The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1894-07-05
THE STRIKE AND STRIKERS.

Bret Harte asks, ''Is the Caucasian
played outf" and we are driven at this
time to echo his question. Is this repub-
Tic able to govern itself?' We are con-
fronted with condition Of things which
seems to show that large number OF well
organized laboring men can tie up the
business OF the country and cause loss,
starvation and damage which are meal
culable; prohibit the carrying on Of q
most important part OF the governments
work, and prevent by intimidation or VIC.
lence those citizens from working who are
willing to work. The whole machinery
Of everyday life Of the nation is paralyzed,
and why? It 10 because one company
viii not accept the scale OF wages fixed by
the labor organization and declines TO
rbitrste the question. The company
says the proposed scale would mean ruin
to II and refuses to arbitrate to that point
but whether that be true or not, in free
country the company should have the
right to pay the wages it thinks ii can
afford and can get competent men to work
for. Anything short of this is not Ameri-
can freedom, but tyranny. To tie up the
business Of the country and so ruin thou
sands; to stop the mails; to cut off the
food supply Of the large centers Of civil
ration for such a cause very closely ap-
proaches the criminal, II it is not clearly
so. The government, unless Ii is to be
looked upon as an aggregation OF inverte-
brste incapables, must put stop to such
. state OF affairs and make its repetition
impossible. The means to be pursued
should be considered with great care, for
labor is entitled to equal rights with capi-
tai; but such wanton exhibition OF power
as has been displayed by the delegated
representatives Of labor by which coun-
try is made to suffer, the fruits of the
farmers toll forced to waste, and many
compelled to endure the want of food
staples, calls aloud for immediate and
vigorous measures. No American citizen
should be intimidated by strikers for
working for whatever wages he chooses,
and the penalty for such intimidation
should be sufficiently sharp to prevent
further unlawful action in that direction.
Labor Is now making a concerted and
determined attack on capital and is driv-
ing capital out OF business. Business IL
languishing and labor cannot find EN-
ployment. This means starvation for
labor and ruin to the country; it means
a winter OF unparalleled hardship. Labor
is putting knife to its own throat and is
deliberately saving away with it. It il
setting the country back for many years
and is bringing the republican form OF
government into discredt. 1t is paving
the way and making necessary military
government that shall be strong enough
to control the enemies Of the common
veal. and the worst enemies OF the COM
monwealth are those within herself who
are strangling liberty and beating her
into the dust. Liberty is not license !;
still less Is 1t tyranny. When two labor
ers take clubs and say to third Thou
shalt not work for so much day, because
we don't choose that You should do so,
what Is this but tyranny? And every
one Of Us Is suffering from this form Of
tyranny to-day. No mans rights are
safe. He has no adequate protection for
his property. II he tills his farm or plants
an orchard he has no assurance that he
can market bis crop, even though the
country is crying for the product OF his
labor. Men will not invest In business
enterprises when they realize that the
delegates OF labor unions can at any time
bring the country TO the verge Of ruin on
the claim Of grievance against some COM
pany or individual. Railroads will not
be built, mines developed or irrigating
canals dug when such conditions exist,
and as result, while all will lose, labor
must inevitably suffer. For the protec-
tion Of labor against itself, and for the
life Of the nation, governmental interior
ence Ia demanded, and that interference,
while tempered with justice for all. should
be sharp and strong in action against
law breakers.