The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-21
STRIKES.

IapSeO on the 1ltn nSt., ana week later
the famous Homestead strike was declared
'of" by the Amalgamated Association.
The New Orleans strike was an attempt to
prevent the employment in any trade or
industry of any but union men. The
Amalgamated Council organized all the
trades in New Orleans, sixty-one in num-
Der. into unions last spring, and then set
about raising wages and reducing the
hours of labor and compelling employers
to take only union men. The street car
hands struck and won a signal victory,
and strike after strike followed during the
summer and fall, the men being victorious
in all of them. On October 81 the team
sters, leaders and warehousemen struck to
compel the merchants to employ only
union men. The Amalgamated Council
took up their fight and November 3 ordered
a general strike of all trades out of SYM
pathy.
The strike was q success to this extent
that only four men out of 1900 refused
to obey the orders in council.
For week New Orleans was without
lights, cars or carriages. The factories
were closed, business killed. steamboats,
tied up, railroads, newspapers and the
aters crippled.
The mayor and the police seemed power
less, and the strike would have succeeded
but for the interference of Gov. Foster,
who, seeing that the city was rapidly
drifting into anarchy, went to New Or
Cd oh
ton and restored order. The governor
assembled the militia, swore in new men
until he had a force of $1,000 ready to
obey his orders. and then announced his
intention of getting the gas and electric
plants in working order and the street cars
running.
Then the leaders of the strike saw that
they could not win without bloody fight
with the militia and they surrendered.
They withdrew their original demand that
none but union men should be employed.
and asked only that union men be not dis
eliminated against.
A large number of the strikers when
they returned TO work found their places
already filled by non-union men.
The chances are that the Amalgamated
Council will break up, as the printers and
many of the unions threaten to leave it,
and the defeat will be severe blow to
unionism in New Orleans. The suit
against the committee of five and against
the heads of the different labor unions for
obstructlng interstate commerce will be
vigorously prosecuted by the merchants
who instituted il.
Steps have also been taken TO impeach
Mayor Fitzpatrick and secure The removal
of Chief of Police Caster. both of whom,
it IS charged. sympathized with and abet-
ted the strikers and made no effort to PRE-
serve the peace or protec: citizens.
Criminal proceedings viii also oe begun
against all strikers who were implicated in
violence. The loss 10 the city has been
immense.
Some ., 900 men have been idle for q
week, losing 100000 in wages. The en-
ployers probably lost 90 per cent. more
This is their busiest season OF the year.
The receipts OF produce have been aver
aging about $1,000 .o00 day, Of which
about half has been diverted by the strike,
and including the shipments, the direct
loss TO New Orleans for weeks nearly
complete suspension of business will be
between s.. 0oo, 900 and 100000
The lesson of this great strike and its
complete failure IS that no strike. however
formidable, can hope 10 succeed that IS
founded on injustice. There was not the
slightest necessity for this wanton outrage
upon the general public veal; the action
OF the leaders of the council was as indie
feasible IS If Chief Arthur. OF the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers. should,
| because OF some local dispute, call out
every man in that order and stop every
railway wheel in the United States. The
| original dispute III New Orleans was in q
| fair way Of settlement when the committee
! OF five Of the Amalgamated Trades Council
| ordered general strike, thus Furnishing q
whole city q 250.ooo people because the
former employers Of few strikers would
| not settle the strike on the councils own
| terms.
| In the original dispute the striking
| teamsters, watehouscmen and cotton
packers had agrseaso SO to Work pending