New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-07
THE END or THE STRIKE.

THE END or IHE oIHAhH'
For the first time in more than week-a
neriod which has seemed much longer 10
great city with scanty transportation 1aclilticS
oNew-Yorlz wore its usual appearance yester-
dow Not all the lines were in full operation,
hut surface cars were everywhere seen, and
the pressure upon the elevated roads was great
" diminished. There was general appear
ance If animation and good feeling, CORE
sponding to the general sense of relief that the
strike was over. The people were happy 10
no accommodated, and the companies were
happy to be earning dividends, but 'he nap
pest men in town, we venture to say Were .'e
strikers who found their old places WHung
for them. One Of the most interesting anu
suqcestive facts connected with the ternnha-
t;on of 4 strike is the visible satisfaction oil inc
mon who have begun to work again, ana TINS
fact is almost as conspicuous when they have
failed as when they have succeeded III may
sometimes he attributed to pitiful JOY nj
escaping from actual or threatened stafVauoh'
but in the present case we prefer to attribute
IL 70 the pleasure of being at liberty to earn
an honest living.
We have never had n doubt that nine-tenths
Of those who submitted to 60 out of work last
week are honest, industrious men, to whom
idleness is a greater trial than the hardest
labor, and that fully as large proportion OF
them have been guiltleSS of any WISH to shed
blood or destroy property. We have not crltl-
cised their character or their motives, but only
their Judgment, in the step they originally
took: and in the disgraceful acts which have
marked the progress of the contest we have
blamed them only because they seemed TOO IN
different to the OutrageS which handful OF
scOundrels were committing in their name
That has been their fault, and it is not light
fault either They have, we believe, lost and
deserve to lose some part of the public respect
and goodwill, and they will not escape the
penalty. But we are sincerely glad that 80
large a proportion of them have not been
thrown permanently out Of employment.
From the point Of view Of prudence and
sagacity, the men made a bad mistake, what
ever their actual grievances and hardships may
have been. The fact that their cohesion had
been broken and the movement was in de-
moraized condition within twenty-four hours
of its commencement, is conclusive proof that
this was not the time to undertake 1t. The
strikers themselves were probably aware as
soon as the public that they were doomed to
fail, and they have a right to resent, in a prac-
teal manner the deceitful assurances Of sue
cess which were 50 glibly uttered by their lead
erS. "He never knew when he was beaten"
is phrase often employed to describe a sue
cesSful commander. A more exact phrase to
convey the meaning would be, He always
knew when he was not beaten" for that would
imply that he knew when he was. Since strik-
erS insist on delegating so large a share of
their individual liberty to a leader it is UNI
fortunate for them and for everybody else, eX-
cept perhaps himself, that he is generally 50
much longer than other people in seeing the
truth. A labor leader who knew when he was
beaten would be q great acquisition.
As to the violence and destruction which
have marked this strike at frequent intervals,
and the constant federation by the many Of
ldwleSs spirit among the few, we have already
expressed our opinion freely and repeatedly.
For the police force, which has exhibited from
first to last a high degree of skill and bravery
and self-TestTaint under provOcatiOns sufficient
~ aggravated to inilame the passions of their
most mSparing critics. we desire to express our
admiration. One of their number did all that
a drunken ruffian could do to disgrace them,
but with this exception there is yet no evidence
of a single act Of folly or usurpatiOn to be
charged against them. A human life was taken
on the Boulevard on Wednesday, but the teSti-
mOny of numerous witnesses justifieS the act.
AS to the companies, it is alleged that the
system upon which some of them are operated
permits and actually results in veXatiOn and in
jury to their employees. 1t is said that fines
for damages which drivers and conductors can
not prevent amount in some cases to con-
lscation of q considerable part Of the weeks
wages that there is tendency to infringe
upon the hours of leisure to which the men are
entitled by public law and private agreement.
and that in other respects the business is so
conducted as to produce aggrayation rather
than cOntentment. We do not possess the evil
dence to substantiate these allegations, and
we hope they are unfounded. We think the
companies however, will consult their i'm
mediate advantage and encourage that general
goodwill to which they are often under the
necessity Of appealing if they will investigate
these reports closely and remove every just