Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-12-11
FREELAND, DECEMBER Il, 1898
AFTER THE STRIKE.


Everything Moving Again and Peace
Prevails Along the Line.
Trains of all kinds are moving with
their accustomed regularity on the Le-
high Valley, and the familiar faces of
the old employees are to be seen again in
their usual places. The terms of settle
ment, which gave dissatisfaction when
announced, are now accepted as the best
that could be made by the leaders. The
men have been conceded every point
they struck for, and that in itself is
decisive victory.
To prolong the trouble because the en-
ployes could not go back in body
would be unwise on the part of the
labor chiefs, and would undoubtedly
take from the men much of the public's
sympathy. So far the company has
showed that it intends to live up to that
portion of the agreement which says old
employees shall have the preference
when men are hired, and until that is
violated there will be no grounds to
object.
The insinuations thrown out by some
newspapers which professed to sympa-
thize with the men, that the leaders had
betrayed their trust for money, are not
worthy of notice. That the strike was
managed and conducted with credit to
the men and their orders, and settled
upon the best terms that would likely
be presented, are facts that disapprove
the silly mutterings of editors who feel
aggrieyed because they were not called
upon to assist in putting an end to it.
In conversation with members of the
trainmen's brotherhood we learned that
their opinion of the people who are pro-
claiming the men were defeated is any
thing but pleasant, and they are justly
regarded with suspicion. The men
themselves know what they have gained,
but if any considerable portion of them
could be discouraged and made disgusted
with their leaders, as some newspapers
are trying to have them, the brother
hoods would soon die out on the Lehigh
Valley and the company would have full
sway again.
The victory was the most complete
won by strikers in recent years, and
within three months the full extent of
the terms of settlement, all of which are
not known to the public, will proye this
assertion, providing the employees stick
to their orders and take no notice of dis
gruntled newspapers.
The brotherhoods have chiefs that
any organizations could be proud of, and
their records will not suffer by their ac-
cePtAnce of the best terms that could be
had tAsettle the strike. The Philadel-
phia papers, which dealt with the men
in their news and editorial columns
most unjustly, had to acknowledge it
ended in the employees favor in their
financial reports, as the following from
the Press shows:
The settlement is victory for the
men and a decisive blow to the Wilbur
management. 1t has been the general
opinion on the street that the strike was
foolish piece of business on the part |
both of the company and the employees.
The differences on the face of affairs,
were trivial and should have been ar,
ranged without subjecting the men, the |
company, or the public to the expense
and the inconvenience of which they
have been put. The step having been
taken, however, and the expense hav-
ing been undergone, it was supposed
that the company's officials would stand
firm, but the men have apparently won
a greater victory than any railroad en-
ployes in this country since 1887,
and the company has won practically
nothing.