The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-29

|
The strike Of the lsborers employed IN the
Central railroad yards and on the wharVes
of the Ocean Steamship Company and MeT-
chants and Miners Transportation CON-
pauy which occurred yesterday was not
unexpected. 1t was thought 1t would IN
clude the laborers in the yards ana on the
wharves OF the Savannah, Florida and
Western Railway Company. This class OF
/ laborers formed a protective union several
| weeks ago with the view Of having alleged
| grievances remedied and OF securing an In
crease of wages.
| While the public cannot help taking
certain amount Of interest in the relations
between the foregoing companies and their
employees, and is certain 70 express its sym
PATTY with one side OF the other 10 the issue
which the strike has raised, it has virtually
no concern with these relations. But If the
companies fail to carry out their contracts,
and thus disturb and embarraSs the bust
ness OF the community, the public has a
right to demand the reason, and will not be
slow to do so.
Whether or not the strikers have a res-
sonable basis for their grievances and de-
mand is q question 70 which there are
doubtless two sides. They think they have.
All strikes are based upon a genuine or fan
cied grievance and they are occurring all
the time in different parts of the country. In
some instances, having the power or being
in the right, their demands are granted or
compromise is effected. In most instances,
however, strikes fail, and the failures are
due TO various causes, the main one being
that they are ordered without careful con-
sheraton of all the attendant circum-
| stances.
| The strike Of yesterday is based upon a
demand for higher wages. Other demands
have cropped out since the strike was in
augurated, but they are rather in the
nature of grievances. which, if properly
presented, would probably be adjusted.
The companies themselves must, OF course,
be the judges as TO whether they can afford
an increase Of wages 1t is not probable that
they will grant an increase If they can get
all the labor they want at the wages they
are now paying. II they are dependent
upon the strikers they will have to grant the
strikers demands. The fact that they have
refused to grant them is pretty good evil
dence that an ample supply Of labor can be
obtained at the wages they are paying.
There is no doubt of the right Of the labor
ers to strike, though it may turn out that
they were not wise in doing so. If the COM
panies succeed in getting along without
them the unpleasant fact will be forced upon
them that they made a mistake. 1t is
always a mistake for a laboring man hav-
ing no means Of support to give up the work
he has before he sees a chance Of lettering
his condition.
The strikers seem TO understand that they
have no right to prevent others from taking
the places they have abandoned. To at
tempt to bring the business Of the companies
to a standstill in order to enforce their de-
mend would produce condition of affairs
that would array the public against them,
and call for the interference of the authori-
ties. And they would gain nothing by such
a course. Strikers who resort to violence
seldom or never gain their ends. They are
the losers. If the strikers here are wise they
will rely wholly upon peaceful means to az
complish their object, and from the published
reports they do not appear to have exhausted
these means, particularly in respect to what
| may be called their grievances