New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-26
THE STRIKE ENDED.

The strike of swtchmen at Buffalo has been
officially ended by Grand Master sweeney the
leader who directed it to disastrous trinlna-
ton When he found that the swtchmen VINO
had gone out were quietly replaced by olhers,
so that the railroads were able to handle all
their freight if new men were not hlndered pS
unlawful violence from performing their dulieS'
he appealed to the heads OF the railroad hre
men, tranmen engineers and conductors, ana
asked personal conference at Buffalo MI
Arthur. the head of the organization OF loco
motive engineers. declined TO attend: whether
he added the distinct statement or not, as some
DISPATCHES saw he certainly made it under
stood that his organization would not engage
in strike unless it had grievances OF its own,
and then only after honest efforts to settle
those grievances amicably had failed Mr..
Sargent. of the Brotherhood of Firemen, took
the same ground, though he attended the con-
ference The other heads OF organizations
Joined with him in deciding that no strike on
Their part for the purpose of aiding the switch
men would be justiiable.
When Mir. Sweeney was thus obliged to de-
clare the strike at all end several hundred men
who had been employed as switchmen, but had
seen their places filled by new hands. learned
for the first time that all the bright and glow
ing assurances of certain success which the
head of the organization had continually given
them. were il-founded. No doubt, he did all
he could to make their efforts successful and
to that end kept promising things which never
came TO pass. But it is hard that hundreds of
men should be thus led on by groundless hopes
until if was too late to recover their position.
No sympathy is due to any who may have been
engaged in lawesS acts, but it may readily be
believed as the men affirm in spite OF the
laundering declaration of Mr.. Sweeney, that
thev could not fight 5000 troops, that most
of the strikers refrained from lawlessness and
hoped to accomplish their objects by peace
able and lawful means.
The only test of the merit Of strike, III
public appreciation, is It's practical result. II
is crude and may sometimes he an unfair
test, but to that test the men themselves choose
to appeal when they strike II other workers
are readily found who are willing and glad to
do the work. and accept the terms which
strikers refuse, the public can have no salts
factory evidence that the demands OF the
strikers are justified. Sometimes special grew
ances sustained are of such character that
ing TO take the places of strikers Is scarcely
conclusive In this case the question at issue
was whether wages should be raised from %
cents per hour, the rate previously paid. to -
cents per hour, the rate paid on roads running
to Chicago The fact that men were readily
found to do the work at the wages already
paid is at least some evidence that wise and
prudent leader caring for the interests of the
workers. would not have directed the strike
with all its losses and risks for honest work
ingmen, many of whom have families to sup
port
1t is not to he assumed that the acts OF
violence and lawlessness perpetrated about
Buffalo were the work Of strikers. though Mr.
Sweeney's unfortunate remark, if correctly re-
ported, placed him in bad position, and it
NAV be hoped that he does not represent the
members of his organization. About every
great city there are unruly and lawlcss men
who seize such an opportunity to defy the laws
hut the organizations Of railroad workers can
do much to recover public appreciation and
sympathy If they will promptly aid the authori-
ties in detecting and furnishing all lawbrcak-
ers. This is duty which the organizations
owe to their law abiding members. and a duty
which every good citizen owes to the State.