New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-10
THE CRUELTY or A STRIKE.


British employers decided. IN order TO force
satisfactory ending of a dispute about wages.
that thpy would lock out all their hands and
shut M all their mills IN every department OF
industry. Never has there been an act more
passionately denounced by worklngmen than
this. They pointed to the frightful suffering
which resulted. to the great endurance shown
by the men. and to the inhuman cruelty Of the
employers In denying labor to many thousands
who had families depending upon them, and
reused really strong public feeling against
the harshncss Of the measure adopted. But in
what one particular does this step differ from
the great strike Of many thousand workers In
building and other trades which The unions
mediate and In some cities have Orlcrcdf
Tho result for the men Is exactly The same,
whether shops are closed by owners or by en-
ploycs In each case the men lose working time
and wages and have 10 face great priyation
and suffering for themselves and those dear 20
them In both cases the man who has capital
can walt and lose nothing but the profits which
he might have realized, though N the risk ncvi-
table in all industrial operations. In both cases
he has the advantage ~ sure rise in the prices
Of such products lie may have on hand. Thus
many believe that the coal and coke operators
through the advance in price Of the coal they
held than they would have made In the same
time had their mines been kept constantly in
operation. For the men there + no such com
pcnsation They have. az rule, no large re-
serves upon which 10 live during months Of
idlcncss. They run into debt. and find their
very lives mortgagcd FOR months or years to
come or else they endure privaton or suffer
aha.
cruelty Of such n mode OF forcing Il settlement
Is undenabc. but It Is exactly the same when
the stoppagc Of work is ordered by their own
organization as when the men have 10 face an
attempt by employers to cocrce them.
Not only the men deprived of all work, but All
labor must suffer. In consequence Of the en-
forced idlcncss of many. They inevitably re-
strict their purchases, and must buy fewer boots
md shoes from the shoemakcrs. fewer hats
from the hattcrs. fewer yards OF cloth from the
woollcn or cotton or silk mills. fewer vegetables
and meats and other food from the farmers.
All around the circle OF industrial lnfcrdcpcn-
dcncc the loss IS distributed, and everybody has
TO bear some share Of II. getting less work and
less wages because part OF the lnborlng force
Is deprived Of an opportunity 10 labor and to
earn and thus 10 expcnd rs usual. But this
enormous loss to the entire nody or Wage-"arP
ers Is exactly the same whether the stoppage IL
the cruel weapon OF employers or the result OF
an order by some union.
II Is amazing folly 10 suppose that the cause
Of labor can be- helped 10y distressing aborers
and dcprlvlng them Of work and earnings. To
give them more work and better wages IL al
ways TO help them But 10 take away part OF
the work they might have Ia do. and part OF the
wages they might earrl Is 70 lessen the demand
for all labor 10 exhaust Its resources for self
defence and 10 intensity the competition be-
tween many hands Offering 10 do the same work.
The organization which orders a strike makes
war directly on the men deprived Of work ana
Indirectly on the entire body 81 wage-carncrs III
the hope that the anxiety Of some employer for
profit may prove more powerful than the hunger
OF workers for bread. Unless there Is clear and
certain ground for belief that The employer has
before him largo profits II he works. the strike
only gives him greater opportunity and greater
power Bur the sympathetic strike. the refusal
10 WORK FOR one employer unless he can persuade
or compel some other employer 10 do some
thing. is the crnzicst and most stupid OF all
devices profcSselly 10 help labor. No wonder
It almost always fails. and always brings upon
labor losses out OF all comparison with the benc-
FITS sought.