The record-union., 1894-07-23
TIE RETURN TO REASON.

THE RETURN TO REASONs
The decision of the called meeting of
the Railway Union on Saturday declar-
ing the strike ended placed the strikers
who called that meeting in a far better
light and paved the way to total clearance
of the present trouble. The railroad
company, under the protection of the
laws that run to the defense of the right
of every citizen, had opened the chief
lines of travel already, and the boycott
had entered upon its death before the
breath of public opinion some time be-
fore.
BUTT was commendable work that Sc
cured the action of Saturday by the strik-
ers. The abandonment by them of the
strike policy was well. the declaration they
made was wise and evidenced a return to
reason, and conviction on their part of
the error under which they had hereto
fore proceeded.
For we understand it not to be merely
aelfshness nor pressure of circumstances
that induced the action. On the contrary,
the greater burden of opinion among the
men is that they had been hasty and I'M
reasonable and that they had not fully
estimated the danger and unwisdom of
swearing away their right to be free will
agents; that they did not until very re-
Gently fully realize that they had actually
put their liberties, self-respect and free
will absolutely and apparently irrevoca-
bly, into the keeping of a committee far
away that exacted such obedience as
comes only from slaves and never from
free American citizens
The men also awoke to the importance
of another truth, that they were being
hoodwinked; when their leaders had
been telling, abjuring and commanding
them not to believe the newspapers, to
discredit the Associated Press dispatches.
TO reject everything they saw in the city
papers. and take the news only from
strike leaders. they were being deceived
and led blindly.
They know now that what the local
daily press has published was news OBJ
tanned in the ordinary way and through
long established and reliable news-gath-
erlng channels; that the local reports
were scrupulously correct, at least that
they were just as nearly exact as it was
possible to make them under all the cir
eumstances of turmoil and rumor, and
5alsehood and fear and foolishness on the
street the past three weeks.
But the strike is over. reason is resum-
ing sway, and the avenues of commerce
pulse once more with the beat of trade
and travel. The supremacy of the laws
has been maintained and the capacity of
the Government to prove its worth has
been made clear to the people. Now let
Us bend every energy to the speediest
possible undoing and righting. SO far as
possible. of the evil of the past.
So far as financial loss is concerned to
striker, to producer, to shipper, to car
rier. that it is impossible to replace. It
must 60 along with the folly of the most
iniquitous strike Of history, to the debit
side of the ledger. against which not one
credit viii ever be entered.
Butfor the future we can gather our
scattered energies and devote our best
efforts to the restoration of normal condi-
tions. the practice of economy. the invok-
ing of mercy from creditors for debtors,
the building up of a sentiment that this
is of ali times in the world one for for
bearance, for relaxation of business ex-
action, for mutual helpfulness, for any
and every exercise of kindness that will
tend TO save the unfortunate from bank
Tuptcy, and that viii put the business of
producers, dealers, workers and all others
safely upon foot again.
AS for the lessons of the folly of the
month, they are many and must be con-
sidered Independently. They cannot be
ignored; they must be made valuable to
ali by calmly reviewing them and inn
pressing their truths upon the public
mind.