New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-16
STRIKES or TUO KINDS.

This has been a great year OF education III
regard 10 strikes The magnitude the hhpor-
lance and the number Of strikes TINS year nave
forced the people TO think much more closer!
than before I'm regard 10 the nature of Strikes
and the reasons for them. and the CONDITIONS
which entitc them 10 public sympathy me
year has thus compelled people to understand
that strikes differ widely in character. ana tila'
while some deserve The utmost sympathy anu
! cncoura gcmcnt others deserve no Iavor OF
frcndlincss whatever. 1t Is this aspect OF the
matter which renders the experience OF III" year
extremely important. Hitherto disposition mas
been general 10 sympathizc with the WORKING
neonlc of whatever class. and whatever wages
they were receiving. whenever they MANIFEST
tbeIr dissatisfaction by refusing TO continue
work. But the public has now been taught al"
many OF the working people themselves nave
learned that there are strikes when deserve
no support.
This the country has seen strikes FOR the eN
press purpose of maintaining rate OF wages
much above that paid for similar labor IN DINER
occ,,pations or localities 1t Is not for the good
of the people TO pay an especial tax TO support
n sort of labor aristOcracy. and ii is far from
beneficial 10 the laboring people as body that
such wide and apparently unfair discrmna-
tions between workers Of different classes
should be maintained by their cooperation Kea-
sonable differences unquestionably exist i'll the
CONDENSATION 10 which men who do Indifferent
kinds Of work are entitled. For some the nigh
Ok, skill Is required which can be attained only
nv long and EXPENSIVE training. and when such
mon receive 4 compensation higher Than il paid
10 workers who require such skill and train
ing the Workingmen themselves and the pub
lie regard the difference justified In like
manner the unusual risks attending some KINDS
Of labor Justify higher compensation than would
he maid for the same services II under c!rcum-
stances not involving such risks. But wherever
any Organized body Of workers has demanded
wages exceptionally high. considered with refer
ence 70 the nature Of the occupation and III"
measure Of skill and training required the sym
pathy of the public has been rightly withheld
from the strikers when the circumstances haN"
become understood.
In another class Of cases the strikers them
selves have forfeited public confidence and sym
pathy by their disregard Of The rights Of other
working people and by violation of the laws.
II IS not necessary 70 mention instances which
have been. unhapply. too frequent within me
last year In every such instance disastrous fall
IRE has resulted and has been due i'll some
measure 10 the fact that the conduct OF the
strikers deprived them Of public encouragement
and sympathy and also deprived them in large
measure Of the hearty support OF the working
organizations. For II Is but just 10 say that The
great body Of wage-earners in this country are
law-abiding and upright citizens. who mean 10
deal Justly and to respect the rights OF Others
and II they find themselves prccipitated Into
struggle in which they are arrayed, as members
of the American Railway Union We're. against
the laws Of the country and against civil order
they invariably withhold their support ana sym
pathy to such an extent that the success OF the
strike becomes impossible.
different spectacle IS presented by such
strikes as that OF the garment makers in This
city, Here there Is no question Of undue or cN-
ceptonal compensation for labor; the workers
are admitted by all to be not only poorly paid.
but so poorly that 1t Is barely possible for them
10 get a subsistence. In great number OF cases
not only the health and even the lives OF indi-
yj(uals are sacrificed, but that which Is more
precious than life Under the conditions which
have prevailed and ut the compensation which
has been paid the very existence Of family life
and of an American home becomes impossible,
the maintenance Of self-rcspcct. the education OF
of a coming generation Of Americans. The pub
lie rightly feels that It Is time such labor as this
should STOP no matter what may be the pre-
text or the conditions which have caused IT, Nor
can ii be said that the strikers in this case have
prejudiced their cause by injustice toward other
workers or by disregard Of the law. Their he
havor has been to an exceptional degree, peace
able and orderly They have not tried 10 deny
A. VIZ
at such compensation as they may see IN. They
have not attempted to establish monopoly Of
labor or to deprive others Of the rights for
which they contend. 1t is not strange that I'M
der such circumstances this strike has received
an unusual measure Of public sympathy. and
the more from those who have been educated
by the events Of the last year TO discriminate
between those struggles Of labor which deserve
confidence and support, and those which deserve
no support whatever