The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1894-07-12
COMPULSORY ARBITRATION
A MISNOMER.

The Pittsburg Post, IN talking Of the
labor troubles takes a reasonable and
we believe a correct view of the stu
alton. Its suggestion of Compulsory
Arbitration" seems to us a misnomer
and purely visionary. Arbitration
must be the voluntary submission of
differences to the judgment of third
party and can never be the result of
force.
Force destroys the very essence of
the remedy, and leaves it powerless
for good.
Otherwise we agree with the Post
in every particular which is as follows:
"While it is of the first Importance
that the laws shall be maintained, the
public peace preserved, and the rights
of individuals and the protection of
property secured, yet when all this
is done, as to these labor troubles, the
fact remains that force settles nothing
permanently. "The POST has been
preaching this doctrine ever since the
disastrous riots of 1877 with the in
tent of securing some other methods
of adjustment than the barbarous and |
brutal one of strikes and lockouts
which bear about the same relation to
the civilization Of the age as would a
recurrence to the medieval plan of
trial by battle to settle the ownership
of tract of land or point Of relig-
ious faith. Not much progress has
been made in the direction of arbitra-
ton. We were equal to settling the
seal bother with Great Britain by a
snowy and costly arbitration. The
people decreed it should be done that
way rather than run the risk of IN
international STRIKE" yet the seal
question was Of infnitesimal impor-
tance when compared to the labor
troubles, present and prospective, that
now aff1ict this land to the borders of
civil war.
We have no doubt that force will
be fully competent to put down the
present troubles in some sort of way,
but it will not be lasting way. 1t
will be merely an armed truce. In
1877 the labor riots in Pittsburg and
throughout the country were ''set-
tied" by federal and state troops, but
they have required resettling half
dozen times since by federal and
state troops, and what is now going
on shows that they will not remain
settled. 1t appears to be in evidence
that the dread of troops is growing
less. The soldiers of IA given locality
cannot be relied on to suppress labor
riots in that locality. There is dan
ger, as there was in the streets of
Paris, of the fraternization of the me- b
and the national guard. Not id Penn
sylvania, but there have been indica-
tions of it in the west. Following this
condition comes in very naturally
demand for the increase of the regu
lar army, and that the whole matter
be handed over to the hired soldiery.
"Give US half a million regulars to
keep the labor agitators down." is
cry that is heard in the land. 1t won't
work. Force will not settle on per-
manent basis these constantly increas
ing outbreaks.
The danger now is of confedera-
ton of all trades, which is the dream
of Powd rly and Gompers and other
labor leaders. 1t seems to us that
events are tending that way. 1t would
be fearful in its results. 1t would ex-
tend the principle of the railroad
strike in sympathy with the Pullman
workers to all branches of productive
industry. We will see such convul-
sion as that in this country before it
is many years older unless we devise
some other plan than that of brute
force-the strike, the lockout and
troops.
The American people should de-
mand from their lawmakers an
amicable method Of adjusting these
troubles at their inception. 1t is
within the range of their power and
duties. Public sentiment should be
educated in that direction. 1t should
supersede all other questions of state
and national concern. When the
people become desperately in earnest
and when has there been greater neces-
sity for earnestness than now exists, since
April, 1861?-the remedies will be
forthcoming. To say that the Ameri-
can people, who put down tbs great
rebellion, confscating and expending
billions of property and half a million
lives, are not equal to the emergency
of devising and enforcing plan for
the peaceable settlement of these dis
putes between labor and capital, is to
deny them the common sense and