The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1894-12-28

late the charges for traffic when the
roads were running as To stop traffic
when they stopped. And many people
have been wondering since the strike
how they could have failed to see this
long ago.
The other point which has been
made clear by the American Railway
union strike is the fact that labor and
Labor organizations must secure their
rights at the ballot box, and not by the
strike. Never did strike take place
under such favorable circumstances as
this. The leaders were unqucStioned
in intelligence and integrity: all that
aay nen could do they did And the
men were as staunch and true as any
patriots who ever fought for home
ana country. the mere fact that
SO many men were ready to give
up their jobs at a time when so
many idle men were ready to take their
places showed to what extent their de-
votion to the cause of justice went
Men talk about the bravery of soldiers.
and poets sing of their heroic deeds,
but the man who leaves his means of
livelihood when times are hard and
work is scarce. when idle men stand
ready to take their places and wife and
little ones are dependent upon him for
their daily dread. is far more deserving
We had all this in the strike We had
the most heroic devotion to the cause
best possible organization, the upques-
toned leadership-and yet the strike
failed-failed miserably. The men
who willingly left their work have
since felt the heavy hand of the Gen.
eral Managers association: the men
who thought to make life more tolera-
bic for their loved ones now realize the
terrors of blacklist. In China certain
crimes are punished by putting the
culprit's head through a hole in board
which is wide enough to prevent him
from getting his hands to his mouth.
He is free TO go wherever he pleases,
but he can get nothing to eat unless
some one chooses to put it into his
mouth. Such is the position of the
blacklisted men in this country. They
are free to go wherever they like. but
the blacklist prevents them from get
ting anything to eat; it prevents them
from earning a livelihood for them
selves and families at the only trade
they know.
Now that the struggle is over, the
vanquished can calmly go over the va
rious phases of the strike and profit by
the experience. The striker should
take Mr.. Debs' advice to buy and study
Henry Georges Progress and Pow
erty." In that great work he will find
the whole situation carefully analysed,
and the strong and weak points care
fully set forth. The strike is nothing
more nor less than a contest between
physical forces, between dollars and
dollars; the contest at the polls is be-
tween ideas, between men and men.
How foolish then il is to pit the few
dollars of workmen against Pullman's
millions, when they can wage the
same battle at the ballot box where
they can pit their million votes against
the millionaire's one. The only ad-
vantage which Mr.. Pullman has over
any other citizen is the privileges
granted him by law, that is, granted
him by the voters-by us. For us to
give him the franchises, patents and
other special privileges and then at
tempt to control him by means of force
is as absurd as for the United States
government to furnish It's wards, the
Indians, with all the appliances of war.
and then turn them loose to raid the
frontier settlements.
Men are apt to be impatient of the
slow results which follow elections.
But they must not be. 1t is better to
have the slow but steady gain there
than to strike and lose your job. If
there is anything in the whole realm
of truths which should not now be dis
puted it is that the labor problem can
not be solved by means of the strike.
After generations of strikes, strikes in
volving the greatest sacrifices on the
part of the men, and the highest intel
hgence on the part of the leaders,
strikes carried to the very point of
starvation in many instances, the Ia
borer is as much a victim of injustice
to-day as he was six hundred wears
ago.
The ballot box is the place to strike.
Study the questions thoroughly; know
your men. Do not support candidates
because they are honest though stupid,
or wise though dishonest Pick men
who are both wise and honest. You
will elect many unworthy men, men
who will turn their backs upon you
when elected, and serve the enemy for
a mess of pottage. But do not be dis
if one man fails be more
careful next time. The only men who
can serve you are broad-minded men
who see that your trouble is the trou-
BILE which affiicts all labor, and that
permanent good can come only through
the common cause of all producers
John Rubens, in Railway Times.
Paste This In Your scrap Book.
Senator John p. Jones has done the
party the best service he
could by leaving it. He represents the
to secure the free COIN
age of silver and silver standard,
with all their dangers The renubllc-