The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-07-19
ABOUT STRIKES.
WHY STRlkFS ARE HRON6 AND SHOULD
Sc PREVENTED
THE NOS0PoLIsTs AND THE GOV.
EKNME.>T HAVE SIT LABOR a
FAD EXAMPLE.

THE MoSGPOLISTS AND THE GOV
EKNME>T HAVE SIT LABOR a
FAD EXAMPLE.
An Independent Thinker Presents the
Subject in a New Light.--He Suggests "a
Remedy that Crush strikes More Effect
lively Than the L. :. Army.
Cincinnati Enquirer
K. T. Butler, a well-known com
mercial traveller of this city, who Is
absent from Cincinnati about SIX
months in every year. has some orig
inal ideas on the subject of strikes.
aud has evolved what he believes
would be remedy for the present
depression. In conversation with a
representative of the Enquirer he
gave the following views:
This seems to be an age of strikes
and II tlay be well to examine the
principle hich underllts the strike.
The principle which governs the
strike anC the corner are one and the
same. Strikes date from an early
period iE human history. From the
good book We learn that Jacob in his
time seems to have worked up
A CORNER ON FoTTAGE.
Esas was short on pottage, and
was Ike the fellow in Texas who
wanted a guI-'he wanted it very
bad Jacob. realizing the situation
got on a strike and made Esau give
up his birthright for mess of pot
tage, not because pottage was scarce,
but because Jacob controlled the
supply aud was able TO fix the price
'All down the past ages to the
present time attempts have been
made by individuals and by organ
ized bodies af men to corner and
control the supply of something 9th
er people were compelled to have,
and thus, by fixing the price, adopt
the principles of the strike.
Men owning long rows of tene-
ment houses require them to remain
vacant until those who wish to occu-
py them are compelled to pay the
rental price fixed. These men know
what the houses cost and the amount
of taxes they are compelled to pay,
and they have Il legal right to fix the
price at which they will rent them
But so long us they remain vacant,
with thousands of families crowded
into shanty boats or tramping the
streets and public highways in "a
homeless condition because they can
not pay the price, the principle the
house owner acts upon must neces-
sarily be that of the strike.
THE LAW JtSTIFIES HIM
In acting on that principle, but does
not Justify him in destroying other
mems houses in order to make mar
ket for his own.
"The railroad company acts upon
the principles of the strike when it
runs long trains across the country
half filled with passengers, when its
coaches might be filled to the last
seat if it would carry passengers at
what they feel they can afford to
pay.
"The railroad company has legal
right to run empty coaches if it wants
to, but no right to destroy other
means of transportation n order to
compel the people to pay its price.
"This refers to the legal right, not
the moral right. Whatever may be
the opinion Of the reader as to the
moral right of a railroad company or
other property owner, the legal right
must prevail, because we are a law
abiding people, with the law-making
power resting in the hands of the
people so that if any law conflicts
with any moral principle the people
have the power to change that Law,
and, until they do it they should
abide by the law. The President of
the United States would stand high
er IN the affections of the people than
he does to-day had he observed this
principle.
"Had he not considered public
office a public truss patterned some
what after the sugar trust, and used
its emoluments to force legislation
inimlcal to the interests of the peo-
pie, they would read of his fishing
and snipe hunting expeditions with
a greater degree of tolerance.
"But Grover had "a corner on pub
lie offices, so he got on a strike, and
uses public patronage for all it is
worth. So there seems to be various
kinds of strikes. The real estate
man who holds his vacant lots for
his price acts on the same principle
as the laborer who refuses to give up
his labor until he can get his price
The hackdriver who stands idly wait,
ing for a fifty cent passenger when
he could fill his hack constantly al
five cents per ride is
ON A PERPETUAL STRIKE.
He has right to be, as he knows
what he can afford to carry passen
gers for.
He organizes to keep prices up
So do other classes of laborers. 5,
do railroads and most other classe:
of business enterprises. just nov
we seem to be in a strike period, ant
people are an1iously asking wher,
it will end.
"a militia company in West Vir
ginia is reported to be Oil a strike
The police at Ft. Wayne, Ind, arr
said to be among the strikers. Goa
miners everywhere are on strike
Their employers are also on strike
The former strike for more none,
and less work, while the latter strik
for more work and less money. Wha
is the cause of all this striking?