The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-02-03
LABOR STRIKES.
Some Statistics That Sound an On7Tnoue
Warning to Voters.


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Some Statistics That Sound an Oz7fnous
Warning to Voters.
In a recent number of The Age Of
Steel, published at St. Louis, the edi-
tor of that very reliable journal pre-,
sents history of labor strikes in the
United States. He says that the first
strike occurred in 1896, and that
from that date till 1886 there were
nine strikes. From 1886 to 1912 there
were fifteen strikes. From 1912 to
1850, only three, and from 1850 to
1868 none. From 1868 to 1876 there
were thirty-four strikes. From 1876
to 1880 there 762. From 1880 to
1886 there were 1892 strikes. in
which 22,3O4 establishments and
1920 workingmen were involved.
From 1886 to the middle of this
year, period Of five and half years,
there have been in this country 90
626 labor strikes. Summarizing this
statement we find that from 1896 to
1868, a period of seventy-two years,
there were only twenty-seven strikes.
That during the next eight years, '6S
to rs, there were thirty-four strikes
seven more in those eight years than
in the preceding seventy-two years.
Contraction policy and the demoneti-
cation of the silver dollar had begun
to be felt. But the effects of that UNI
wise and unjust legislation had only
begun to be felt IN 1876. During the
four years from 1876 to 1880, 672 la
Dor strikes occurred in this country,
or more than twenty times as many
in those four years as in the seventy
years before.
This was an alarming increase,
writes I. A. Bland in the National
Economist. But if that was alarming,
what shall we say of the increase of
strikes during the past five and a half
years? Instead of 1862, we have
had 20, 626, Or more than four times
as many as during the previous ninety
years.
The word strike is defined by Wor-
cester's dictionary:
''Io cease from work in order to
extort higher wages as workmen; to
UAOOOOS w ICFO1U1 w UuuUlIy
The strike is properly described as
an act of war, as it is resorted to
after civil measures have failed. The
strikers have real or imaginary griev-
ances. They believe themselves the
victims of injustice or tyranny, or
both. and they believe that the only
possible means of relief lies in open
revolt against their unjust and OPP
pressive employers, and this remedy
will fail them if others are found to
take the places they filled; hence. if
any persons offer to take their places
such persons arc regarded by them as
foes. This leads to conflict, in some
cases, ard the armed force of the
state is called upon to put down the
strikers, and protect their former
employers and their new employees
against their violence. Thus the
strikers come in conflict with the state.
While strikes were of rare occur
renee, and while but few men were
involved in them. the state could sue
cessfully deal with them. But should
strikes continue to increase at the
present ratio it will be but a few
years till the strikers will be num-
bered by millions; indeed, will out
number any state Or national force
that could be brought against them.
Then would civil government be at
an end; then would anarchy prevail
throughout the country
The remedy is to be found in a re-
peal OF all unjust laws, and the speedy
enactment of such laws as will force
a more equitable division of the pro-
ducts of labor than now prevails.
The continuance for a few years
longer of the policy of the Democratic
and Republican parties cannot fail to
precipitate upon us a bloody revolu-
ton, for they are both the defenders
OF the plutocrats and the foes of tho
working men.