The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-09-10
THE COMING CONTEST.


The great strike on the New York Cen
trail railroad was a failure. The strikers
were beaten at every turn, and their action
will cost them heavily. But this defeat
must not be interpreted as lasting triumph
for the railway company. The failure was
due to two causes. There was in the first
place, insufficient ground for strike To
be successful, strikers must have the sym
pathy and support of the public. This they
did not have in the contest with the Cen
trial, for the masses, ready as they are to
side with the oppressed toiler, could not
find sufficient Justification for the going
out of the men in this case. The reason
for the collapse of the strike is
the fact that the knights of
Labor organization is weak 1t is
lacking in good management, is torn by
internal dissentions and is nowhere pow
erful enough to engage, with hope of sue
cess, with rich and influential employer,
like the New York Central. 1t was OBJ
served that other labor organizations ex-
pressed sympathy for the knights and
wished them well. No other assoc: alton
gave any material comfort or support. All
stood aloof, and there was a belief that
certain of the organizations disliked the
Knights so much that they rather rejoiced
in the defeat of Mr.. PowDERLY and his
order. However this may be the strike
came to grief In short order, the men gain
ing not a single point.
But this defeat, overwhelming as it has
been, must not be interpreted as such vic
tory on the part of the railway company
as win procure for it immunity from fur
Their contests, nor must the triumph be
looked upon as one that will discourage the
laboring classes. We believe the country
is fast approaching the most vigorous, the
most desperate and most determined CON
flict between capital and labor that it has
ever experienced. The other day the
wires told of combination among great
employers to resist strikes, the plan of
operation being for all members of the
'combine'' to support each other in the
event of a strike. If strike shall occur
at one establishment the other members of
the association will close their works until
the strike has been declared off. and one
company will not employ men who
strike at another place. 1t is probable that
other great employing concerns will ioin
this offensive and defensive organiza-
ton. If the movement shall assume the
gigantic proportions contemplated the
workingmen will be forced into uniting
themselves, not as at present in numerous
unions and protective associations, but in
grand federation embracing the various
trades and labor occupations, and moved
and directed from a central board which
can command in Maine and California at
! the same time. The combination of capital
will necessarily compel an equally agrees
sive and similarly protected federation of
labor; otherwise the employee classes
would be hopelessly at the mercy of en-
ployers, and the workingmen would at once
fall into slavery as oppressive
as that which exists in some foreign coun-
tries. The Central strike undoubtedly put
into the heads of the Westinghouse. the
Pullman and other companies the idea of
forming the combination referred to in the
kilograms from Pittsburg last week, and
that strike should, if it has not, teach the
worlnngmen the folly of trying to combat
the encroachments and expressions of capt.
tai without an organization that will con-
troll labor in all its branches.
The contest is certainly coming. 1t can
not, or will not, be avoided. 1t will be ter
rible in its effects, and both employer and
employee may well tremble. 1t could be
avoided and the trouble escaped, but
neither party, apparently, will recog-
nize certain facts and be governed
by them. Neither will see that
both are absolutely essential to each
other. Neither will concede the others