New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-14
IdULES>NESS JUSTIFIED.

I4ULFS>NESS JUSTIFIED.
Tho rnnort Of The Presidents commission on
tho Chicago strike is an elaborate document
tending to Justify indirectly the DepS n'"'i'',"
rho commissioners it is trli" condemn me
or,i.sion i'm the Constitution of the Ahl'ric""
Railway Union Of an adequate provision
far the punishment or dis1uai'hrd'i"" VI
mcnh,rs who nstigatc or commit Violence
toward persons or property. lh'y HlSo W.
,,r, fiat unless labor organizations take hoio
Of this question vigorously ana dscipi'h' ANU
central tbcir own members cffcctually, they are
certain To forfeit public sympathy III 'h''r COR
,cutious with corporations and employers, ana
- ,ucrif defeat even when their cau-" Is Just
put with these reservations the report prac-
,jcaIIy vinl'catcS the cause Of The strikers our
in, IN. civil war of last summer. and proposes
a scric, Of drastic regulations Tor co'"p'''i"N
nor,,r,tion. +, submit 10 arbitration in similar
circumstances If The report h"d p"'h pun
lish,I a month ago Dcbs might have secured Il
nomination for Congress on the srchS'h VI IT,
and thep have used it ~ an election document
We have no desire to b. unjust 10 the com
r,ission Doubtless il has male painstakinG
effort 10 hc impartial in collecting lh"r"'"""
,.,...,.tin, thc causes Of the strike. and. moro
over II has been ln1urHc'u ny " Nv" ~ ''
responsibility in recommending measure ~,
preventing the recurrence III i'''i '''"',
such tremendous magnitude rs 'HoS' vi '
summer. These and many other 'ohc''S'"'
max readily hc granted in eN''nul'l"h III ''l'H
extraordinary report Hut when All i s"'u' NV
fact remains that the commission has "''''
miZoI ia its recital the laWi'Ssh'>S '''' ""''''!
~ those who rcbcllcd against g"Vcrhii''"' III"
.f.l. 10
law anl has expressed lis h'hp'ra" c"i'' ~
ton that the Pullman 'pllih! ann INV ''''''''
Managers Association IN the neat "' tue c""-
nici ought + have arhiiralcd the questions III
Ie,uc. or a., least ought To- have been willing 10
Admit ihlt there wa. something which m'gh'
plop.rly be- amicIhy adjusted Such p"h'y'
II, ,ho Judgment of The commission. would nav"
..prc, .ntcd ia" boss of lie and great loss "f
property AMI scs occaSiorrd hy the Strih''
That declaration involves a plain ana dlrc't
justification ~ the proceedings of Debs ana his
,.s,cl,tr.
II VIII bc remembered that the Mayor of
Detroit EXPRESSED similar views In the crisis or
fh, strike anl made strenuous eXcrtions 10 in
forest the Mavors II other cities in the qu"s-
ton ami ~ obtain their cooperation. Ry his
ia timed course hc brought rliiculc upon himself
and impaired reputation ~ rri"rmrr Which
IA, had prey lousy won. Aln'rlclnS were NOT
di~r,,,I thea - listen patiently 10 demands for
arbitration when frlin-Wr,ckug. murder ami
mob rule were the order Of the day and when
elite, East and West were m'ndcod with famine
and the existence II the Government drpcndTi
upon inhcXiblc francs> and the immediate sap
n,..s.ion # the Irresponsible dictatorship ~
p,bS What WIS rcissUi1ng then WAS the IN
compromising talk If strong men like Senator
Davis. who were adequately impressed with the
terrible gravity Of the rebellion asans; author
ity What was indispensable then WAS an abSo-
lutte refusal on the part Of til" Pullman Com
plny and the General Managers Association
10 do what the commissioners now say they
ought 10 have done.
Fortunately In that crisis President Cleveland
did not send these commissioners To treat for
arbitration. bui the United States Army 10
restore order tn" labor conflict was then set
He'd. not III the way when the commission no"
approves. but somehow ana not day 100 S""h'
But another struggle OF similar magnitude may
be- less easily adjusted in future for the palpabe
'H"''"' W. '"''''r"' '''''' "''' W. ''