The Portland daily press., 1890-08-22

any personal grievance, but to redress the
grievances of other men. 1t is said that If
all the men strike that are expected to some
$4,000 or 10000 will stop work OF course
such withdrawal as this must produce
very disastrous consequences. The men will
lose an enormous amount In wages If the
strike continues for any considerable length
OF time, the families of many Of them will
suffer. great pecuniary loss will be inflicted
upon the owners Of the railroads, and the
general public, who are entirely innocent in
the matter, will experience very serious in
convenience, If nothing worse. The losses
inflicted by this unfortunate affair will be
up in the millions.
Is the strike justifable2 There are some
who take the ground that strikes are never
justified. But when strike is a revolt
against oppression the majority of the pub
lie, we believe, are inclined to look upon it
with approval and bear with equanimity
such Inconvenience as they may be put to
on account of it. Has there been oppression
In this case, or was oppression threatened?
The discharge of faithful and competent
employees simply because they belonged to a
labor organization could, 1t seems to us, be
fairly styled oppression. Railroad compa-
mics enter into all sorts of combinations to
further their interests. and to refuse to their
employees the right which they themselves
claim and exercise would be unfair and in
defensiole. II in this case there were good
evidence to show that the New York Gen.
trail railroad had blacklisted members Of the
Knights Of Labor simply because they were
members of that organization case of OPP
preston would be made out which it would
be proper for the employees to resist. But
no such state of facts has been shown. On
the contrary the New York Centraps officers
have most solemnly declared that they had
neither done nor meditated doing any such
thing. The mere, suspicion that the officers
may not have told the truth, will hardly JUS
tify Mr.. P0wderly and the other labor lead
efs In precipitatng such calamity as gen.
eral strike ON great system of railroads.
Nor does Mr.. Webb's refusal to arbitrate
the discharge of the men help the case much.
II is very evident that ii a railroad company
could be compelled to submit the discharge
Of its employees to arbitration the practical
effect would be to take the management of
the road entirely out of the hands of Its own
ers. No railroad company or any other will
long submit toshaye its property managed
by outsiders. II the Knights are contend
ing for the right to take the management of
the business of the New York Central rail-
road out Of the hands Of its owners they will
fail and ought to fail. No reasonable man
can have any sympathy with such an under
taking as that. At the same time employers
are under the highest kind of moral obliga-
tions to deal fairly with their employees, to
give them just compensation for their labor,
and to refrain from seeking to deprive them
directly or indirectly of their rights. Natural
ly there is no conflict between labor and cap
ital. But it unfortunately happens that
demagogic labor leaders on the one hand and
grasping capitalists on the other have Gre
ated conflict, and brought discord where
there should be only harmony and co-opera-
ton. Labor has become suspicious of capt.
tai and vice versa, and each is prone to put
the most uncharitable construction upon the
acts of the other. This fact is at the bot
tom Of most of the so called labor troubles.