Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-14
DYING Embers Of the Strike.

Mr. pebs Yesterday announced his pur-
pose to declare the strike "of' on condi-
ton that the General-Managers' Asso-
citation would agree not TO blacklist any
OF the men who have not been guilty or
crimes. but the general managers de-
clined to have anything 20 do with MIR.
Debs. Above all were they resolved not
10 permit him TO make any conditions
for them as 10 whom they should employ
or not employ.
This natural course OF conduct on their
part seems 10 have aroused the resent
ment OF Debs. Sovereign. and others; yet
the fact Is that it was cheeky for Mr..
Debs 10 approach the managers at ALL in
person or by proxy.
There may be q good deal OF "skirmish-
Ing for position for a day or days longer,
but all the world knows that the strike
of the American Railway Union has in
gloriously failed. Passenger. mail, and
freight trains are now running on nearly
Gil roads. and II remains to b seen
whether workmen who have no interest
at all in this row are going TO sacrihce
themselves because of Debs's numerous,
oft-repeated. and long-continued blunders'
That the general managers will be glad
70 get back most Of their old employees
We have no doubt: but the managers have
earned the right TO decide for themselves
what they will do in each individual case.
II is not TO he expected hat they will
ever again trust IN Of those persons
who. by words or deeds. directly or indi-
rectly, caused the destruction of their pro-
perry. or endangered the lives of their
EMPLOYEES. Those men who have borne
themselves well throughout the strike. we
feel sure. will be re-employed and without
delay; bat they will W 1t to their
own good record. and not to the inter
cession Of Mr.. Debs.
IL what the Chicago Tribune has had to
say Of the conduct Of the Pullman Com
pany's employees be true. we doubt not
that those men will soon be able 10 come
TO terms with that company, and upon Il
basis mutually satisfactory. If We under
stand the Tribune Alright, no excuses
were committed In the town of Pullman,
and the company's employees helped TO
take care OF the company's property. In
deed. II is stated that being fearful that
intruders might present themselves and
lay waste the town. these employees de-
manded that troops be sent there TO afford
fun protection for the property. and this
was done. At any rate, we may be sure
that the Pullman employees and en-
ployers will come 10 an understanding bet
ter and earlier without than with the help
of Mr.. Debs. 1t H. the wish of all good
people that those strikers who nave Leen
obedient to the letter and spirit ,of the
law may soon get work. again.
From reports made by the chief Of the
Fire Department of Chicago, we judge
that a few hundreds of thousands of dol
lars will cover all the losses by incen-
diary fires there. Many cars and some
bridges. tracks. ,etc., were, however, de-
stroyed at points beyond Chicago's cor
porate limits.
While the total loss by incendiarism Is
large. 1t Is as nothing to the loss in wages
and the loss 10 employers by reason OF
the stoppag Of their business. Larger
still Is the loss which falls upon the
railroad companies Of the country on
account of the interference Of the strikers
with their passenger and freight business,
or the business Of connecting lires.
There is hardly a railroad company In
the land which did not suffer some loss.
direct or Indirect. by the strike, and
the record of this years railroad busi-
ness. when made out. will show this
fact. SO far as the railroad companies
suffered by reason Of damage done TO
their property by mobs. they Will be
compensated in a great degree by recov-
0ing damages from the
where the mobs held sway but we do not
know how they are going to recover
consequential damages. However that
may be. the losses caused by Mr.. Debs's
mad course OF conduct will foot up mil
lions and millions Of dollars in the grand
aggregate. 4 score OF more of lives have
been lost. and many men are thrown out
Of work, and may be idle for months
10 come.
The good done is mainly in the estah-
llshment OF the precedent that the Fedo-
raj Government will not permit lawiess
bands OF men TO interfere with the trans
poriation OF the mails or interrupt inter-
state commerce. And a further evident
good is that the great body of law-abld-
ing, self-respecting. liberty-loving Ameri-
ON workmen Will not permit themselves
TO be controlled ~ Chicago Anarchists.
Every order for a strike emanatng from
Chicago will hereafter be viewed viii
suspicion. The American workman is full
by able to attend TO his own affairs with
out the guidance Of Anarchists.
MIR. J. n. Corbin. district secretary oil
the knights Of Labor. has pithily framed
the true doctrine in the following words
1.-The true leader Of labor now Is the
one who seeks 10 keep reason throned'
who tries 10 keep the masses from
striking. A great storm Is on the coun-
try. The true labor captain will Try TO
steer his sh through II with the least
trouble. The knights OF Labor In the
West will be influenced by nothing else
The wisdom OF their course Will be seen
when the storm is over. Let b look
and think before II jumps"