough for any sensible man, but
~ no refuses to lot his name come up for membership
We quit the car upon excuse, and he soon fnos
that nobody win break him in. We have no fear OF
rvhodv not Joining II they don't do It right away,
hev are hound to sooner or later. They soon realize
its advantages
@where do the 'scabs' come fromi'
aAbout ten per cent Of them are men who really
want work men as good as the best Of us. But the
rest are bummers, fellows who wouldn't hoo Piaoo
zen days the kind that drink all they earn Ihey
are rathered from all the sluns In town." :.
asked Masee what he was PAID as NJ >"'rA'
mar. -, a.ou
sTwo dollars and half day. he said, for
every day actually spent in the service OF the union
Ny compensation last year was less than 300"
"what are you doing TO prevent dsorderP
A
GOOD conduct of 5000 angry men distributed all over
the city and continually subjected to irritation All
can do is 10 keep the cool heads constantly circnat-
inc from point 20 point with instructions TO discourage
all rows and disorder generally. There are hotheads
amcng U.S. Of course, and they do us great deai oi
HARM but the worst rioting Is not commi'ted oy
strikers, but by vagabonds who are neither union
men nor wording men, Our boys have done Nasty
ard foolish acts of violence. know, but not half the
ad Tn
charged against the strikers"
This may be. and probably is. the truth but inc
strike Is the Of II all nevertheless ana mat IS
Just where tho weakness of force comes IN Inc
chances are always against The efficacy of strlheS
The strikers Will get hungry anu cold while inc
companies have no person, need no 1000 anC arc
backed by unlimited money. This is the most potent
of forces IN the fight and the knights are painfully
embarrassed for tho of It, The cost Of this tie
up 10 the men VIII not be less than $4,000 sacrinoe
which they must shudder at when they think OF their
general poverty No wonder some OF them become
cnrased at seeing new-men taking their places and
at the prospect OF failure after such penaiy mas
been paid for their hardihood.
Tho Police Commissioners complimentng them
selves with great lberzy the behavior OF the
Finests during this crisis, and ID rs impossible to deny
them the credit they claim. There is no doubt had
they been less prompt less resolute or less jealous
in their efforts to preserve order. we should have had
serious time OF It. On several occasions the rioters
were ripe for anything and the least show Of weakness
on the part Of the police would have been riinous
Assurance has been afforded by their splendid conduct
Of their entire ability TO protect the city against lawless
rnobs With such body OF men, organized and
drilled TO perfection. ready 10 be launched upon mob.
such occurrences terrified Chicago in 1855 are next
TO a physical impossibllty Our police have been
drilled expressly to meet mobs and they arc. II any
thing, little toe anxious prove that their training
has not been In vain.
FRIEND OF THE STRIKERS.
New-York Feb. Q, 1850.