The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-11

40 tOOh pOAiO1 w NV ohN wv AA'S'
Wickes' Tactical Mistake.
The refusal of the vice president Of
the Pullman Car company TO submit
statement of facts to a committee of
arbitration to consist Of two members
named by the Pullman company, two
named by the circuit court judges of
Cook county and fifth to DO chosen
by the previously selected four. may be
correct according to an unyielding in
terpretation OF the legal principles in
volved; but it is in effect one of those
rigid actions that, Judged by their imme.
diate consequences upon the people,
comprise tactical mistakes. Ii it be true,
as the Pullman officials claim, that the
wage demand of their former employees
meant actual less to the company and
was therefore not TO be conceded, it
would haveIstrengthened the company'a
position to have had this fact clearly
established in the finding of an impair
tial tribunal The indignant refusal
which Vice President Wickes IN lde to
this overture adds unnecessarily to the
passions of the hour, gives rise to the
suspicion that an investigation is fear
ed; aud gains nothing FOR the company.
Understand, we do not in the slight.
est measure question the perfect right
of the Pullman company to manage
its own business in its own way,
so long as tnat management does not
constitute public offsnse. But when
it does constitute public offense
when by obstinacy or indiscrstion it
incurs upon the innocent public losses
that the public does not deserve to
bear, and when, particularly 10 mo-
ment OF widespread passion aud excite.
mant, the management of that private
business pursues course OF arrogant
superiority and indifference to the suf-
fering public from which it derives its
commercial support. then we claim it
is time for public sentiment to crystal
lie against such management and to
show it, by orderly and peaceable
methods, that it Is occupying an errone.
Gus position, from which it should, in
Difference to the public, at once rocede.
The present general strike, that is to
say the labor movement best known as
the Dets movement. is utterly and
completely wrong. II is false in priu.
ciple and vicious in practice. 1t as.
sumes preposterous things and attempts
things still more impossible, There il
not man on strike In this country to,
day, apart from the 5000 men directly
concerned in the original wage dispute
at Pullman, who has any right TO bs in
the warlike position that Debsism has
placed him in. IL he has legal right,
which is doubtful. we yet claim that
he has no moral right thus to declare
war against public prosperity when he
has no cause of his own to fight about.
But when this is said, we are perfectl y
free to add that the wrong done by la
Dor, under demagogical and unwis,
leadership, cannot be offset, either il
theory or in fact. by another wrong
done. through the selishness of tn,
Pullman company officials, in refusing
to bulge an inch, although they knew
that millions Of Americans, through
no fault Of their own. would suffer il
const tqIence OF that refusal.
The man who boasts that he never
gives way in Difference to others, ever
though he may think himself right, i
the incarnation OF selfi,hness and van
ity; and is not good citizen, Their
is not an employer in this city who
does not have to make concessions oc
casionally; and none, we trust, who il
unwilling to do this when by doing 8
he can benefit others without injurinI
himself. We fear that the vice presi
dent Of the Pullman company ha
taken the wrong tack in this matter
lie declares that the company canno
pay more wages, but refuses to max
public the proof. The American pee
pie do not wish to impugn his veracity
but they do not regard him as superio
to any one of themselves; and they
therefore. deem 1t not unjust propo
stion that he should volunteer th
same Difference to fairly constitute
tribunal of inquiry and arbitration,
there should be anything to arbitratt
that they would volunteer were th
circumstances reversed
To recipitulate: Debsism Is wron
and must be crushed. Business in tn
country cannot be conducted unde
circumstances that make it uncertai
for employers how soon their men ma
be ordered out" grievance or n
grievance. at the caprice and bee
simply OF one autocrat or one board {
autocrats paid salaries for fomsntin
mischief This will not do. Contrac
involving future delivery dare not |
assumed on such unstable conditions
Capital, sure Of Its principal. will nj
seek interest by investment while l
profits are thus shrouded In unfa
doubt Labor will suffer from 1t. mo
Of all, first in the withdrawal OF cap