The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-17
THE AGITATORS INNINGS.

| pointed by the President to investigate
the Chicago strike gives agitators plenty
Of cause for jubilation.
The report is a most remarkable doc
ument, if the printed portions give n
fair idea Of the whole. 1t was
to be expected that the cause
OF the strikers would be presented
in a much more favorable hight than
it appeared in during the trouble. But
the acrid flavor of the report seems TO be
quite unjustified by such facts as have
been known TO the public.
However, The News has no disposi-
tion to assume to hold or express final
opinion relative to the report until 1t is
at hand in its complete form, when it
will probably be found to be rather
different from the meagre synopsis
that has been published.
If it bears out the Interpretation put
upon it by what has been published 1T
will certainly appear that in this instance
at least labor has received recognition to
the exclusion Of capital, and that a long
step has been taken by n Government
commission toward official recognition
Of doctrines that lean heavily toward
socialism, as it is popularity understood in
this country. In reality, however, the
practice and 2rofessed objects OF the
General Managers Association come
very much nearer to socialism in prac-
tice, though lacking the essential funda-
mental of equal benefit to all contribut-
ing TO earning power.
The argument used by the commits
sion is, in effect, that it Is wrong for
railroad companies TO combine effort 10
secure great benefits, because it is as
sumed that those benefits will not be
Justly distributed among tho'e who help
10 secure them. Because the whole OF
the body OF men laboring u.on and for
railroads may not participate IN certain
savings Of money, the money shall not
be saved.
1t is not attempted here to prove this
attitude false, nor the reasoning that
leads TO it fallacious-though strong
argument might be easily constructed
upon that line. The public benefits
flowing from economical management
Of railroads are far reaching, and affect
much greater bodies than the employees
form.
The report, so far as it is known. is a
conglomerate of approval and rejection
of socialistic postulates. The recon-
mendations could every one be fully
realized through Government ownership
and operation of the railroad, and they
cannot be realized in any other way.
The moment the Government assumes
to intervene between railroad manage
ment and railroad employees it assumes
responsibility for influences that may
mean very much to the owners ofthe rail
roads. II the Government, 10y extraor-
binary law or commission, makes 1t inn
possible for railroads to pursue policies
that would result in greater earnings for
the stockholders, is not the Government
assuming control OF railroads that in
wolves responsibility for dividends
also?
That part Of the report referring to
the Pullman Company is more easily
concurred in, because it is evident that
the anormous earnings of that company
make it possible for 1t to deal
not only justly but generously with
It's employees; which it apparently has
not done. 1t is to be noted that the
commissions recommendations touch
he Pullman difficulty only generally,
though there was found the most cause
for condemnation and the strongest de-
mand for rectification.