The record-union., 1894-07-16
wealth. and making it impossible for him
to do what / want done.

most starved, spied the enemy's camp
filled with provisions and a camp of their
own people lying between. They forthwith
fired hot shot through the camp of their
friends and burnt both friend and enemy
out at once, and in the act destroyed all
the provisions in both camps. Fool,
say you? What else can you say? Yet
such is what every strike has proceeded
to DO since the first one was inaugurated.
The strike is not only immoral and
unreasonable, but, in view of its destruc-
tive tendencies, it is foolish. You can
imagine savages doing such foolish
things. but when it comes to civilized
Americans, God forgive us for our blind
ness. The strengthening OF this
"YoUNG BULLDOG OF ANARCHY
At the expense of the public is not what
IS wanted here in America. Now, let me
tell you something about the cost of this
prehistoric method of obtaining justice.
The first strike that we have any knowl-
edge of according to the United States
Commission of Labor occurred among
the bakers of New Hork In l74l. Up to
1881, strikes, including lockouts. num-
bered l 1,49l. OF these, 3l6 were success
ful, 5S3 failed, and no report can be found
concerning the rest, nor can it be ascer-
tanned what the loss VAS.
COST OF STRIKES.
"The loss in Pittsburg in 1877, in prop
erty destroyed, was S5,000,00O, for which
the courts finally decreed that the county
must be responsible. Since 1881 the
United States Government has preserved
accurate reports of all strikes and lock-
outs. and during the period that followed
up to 1886 tine State Library does not
contain later reports), l have found the
figures to be as follows:
Number OF strikes during the period,
1902, involving 1,323, ,203 employees For
ty-two per cent. were for increase of
wages, 19 per cent. for reduction OF hours,
per cent. against reduction of wages,
less than l per cent because of sympathy
with other strikers.
1.-THE loss in wages during these strikes
Ito the strikers themselves) amounted to
S5l, ,SI4,723. The loss to wage-earners
through lockouts during the same period
was IS, l57, III, making the total loss to
labor within fraction of SOC, 900, 600 dur
ing six years. This is exclusive of the
loss sustained by the public, which OF
course cannot be estimated. The loss to
wealth, as such, is of course total. The
loss to the strikers who gained an ad-
vance was in time made up by that adj
vance, but the loss to the strikers who
failed was total.
IN THE PRESENT STRIKE,
INDUCED in through sympathy and at a
time when business is dull and the finan-
cial condition Of the country at large as
bad or worse than it has been at any time
since the war, the effect cannot be any,
thing but disastrous. Increase of wages
was not asked, yet California is asked to
lose her fruit crop and all business in the
State to stand still in the hope that In
some way the suffering caused here may
soften the heart of man in his summer
home on the Hudson so that he will run
the Pullman works at loss to its stock
holders, because the autocracy of the
American Railway Union demands il.
An excuse is made that6he strike here
is Furnishing the Pacific Railroad for past
otfenses to the people of the State. The
people Of the State who are or have been
supporting the strike through sympathy
might just as well challenge the railroad
corporation to throw bags of gold into the
Pacific Ocean, turn about, until one or
the other gave in. In addition, they are
compelling those not in sympathy with
the strike TO do likewise.
This is what it amounts to, friends,
and this Is the way | would have you see
it, in the hope that you may all rank
your sympathies on the side of law and
Order-on the side of reason and human
lty, on the side of morality and religion
until by the proper exercise of our
liberties and our power. as citizens, we
can bring about those reforms we all so
much desire. If any of you still differ
from me, | will concede the possibility of
deeper insight than my own, but as yet
fail to see how evil for evil can be justi-
fed by either reason, morality or re-
ligion.
Il am willing to believe that it has
been the rising tide of human sympathy
that has brought things to the pass that
they are now in, but reason has been for
gotten and love has been overridden by
passion. Because | believe that there is
moro human sympathy in the world to-
day than ever before, [ am willing TO
trust it, under the guidance of
'THE GENIUS OF LIBERTY,
To bring harmony out of chaos and finally
create an actual kingdom of heaven
among men.
Even the strike will help this on, for
the lesson of its defeat will compel
thought and patience on the part of those
engaged in it, and rivet the attention of
statesmen to the. enormous possibilities
of evil in the hands of those who, by the
power of their wealth. control the desti-
MES Of thousands of our fellow men, and
again the enormous possibilities OF evil
in the hands of organized labor.
1.-The American Revolution of 1776 was
not strike for higher wages (such as is
back of all this turmoiD; it was reaction
against monarchy in the name of the then
new idea of representative government
At its very inception it took on the form
of a government, and was not under the
control of one man who in the name of
justice, acted The part of an autocrat.
"Our civil war was the result of a reac-
ton against the principles of party in a
representative government which, by the
exercise Of the franchise, had been placed
in power. The Reformation OF the six
teenth. century had its origin in the rise
of the national consciousness of the peo-
ceeded because IL league with such ma
tional consciousness, in league with the
laws of the land against the Church. So
must all reforms aspire to succeed. The
pie of Europe, and the Reformation sue
shareholders rebellion took on the form
of government, but failed, because not
in harmony with the advancing genius
of liberty and reform. The majority of
those engaged in it are now glad that it
failed.
$50 l believe the majority of those en-
gagged IN this strike will come to see that
its success would mean retrogression in
stead of progress, and will see the neces-
sity of organizing TO reform the Govern
ment by the ballot and not by the re-
turning of evil Tor evil.
Some of the writer's on the situation,
whose sympathies have been with the
strike (and, mark you, there is differ
ence between sympathy with the strik-
ers and sympathy with the strike), have
tried to shield their position under the
claim that Jesus was 'disturb ber.' So he
was, but because he said, AS We would
that men should do unto you so do ye
unto them.' This was a new doctrine to
his auditors, and they were disturbed.
Jesus was no striker, in the sense that
we are compelled to understand that term
to-day. But. as one of my teachers used
to say, Next to the grace of God is the
ability to distinguish between things that
differ
Let us pray for that ability, and with