The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-08-11

II is a somewhat significant fact that
strikes are not succeeding this year, though
tney are formidable ln SIZE and the men are
better organized than they have ever been
before. except perhaps, when the hnlRhts
of Labor were IN their prime. There mast
be some reason for such conspicuous tall-
ures IA that at DuQuesne and that
York. The HOMESTEAD affair. though
technically lockout is virtually
a strike since the mill are open
and the men refuse 10 return 70 work.
There also. failure stare5 the WOrkmen Ia
the face. notwithstanding tue promised as
slstauCe of 500. 900 or 0OJ members OF the
Federation OF Labor ia bOycottiug the Car
negie products 10 would DO worth while
for WOrkmen 20 consider what causes coll
lapse of these strikes when they have the
machinery for paraIyzing industries at their
command. Ii 10 not because they have this
machinery and because their leaders abuse
their power that the strikes fan,
The violence at Homestead deprived the
workmen OF public sympathy. which al
WAYS counts for something ln sustaining
men in a refusal TO work. Violence always
has that effect, and workmen sometimes
suner from il when they have themselves
been peaceable aud trleQ 20 maintain law
and order. At Homestead some Of the
locked-out wOrkmen were undoubtedly
entity of violations OK the law which led
TO riot and bloodshed, and tho public
CONDEMNED the whole body for the acts OK
the hot heads among them. But 1t was
something else than this that broke down
the strike at DuQuesne and the strike Ia the
building trades OF New York. AT Du-
uuesne the men had 10 grievances Of their
own; they were persuaded TO strike out or
sympathy sympathy strike does not
commend itself t. the public, nor 70 the
good Judgment OF the strikers themselves.
It's principle is similar % that OF tho boy
colt. aud tho use of that weapon Is very
generally condemned lnstinct.yely by men
disposed 10 nave fair play. The Duquesne
strike collapsed because Il was unsupported
by public sympathy. and because the men
themselves realized that 10 Was il-iOunded.
and consequently had no heart nit lfthey
had had grievances OF their own they might
have held out as stubborny as the locked
out workmen. now strikers OF Homestead.
but they wero presumably cOntented with
/ their wages and the terms under which they
worked. and the strike. 20 remedy other
wrongs. seemed and was illogical and
wrong
The case was even worse in New York.
Thousands of wOrkmen. without any
/ grievances whatever. were compelled %
stop work and live in idleness without
/ knowing why they were called upon 10
strike. The walking delegates abused
! their authority OutrageOusly, with the evil
/ dent purpose OF showing the extent Of their
/ power. The employment OF a single non
/ union hand ia some subordinate capacity,
/ often without the knowledge Of the
+ head contractor as g. the mans
standing or even bis existence. was suf-
ticient 10 cause the calling out OF hundreds
oil men from building IN course OF con-
struction 10 the great injury of owners. con
tractors and workmen. Very often there
was no possible means whereby the contrac-
tor and his workmen. though satisfied a. 20
their relations. could settle the difficulty.
The nOn-unlon man may have been only
| remotely connected with the opera
| ton, or may have been employed
IN delivering materials at some other build
ing with which neither owners. contractors
nor woTkmen had any connection whatever.
But the walking delegate would summon
the men out 70 punish a material man or u
carter. and they were compelled u oooy.
The strength of the organization ana us
power 10 control It's members was shown
when 20 coo workmen with no grievances
OF their own. and with only very he2y IDEAS
as 10 the reason Tor the strike, were forced
into idleness. building operations were
almost suspended IN great city
for several weeks IN tho height
Of building season slwaYs limited
by weather conditions. low estimate OF
the wages lost places the amount at 1900.