St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-25
SMITH ON The STRIKE.
The Pastor Of the Peoples
Leans to the Side Of the
Strikers,
Though He Points Out the
Duties Of Employer and
Employe.
Exhortation for the Benefit OF
Those Whose Faith Is
Weak.
A Study Of Religious Life in
Countries Across the
Sea.

Rev. S. G. Smith. of the Peoples
church, preached yesterday on the sub
ject of the weakening of faith, but pre-
luded it with some remarks on the
New York Central strike, in which he
said:
The Knights of Labor on the 0 New
York Central road have quit work. This
strike is not for higher wages or for less
hours. 1t has been ordered because the
railway company discharged some forty
or fifty employees. AS to the reason for
this discharge, there is a question of
fact. Mr.. Webb, representing the rail
road, asserts that they were discharged
for drunkenness, INSTRUMENTATION or in
capacity. Mr.. Powderly, representing
the knights, affirmS that they were dis
charged because they belonged to the
Knights of Labor, and because they
had been active in effecting legislation
at Albany last winter. The New York
board Of arbitration has offered to ar
btrate between the railroad and its
servants; the knights urged arbitration,
the railroad refused. The trouble has
assumed large proportions, and to what
size it may grow we do not
know. A committee of men were
in session yesterday without con-
Guiding their deliberation as to whether
a general strike should be ordered by
all the associations of workingmen con-
nected with the Vanderbilt system of
roads. If this should be ordered it is
possible that the battle may extend
throughout the country. The public is
not in possession of sufficient facts at
present to warrant full conclusions Oh
the subject i'll hand. But these are
questions upon which the public must
think more and more, and about which
the churches must think more and
more, if we are to IDEAL justly and love
mercy" as well as ''Walk humbly with
our God"
Some things are clear. First, strikes
are injurious to employer, emplOye and
to the general public. They cannot be
defended except when every other re-
source has failed. 1t is said by COM
petent statistician, who has taken pains
to collect the figures, that liz different
strikes cost not less than S112,000,000 to
the Workingmen alone. Those who
have homes to protect and families TO
care for will be increasingly careful
about lightly engaging i'll strikes.
Second Labor has right to organ
ize, and in the present industrial situa-
ton ought to organize. l favor organ
ization of workingmen as widely ex-
tended and as closely federated as it is
possible If we are to have war let it
be battle of the giants, and may labor
be in a position to choose the field of
battle.
Third--Mr. Webb makes great mis-
take if he supposeS that the discharge
of these workmen and the consequent
strike is a private affair, personal solely
Vanderbilt railway system. 1t has not
been without a struggle, but it is Sc
curely imbedded at length in both state
and national legislation that railroads
are not private concerns, but are public
corporations, which the people have
right to control.
Fourth Neither the railway company
hot their employees can be defended in
any violation of the public peace,
whether by the rash act of Pinkerton
detectives or by the untamed violence
of infiamed mobs in the streets.
Fifth-If labor chooses to surrender
it's rights as individuals to the solidarity
of an organization. and such Organiza-
ton is strong enough to interfere with
public business, it would seem as if
equity demanded, and legislation should
insist, that disputes between labor and
capital should be settled by courts of
arbitration, provided for that purpose.
Sixth-There will be no permanent
peace between labor and capital in this
or in any other civilized country until
the identity in interest of both parties
is fully recognized in theory and fully
manifest in business method and Or
ganization.