The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-09-17
Hurried Meeting at the Mansion House at
Which 1t Is Decided the Agreement Must Be
Kept Intact by All Parties Interested.
Leader Burns Says the Strike Will Go
0nif the Compact Is Not Adhered To-
Emperor Williams Boast Concerning the 10y
atty of Hanover-France Objects to the
Proposed international Customs Union.
PROTEST FROM STRIKERS.

'Blacklegs,- and a Slight Hitch Ensues.
epecal to the Indianapolis journal
LONDON. Sept. 16.-Much ill-feeling ex-
listed to-day between the returned dock
laborers and the men who took the places
of the strikers, and the former refused to
work with them. Several encounters oc-
Cured between them. Many of the dock
laborers protested that the leaders of the
strike had no right to agree to the proposal
that the strikers should work hand in hand
with the "blacklegs." The officials of the
dock companies made complaint to the
Lord Mayor against the action of the re-
turned strikers. and the Lord Mayor prom
ised to do his utmost to keep the men to
their agreement. Meanwhile. the situation
was regarded SO serious that an urgent
meeting of the committee of the dock
companies, the Cancellation committee
and the leaders of the strike was convened
at the Mansion House. Work has been al
most generally resumed, and it is expected
that tomorrow it Will be in full swing.
A delegation of ship-owners arrived at
the Mansion House while the meeting of
the committee was in progress. John
Burns, one of the leaders of the strikers,
spoke concerning the situation. and the
causes which led to it, and instanced sew
eral cases where unreasonable preference
had been given to "blacklegs." 1t was
finally agreed by all present to endeavor to
have the agreement kept intact by all par
ties interested.
The dissatisfaction over the retention of
"blacklegs' or rats by the dock COM
panies is not thought likely to have any
serious consequences. The directors of the
companies have no special love for the men
who took the strikers places. especially as
they were not sufficiently numerous to en-
able the managers to win, the day. The
companies, however, are obliged to make
a show of protecting these men. and could
hardly be expected to throw them ont on
the first day that work was begun under
the new agreement. 1t is understood that
at to-day's conference of the .mediators
tacit understanding was arrived at, by
which the "blacklegs" will soon find
their occupation gone without any
special reason being given therefor
tSorsn MoTk will n1sntI be scarce for OLD them
and they will gradually be dropped from
the pay-rolls. On the other hand the
strikers leaders agree to do all they can to
prevent the regular men from assault, or
in any way from interfering with the new
men as long as the retention OF the latter is
deemed absolutely necessary. This Is
not likely to be very long. as the black
legs are mostly so frightened by the
IuT6dtS OI lQ6 TeXuldTS tudU uldlly VI tucuf
are already, clamoring to be sent back to
the cities whence they were brought here.
The fortunate termination of the strike
continues to be a leading theme for COM
ment in the press, and the lesson drawn
from recent events seems to be. in the great
majo rity of cases, that o vast change has
been wrought in public opinion dur
ing the past few years in re-
gard to the. proper relations of
society to the individual. Some time ago
ho ri of Iaio fai had futl
in the sense OF letting all institutions con-
corned alone. no matter how much suffer
ing might be caused by their condition. At
the same time society was forced to bear
the burden of at least partial alleviation of
this suffering through the poor laws.
CuriOusly enough, as pointed out by a lead
ing journal here to-day, Cardinal Manning
was one of the first to point ont the absurdity
be better policy for society to shift some OF
this burden upon classes of property which
had been specially benefited by certain
changes made in the social and industrial
system of a century or two ago., The IDEA
recent strike finally gave. the Cardi-
nal an opportunity of proposing
realization. This is shown by the general
talk now prevalent in favor of the govern
ment's taking over the dock property in
case there is any more trouble between the
companies and the men. The fear of such
consummatiOn undoubtedly had much to
do with the comparatively good grace with
which the companies consented to the COM
promise settlement.
At the opening of the court at the Old
| Bailey, to-day. the recorder, in charging the
| grand jury, referred to the recent strike in
| London. He said that though a great num-
| ber of men had been out of work for weeks,
| and had suffered great prlvations, there
| was not single case on the calendar aris-
| ing from the strike. The peaceful behavior
of the men, he declared. was subject OF
| national pride.
At the meeting at Poplar tonight, Mr..
| Burns said that the treaty with the work
| men had been broken by subordinate Off
| cials of the dock company. Some of the
| wharfingers also had tried to get men at the
old terms, but had failed. Unless the agree
! ment with the men was kept there would
! be another strike. The directors of the
| dock companies, however, had assured him
that they would prevent any unfair pref
| erence being shown, and the ship-owners
had advised the directors to pay the fares
of. the ''blacklegs" and send them back to
| their homes.
Mr.. Sydney Buxton, Member of Parlia.
| ment for the Poplar division of Tower Ham
let's. expressed the belief that matters
would settle down quietly In few days
| He understood from MIR. Tillett that the
men would be advised to continue at work
while the "blacklegs" would be gradually
wee,led out OF induced to join the Dock
| Sketch Of John Burns, the Strikers Leader
New York Press.
John Burns has taken his place as leader
| of men indeed. No wonder is it that the
bond slaves of Britain hail him as O modern
Moses. A man of the new era. being only
| just past his thirtieth year, John Burns il
by nature and in person the ideal labor
leader. Five feet ten in height, broad
shouldered. thick-set and strong limbed ht
Is powerfully built, and his muscles. like
his will, are of iron. His hair and beard
are IS black as ravens wing, and he has
| voice of tremendous power, developed by
! open-air oratory that again and again ha:
swayed multitudes of his brother workers
| in Hyde Park, Battersea Common, OF
| Clerkenwell Green. There is little pre-
tense of rhetorical elegance or finish about
John Burns's oratory. His eloquence con
| sists in the natural spontaneity and the
uncompromising force and plainness of the
| language in which he voices his strong con
victions and intense emotion. What ht
says comes from his heart, and he feels
every word of it. That is how his hearers
account for the impression he makes upoI
them. He is a Socialist by conviction, sin
| cerelv believing that socialism alone offer