New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-11
4RBTTR TIE TIME FOR

ARBTTR1 TfON-dND TIE TIME FOR IL.
1t Is better 10 arbiirate than 10 fight. The
Tribune has consistently said so for n great
many years alike with reference TO disputes be
tween nations. disputes between individuals
and disputes between corporations ana their EN-
ployes 1t says now. But arbitration 10 De
Of any use must be proposed and agreed upon
at The right time.
When is II possible 10 arbtratc dispute!
Take for example the dispute between Great
Britain and the United States with rcfercnc" 10
the Alabama claims. suppose the United STATES
after prcferring its bill for the damages To com
merce done by the Confederate cruiser AlabaIna
had first captured and burned lot Of British
ships had then fired upon various British gar
rsons and seized quantity OF British prop
erty. Suppose that when Great Britain began
to ur, back tile United States had screamed
out Don't do this wicked lhng;-lct III arbl-
tratc"
Would Great Britain then have consented 10
arbitration? Would any reasonable person nave
expected her 10 consent Ia arbitration! N"ud
not the civilized world have said that The United
States was acting as sncaking rilhan or
lunatIc or both? i II conceivable That Inc
Geneva arbitration. with It's priceless b"neic"nt
result could ever have followed such begin
ming?
There was n misunderstanding between Tie
Pullman Company and IL employees IA 10 III"
wages The Pullman Company. In these hari
times. could afford TO pay The compnny tx
planned rs position aud offered 10 show n'
books and permit 'hc employees 10 SATISFY th'm-
selves ~ 10 whether H. statements wcr" correct
or not It showed that 1t was doing business ut
n heavy loss: that even ~ The Reduced rate "'
wages proposed II would be- stll doing business
M a loss But IL offered 10 stand THIS smaller
loss for the sake Of keeping the men III en-
ploymrnt II they would accept their share OF me
burden i'm a slight reduction of wages. they
refused Practically arbitration had been APP
preached when an examination ~ The DOCKS
was offered. But II n formal arbitration was
desired that WAS the time for IT, Instead OF
arbitration the employees proposed war Inc
CoInpany simply said, We cant continue ~ do
business AZ "A rninous loss So II you viii ac
cept no reduction We must close our works ahd
wait for better times" The employees said You
must keep your shops open and employ us at
the old wages or We viii force You 10 even II
we have 10 turn fhc country upside down III
doing IT," After time they induced other or
p,nizations 10 strike IN their behalf; and
dragged In all manner OF people VINO mao no
nosslblr concern In the struggle These people
were told that their business too should be- de-
stroycl unless they forced the Pullman Com
pany 10 reopen It's works at loss ana re-
engage it's employees nj the old wages. Kali
WAYS were stopped. railway property was seized,
Pullman cars were attacked wherever fouhi,
millions Of property were destroyed. many hui
man lives have been lmpcrillcd and consid-
cradle number lost After all this they ask
for arbitration, and are amazed that the moral
sense Of The plain people Of thc United States
does not support their demand.
The time 10 arbiirate Is before beginning Il
fight: not after having forced the fighting and
got beaten at II. The real theory OF arbitration
IL that the matter shall be left 10 peaceful al
iustmcnt instead of a resort 10 force 1t cannot
possibly be Justly demanded after a resort TO
force has been wantonly made and the contest
has been lost. There are three ways Of settling
a dispute men may 90 10 law about It, they
NAV fight il out, or they may leave 1t 10 arbira-
ton. But 10 rational person expects 10 try the
first or the second or both, in the belief that
after having failed In these he can then compel
his victorious antagonist TO give him still
chance TO try the third.
BY all means arbitrate wherever possible;-
but arbitration prccedes, not follows fight.