The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1890-07-12
SUPERIOR. WIS.,. SATURDAY, JUL /, l5ef
The Strike.

OF course as Superior becomes large
city she will have to be annoyed with
strikers. burglars, petty thieves and
al the list of worthless beings who
seem TO think that their only nilsson
II life is to plumber their fellow man
or else make trouble with their neigh
bors. We had pretty prominent
strike last year and Mayor McRae
called on the Governor for troops to
keep the peace. A majority of the
people cursed Mayor McRre loud and
deep for his action in the emergency.
The TINES upheld the mayor in his
acts because it thought he was doing
what his judgment dictated as the
best thing to be done.
This year and now. we have another
and more formidable strike on hand.
Mayor PattisOn is at the head of the
city government, and, i'll our opinion,
lie and his council made a great mis-
take last Saturday evening when they
attempted to settle the difficulty in the
way they did. The effect of that
meeting was to wholly favor the strik-
ers while it said nothing about defend
ing the rights Of the contractor or init
mating that the rights of citizens or
the protection of property would not
be maintained by the city government.
But we do not propose to blame the
mayor for this and presume, as does
the Trltg gram, to hold him responsible
for the loss of life or the destruction
Of property which may ensue. We
think, We are positive, that a mistake
was made Saturday night, still we be-
lieye that the mayor III particular,
was only seeking to do the very best
thing he could do to stop the strike,
restore peace and have the public
!. work progress If actual blame must
attach to the acts Of that meeting let
it rest where it belongs-on the Shout
ders of the council, which after due
deliberation, free discussion, and open
warning by Mr.. Butler, one of the
best lawyers i'll the state, that what
they proposed to do would be illegal
and Of dangerous precedent, still went
on and voted through 4 resolution,
which, unless recinded, will bring I'M
told trouble and cost to the city. We
all know Mr.. Pattison, and we know
he is not pandering to the riotous ele
ment of the city, nor yet because he
fears to do that which he may think
is t ,e best thing to do. He has tried
persuasion and argument with band
of men who know not the meaning of
either, and lie has found that he made
il mistaEe-that he has wasted his
sweetness upon an unappreclative
rabble. lie can now proceed to harsh
or measures with the satisfaction of
knowing that he has held out the olive
branch of peace and had it spurned
and pulled from his grasp and tram
pied in the dust His actions from
the moment violence was adopted by
the strikers have all given evidence
that he proposes to protect property,
the citizen and the laborer who wants
to work, no matter what the wages he
receives may be. He should have
made this policy perfectly plain last
Saturday night, ard the council should
have endorsed that policy and then
stopped right there and allowed the
contractors and laborers to fix the
wage question between themselves if
they could. if not, then by arbitration
and the city would have been justified
in demanding a speedy settlement of
all differences by 4 board of arbitra-
ton if the parties themselves or either
of them refused to submit their griev-
ances to such Il board. Ii is deplor-
able state of affairs, but the TINES
thinks scHr people are good deal too
quick i'll jumping onto Mayor Patti
sons neck and laying all the blame at
lis door. We believe the mayor has
done and is doing all he can to restore
order and maintain it. But like Mayor
IcRae lie will have to endure Il
certain amount of cursing and abuse,
no matter what he does-it all goes
With the honors of the office