, 1890-09-25
sPoKANE FALLs. SEPT. ea, 1850
WHO WAS TO BLAME?


Well, folly and unreason hav
had their day with the carpenters
union. That organization ha
learned n costly lesson, a lesson /
ought to have read and needed day
ago.
Now that passion and blind faitf
In the declarations of the agitator
and the council Of irresponsible,
newspapers have worn themselve.
out, an opportunity Is presented I,
reason with the better elements o
the strikers. Let us begin by plac
Ing the responsibility for the gigan
tic blunder of the strike. The unior
fnds itself disrupted, mistrusteC
and It's members idle upon the
streets, whereas week ago 1t was
at friendship with the public, nu
merically and morally strong, and
its members all held excellent posi-
tions Then 1t had the city of Spo.
kane Falls as suppliant; now il
finds the tables reversed.
Unpleasant statements these, but
facts, cold facts.
Somebody is, responsible for this
disastrous defeat.
Is 1t the employers of the city?
Is 1t the general public?
Is 1t the rank and file Of the labor
union?
Or Is 1t the fault of the agitators,
the men who counseled the army
and advised q war between capital
and labor?
There can be but one answer.
Such men as Jeffrles, Tamblln and
Mcneil have to answer for this
great moral crime, this betrayal of
organized labor, this arrayment of
the carpenters union against the
best interests of a city that has ever
treated labor with consideration and
open-hearted liberality. These men
have poisoned minds and bitter
hearts. They are impelled by mo-
tives OF envy and considerations of
spite. They have used the carpen-
ters' union as q club, whereby they
sought to vent their spleen upon
men whose industry and Judgment
have distanced them upon the high
way to prosperity and success and
they have wrecked the organization.
But 1t Is never too late to mend.
Folly and incapacity to lead the
labor army have been the causes of
this disastrous defeat. Now IL Is the
duty of reason and capacity to as
sert their inherent right to counsel
and to lead. If the carpenters,
union Is ever to recover from the
disastrous consequences of its i'll
timed strike, it must shake off the
evil influence of the agitators, and
allow itself to be guided by its
friends. Just so long as Jefiries,
Mcneil and Tamblin hold the whip
hand over the union it will remain
an object Of dlstrust, and will carry
elements of discord aud weakness.
And now u word to the general
public: 1T is hardly necessary to
defend your course in this crisis, or
to seek to justify the firm and spirit
ed policy of the exposition manage.
ment. 1t Is interesting, though, to
look back ward and observe the con.
sequences Of different attitude. IfI
you had followed the advice of the
agitators and one or two irresponsi.
BILE and blundering newspapers, and
had consented to the call for arbi.
tration, the first demand would
have been for suspension of work
upon the exposition building and
the discharge of all non-union men.
Then there would have been con.
after conference, the week
would have worn away, and as the
limited time increased the necessi-
ties of the management the differ.
ences would have grown greater,
word would have gone forth to the
outside world that all work was at n
and the exposition and
closely interviewer interests of the
,ity would have suffered. AS the
public displayed weakness and
the agitators would have
grown in confidence and boldness,
md their demands would have
passed entirely out OF the realm of
'eason or fairness. This is the path
hat the agitators and irresponsible
heets would have led you into.
1t is gratifying to record that the
trong common sense of the people
aw through this ambush. 1t is
to recall the spirit with
'hich the public faced the situation,
nd IL is especially gratifying that
me has verified the wisdom of the
ublic. ,,
Wherever practicable the better
lement of the striking carpenters |
iould bc re-employed, particularly
le men with families to support, I
ut to do this there must be no &
olation Of pledges, either actual or 8
APPLIED, to the men who sprang to /