The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1894-11-29
CARROLL WRIGHT HITS BACK.

Carroll Wright has replied briefly bu
most vigorously TO the open letter in tn
Raii,Cay Age which charged gross insccu
racy in the findings OF the strike commits
sion. 1t cannot he for moment doubted
that Mr.. Wright has had at his com
msnd fuller sources OF information thar
has the Railway Age. He says deliber
steiy that "every material position tsker
by the Railuay -ige is false" He also
claims that the evidence taken by th,
commissioners. and which is shortly tt
be published by congress, will prove the
correctness Of their findings.
II this be so, and we must all hopt
that it is, the work done by the commits
sion will prove most valuable service tc
the country. II is of the very highest
Importance that the relations OF labor and
capital, all the workings of one as bear.
ing on the other, In short the causes OIL
these disastrous strikes should be SET
truthfully and clearly in the light OF day,
Capital should have nothing to fear from
this, nor should labor. 1t will be nc
light satisfaction to the people should II
be found that this commission, appointed
to inquire into question OF national inn
portance. has conducted that inquiry in q
spirit at once fearless and above party
bias and demagogism.
The hinty heartedness of incorporated
capital has passed into proverb so, too,
has the inconsiderate, easily led, restless
ness Of uneducated labor. Here are all
the requirements for getting up pretty
row at any time-nay, all the time. The
law must regulate the interaction OF these
two with special care, just as special care
is taken to keep sparks away from gun
powder.
We smile at the bygone barbarism in
which might was right; but there is too
much Of the old law left. The big fellow
who gets n smaller, weaker one down,
and bali strangles him, we call coward
ly brute. Have we ever found, or tried
TO put ourselves in the position OF the
small fellow, weak in intelligence, in
inherited and educated acquisitive. exec
utive, business power?
Labor has been bullied by intelligent
organized capital. 1t is no excuse to say
that capital furnished the work that kept
labor from starving. We must have fair
play. Labor is organizing now, and is
becoming strong. He has been to GER
tain extent brutaIized by his wrongs, and
when he thinks that the screws are being
put on he gets mad, and in his determin-
alton to hurt his supposed Or real oppres-
sor, he hurts himself, and everyone
within the sweep of his briarean arms.
He must be made to understand two
things. First, that there are two sides to
this question, his own, and Capitals, and
that II they cannot agree, the law must
settle which is right, or to what extent
one is right or the other wrong. Second.
that he must behave himself like q
rational being, and not bully his fellow
workmen, or destroy the business of the
country. In these two lie all the law
and the prophets. But you must first
dispose his mind to the understanding
and accepting of these points by convinc-
ing him that he. is to be protected in the
enjoyment Of his rights, and is to receive
fair play. 1t is in this direction that We
look for the first and best results from
the report Of the strike commissioners.
Everybody should read the report when
1t is made public. Legislation is certain
to result from the investigation of this
commission, and OF the Importance of
such legislation no one need be warned
We can't have peace without justice be-
tween men, but neither can we afford to
let our zeal run away with our discretion,
and so meet out the sort OF Justice that
o'erleaps itself.