New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-07
not know these things. or else they are 'ryihs
deliberately to do as much harm as they cah
THE LESSON or LEHTG IT,

THE LESSON or LEHIGH
Now that the Lehigh strike appears to De
settled the labor unions will do well To con-
slider whether on the whole. anything has Deem
gained by II. Granted that The officers OF the
railroad company were unreasonable in their
rruurrments and arrogant and oycrbcarng III
ther treatment If The representatives Of the
employees who sought redress of grievances
and an impartial Judgment of the facts in the
situation. so far rs the public WAS made ac-
u,laintcd with thcm seems to warrant i'll some
degree this assumption-was the action OF the
employees we'll advised. iudicous and the Dest
that could be- taken in all the circumstances!
Would not Il great deal of unnecessary trouble
much los, Of time and money. destruction OF
property and loss of life have boon avold"
and more satisfactory results have been AZ
tanned If thr aggri"v"tl employees had Eoh"
about the work of reaching IN understanding
and settlement with the company with less
passion and preripltancy and more calliliess
and dclibclution? Did not these employees. in
short make thc mistake invariably mad" IN
all labor disputes of starting ont with IN ulti
matum and putting everything M risk upon II !:
Was il WISE on the whole for the leaders To
boas, Of their power. and indulge IN threats
against not only the offending corporation but
all others that would not take sides with them
In bringing it TO terms by boycott:
In the light Of results. how does the language
uscl bv Mr. james Olmstcad. chairman of the
strikers Grievance Committee ut the beginning
of the strike sound to-day! IF necessary
said Mr. Olmstoad. we will stop every Wh"cl
from one end of the country to the other me
Federation has members from the Atlantic 10
the Pacific on every railroad We VIII para
I'VE the traffic Of the United States and even
Canada # that is necessary to win The or
ganiZaiion was so complete and so powerful, he
said that the STRIKE could be easily kept up
for a year without touching our general
fund" he continued. we can stay out SIX
months. giving each member so Il month
When that is exhausted we will use our general
fund, which is sufficient TO support us ut the
same rate for one year more 1t Is evident
enough now that this was empty boastfuness'
the mcrcSt bragghdocio. the wild talk OF Il rccR
less. irresponsible person whose head had been
turned by the accident of Il quasohicial posi-
ton which had brought him into temporary
prominence The misguided men who We're
carried away by that sort Of fuStan doubtless
see now how foolish it was. how reckless and
unwarranied. and how little calculated to do
Anything but harm To their cause
Thoughtful persons who work for their daily
bread. and are aS much interested as Mr.. Olm
stead or any other representative Of organized
labor in having labor we'll rewarded and its
dignity maintained. did not have TO wait ill
the strike was over 10 make mp their minds
that Mr.. Olmsi"ad was talking bom0asiic non
sense. They saw in him only another Martin
Irons. with the prospect Of much shorter ana
possibly more ignominiouS career than the noio-
rious Missouri Pacific leader The tim" when
any man. or for that matter any organized body
Of men, can talk about arresting the business
~ the country and stopping every wheel from
the Atlantic 10 the Pacific without making
themselves laughing stocks has passed. There
was time. perhaps. when such threats did
give momcniary disturbance But IL passed
with The failure Of the great strikes on the
Southwestern railroads and on The Chicago
Burlington and Quincy. The relations between
capital and labor are not necessarily antago
nisic 1t Is only the restless and impatient
half-fhinlicrs on each side who act upon that
theory The experience Of the last ten years
has demonstrated pretty conclusivcly that they
cannot be adjusted by violence or force. VIC
lent methods have been tried IN numberlcss in
stances with no result but failure The strike
that begins with such threats as those Of Mr.
Olmstcad is foredoom"d 10 failure The whole
people will not be- inundated or driven The
hope Of organized labor for the future Is in the
calmcr processes of negotiation. delibcrntion,
arbitration.
The Lchigh strike has been fruitful Of distress
and hardship. with considerable Sacrifc" Of life
and properly. but il will have one good result
at least IL it serves 10 enforc" the lessons of
moderation and patience and exhibit the fulfil
ty OF threats and violence.