The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-12
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The Chicago strike has been settled in
accordance with dictates Of reason and jus
ties. The men were not DESTROYS Of strik.
Ing and reluctantly obeysd the orders Of
iniudicious and therefore incompetent
leaders, These incompetent leaders were
brought TO their senses whom Mr.. Massey.
on part Of the Federal commission, pointed
out that he could not possibly yield to the
demand not to employ non-union men be-
cause the law Of the United States bearing
on freedom of contract forbade him in his
capacity - government officer to vote
for anythin9 that involved discrimination
between citisens because they were union
or non-union men. Mr.. Massey further
pointed out that the union had made It
self liable to the charge Of conspiracy
against the Federal law. In other words.
the labor leaders not only demanded that
the government should violate the Federal
Law. but were proposing to break it them
selves.
The settlement was m honorable one
and crsditabls to tho good sense OF both
parties to the controversy. 1t was worth
oil 1t cost - an oficial reminder to labor
leaders Shat the Federal law forbade any
discrimination against men because they
were or were not members Of labor organ
izations. 1.-THE strike had been persisted
IN It must have failed. for public opinion
would have been against it, as founded ON
m act of unjust a. well a. unlawful cosr.
cion from the start: it was . demand
practically that the Federal commission
submit to "boycott" declared against
non-union labor; that Is, the leaders Of
the strike demanded that non-union labor
b. discharged. The whole weight Of pub
lie opinion would have been against such
demand; the government could not law
fully have yielded 70 IL. and were bound
under Law 70 protect their non-union Ia
Dor. The strike, therefore. vas sure 70
fail. and the only wonder 10 that the labor
leaders were 20 thoughtless and ILL
informed % 20 suppose that Il had .
chance Of success.
The folly and injustice Of the boycott 10
beginning TO penetrate the brains Of many
Of the thoughtful leaders Of labor. We OBJ
serve that Chief Sargent. Of the Firemen's
Brotherhood, declares that both he and
Chief Arthur, of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers. are opposed to the boy.
colt - wrong, un-American and more mis-
chievous to Its friends than to its enemies.
and he confessss that public sentiment 10
with the recent Federal court decision
which declares the boycott illegal. Mr..
Sargent Is right. A strike pure and
simple. separated from efforts to stop
others from working by force or intimida-
ton Is. OF course. . perfectly natural and
entirely lawful act, but q boycott Is . Co
srcivc measure which threatens thousands
who have no part In the quarrel in order
20 make an antagonist suffer. Mr.. Sargent
frankly admits that 1t is in its very essence
hostile to American freedom, and that to
the invocation Of boycotts and coercive
strikes is due the public hostility that is
encountered by the demands of organized
labor. The ST. Louis Globe Democrat en-
forces this point that the use Of the boy
colt is. a. Chief Sargent admits. in the
long run, fatal to the strike, IS follows:
II the strikers would strike In the true aud
full meaning OF the term. there would 10 no
room for cr.tieism OF their conduct aud no iusti-
6ca;ion for judicial interference But they
strike with one hand aud hold fast to their
rlaccs with the other. They viii not let the
right TO labor be exercised by men who stand
ready to do the work. and they will not allow
the employer Ia carry on his business II they can
prevent IL by any kind OF opposition. Thus Il 10
that the strike ~ = device for the adjustment OF
industrial controversies has come TO b obaoxi.
Gus 70 the people: ana the courts ere only de-
eid.ug that those who ask Justice plust do
justice.
In our Judgment the declaration Of the
Federal court that the boycotting of .
railroad is illegal; the admission OF both
Chief Arthur and Chief Sargent that it Is
wrong. un-American and pernicious to
the best interests Of organized labor, and
the Official announcement OF the Fed.
eral fair commission at Chicago that IL
g could not lawfully discriminate between
union and non-union lanor and therefore
could no. submit TO boycott OF on-union
labor. will bear good fruit in the future.
Labor will be less liable to DO imposed
upon by thoughtlsss and sll-insormed lead.
err. and will be more disposed to settle
their controversies within the law and the
popular court Of reason. equity and COM
mon sense than persis, IN the use OF Tn
lawful coerc,vs measures. like the boy
sott, which Are unjust. unpopular. i'm.
politio, pernicious and ineffective.