Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-09-19
THE QUESTION AT ISSUE.

The strike Of the street car men
continues, ard we fear the result
will prove unpleasant for tn EN-.
There are so many working people
who are ready TO engage in the ser
vice Of the company that the Man.
ming OF their cars is only a question
ola very little time.
J There wOull perhaps have been
better prospects for the strikers If
they had been skilled artisans, in
the full sense Of the term, and their
work had been such as demanded
skilled labor. Bat the service on
the street cars, though it requires
some skill and experience, Is such
that its chief points can be learned
in few days at most, and is unlike
those trades which require years TO
learn and become proficient in
them. The places Of the strikers
are being rapidly filled up, and the
boycotts that have been declered by |
some Of the unions will not, Of
themselves, affect the situation TO |
any great extent.
The question involved in this
dispute is not, as supposed, the mere
jangle over the cleaning Of the cars.
As TO that, the sympathies Of the
public are largely with the men,
They have to be neat and trim in
their appearance, AMI the work re
quired Of them after their daily nuu
Is over, is not calculated to Improve
their personal appearance. There
are two sides, however, to this ques-
ton, ani it is claimed that the labor
involved is not 50 great As has been
represented. BE this as Il may, the
real trouble lies in another dirCc-
ton.
The company object to any utter
ference in their business by an OF
ganizsiion the authority Of which
they do not recognize. They will
not he dictated 10 by any such ssso-
citation or society. Any disagree
ment between them and their en-
ployes, they hold, can be and
should be settled by sni between
them rs parties TO the dispute. Out
side pressure Of tn. kind that h
been applied, the company will re-
sist, on principle.
So that the question is not really
shall the car drivers aud conductors
Be compelled TO clean the cars, but
must the company submit to the
dictation ola society or aggregation
Of societies whose right to make any
sienand upon them they DO not adj
NIT.
We merely place this matter be-
fore the PIblic on what are claimed
to be its merits. We have no part
or lot in the quarrel except as the
public interest is involved. We,
with the citizens Of salt Like in !
general, deplOre the obstruction Of
travel on a hitherto most efficient
street car service, the position in
which number Of honest working
men have placed themselves, and
the probability that they will be SUI
persedeI by other aud, for the pres
ent, less efficient persons.
As to labo. unions, our views re- d
main as they have been for n long Is
time. We concede the right Of men a
% unite MISREPRESENTATION, mutual u
Improvement, the raising Of wages, y
he shortening OF labor hours, n
u any other lawful purpose. u
We 10 not concede the right Of any ~
TO compel any man to u
DIN II, conform to its rules, or sub u
nit TO its sway when he is not a u
Nor TO assume aaihor- -"
ty to cOerce any company, firm ie
n individual employer into any u
method Of conducting business OF NJ
he employment Of n certain class or
he exclusion Of another class Of
yorkpeople. n,
Labor has its rights, and so has 81
apital. Each individual should ~ IL
rec TO join or not join a society rs pl
lie himself elects, 70 labor or not 81
abor for such wages as may Ice Ct
,fered TO him aud such hours n he al
md the employer may agree upon. I'll
I he chooses 70 fetter himself a to W
his, he has no right 20 put chains in
IN another. Nor has any body Of lis
men the right, In lag or reason, to hI
eek to drive any one away from it;
abor because he does not see fit to ca
mite with a sect so-iety, club OF vi
nion which they desire 10 uphold. Ina
II men choose to place themselves no
nder given restrictions and under OF
he lead Of certain men, that is their fol
rivilege. But they must not ex- wi
sct that either persons or firms that its
siain their individual freedom will
ield to the same rules aud authorii $
nless they please - to do.
NOrkmen have right 10 strike - Ca
Is usually however very much to
leir disadvantage. Employers
ave the right to resist the strike
hen they think il is TO their dis ye
Vantage. Ii men will not work J
Icept on specified terms, Others Ia
ave the right to accept those terms sor
they choose 10 do so. Strikes rel
Nays entail losses, either on the hal
rikers or on the employers, COM Tn
only on Doth. Therefore they 9th
ight always to be well considered pie
fore they are determined upon, dic
ID men should not ahiicate their J
eei0m and submit 10 the dictation Gu
rash persons wh0 have not fully se -
eighed the consequences. uy
Ia saying this We speak in general con
rms without special reference to que
eseut complications. There are at one
lst two sides 10 every question and Vt
tn should be well weighed before Bel
opinion is formed concerning il tor
e believe that in this case the car ID.
aiming matter could he satisfacto- H.
: arranged; but We DO not believe a
AN be settled through any order, live
iiety or combination that LAYS ma
Sn terms or an ultImatum, no 80 80
liter how worthy that body or its chi
icers may be, because the COM yea
ny will not recognize its authority: hou
" are not comaellei a., az, ., -, me.