The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-12
The Strike Settled.

The termination Of the bituminous
miners strike last evening, as result
Of the Columbus conference, is q vic
tory for the public of greater signiti-
canoe than it is for either of the par
Elephants. We in the anthracite region
can say this with the greater sincerity,
inasmuch as the continuance of the
strike would in some directions have
redounded to our profit Such an iu-
terest. however, is infinitely surpassed
by the general interests Of the public,
including the hundreds of thousands of
woikmen in all parts of the country,
who, by the strike had been thrown,
at time Of already serious depression,
into involuntary idlsness aud want.
Considering the strikes magneud o
and compleXity. it is apparently fair to
confess that it has been managed with
unusual success But it is a success
that at hest is equivalent to, if not
worse than failure. The scenes Of vio-
lence and bloodshed that have attended
it might easily have been worse; but
such as they were, they have afforded
n renewed evidence of the utter bar
barity of the strike ss weapon of eco
nomic warfare; and have, it is to be
hoped, greatly accelerated the day
when all such differences shall be-
heard in the courts Of arbitration rather
than in the camp, the hospital. the
almshouss and the prison.
We do not wish to imply by these re-
marks that we regard the majority OF
the men themselves as deserving of the
chief censure Of the unhappy incidents
that nave characterized the progress of
their strike. Back Of all that they have
done, behind all their errors and, in
some instances, crimes, can be discerned
the crowning atrocIty of an economic
policy that is iudefeEsible. Let it. be
clearly understood that there is, among
Just meD, no sympathy with and no
tolerance for the greed of those cap.
talns Of capital and industry who have
been responaible for the introduction
into this country, under contract,
Of large mum bers Of ignorant work.
men from countries where only the
strong arm of the militia is able ito
maintain a semblance of law and
order The honest, self.supporting
and law.abiding foreigner will al WAYS
receive a welcome in this country, 70
matter whence he comes to it. But it
is high time to put a firm foot down
upon the vicious and the criminal i'm
migration which, in this latest war of
employers and employed, has again
Reiz d hold of each recurring occasion
TO throw off the YOKE and take up the
pistol and the torch. And If, in the
adoption of this course, it should be
come necessary to mete out justice to
the agents of their importation, regret
will be small and tears scarce.
Another phase of this vast difficulty
which should not be permitted to pass
without careful investigation is the re-
peated charge of daring and flgrant
discrimination by certain soft coal car
rying railroads. We have had instances
of this thing in our own territory; and
and they have been sufficient to make
entirely plausible the contention that
unfairness in the matter Of freight re-
bates has had much to do with the de-
moralization OF wages in the bitumin.
Gus regions, To compel the interstate
carrier systems to observe fair and
honest schedules OF charges is a
difficult if not an impossible task. But
it ought to possible at least TO limit
the enormity of their past and present
determinations, and to reduce to a
smaller margin tLan the present one
the range of their rate shadings and
fluctuations. II the two evils OF
vicious immigration and vicious dis
elimination could in some manner be
scaled down, it would perceptibly re-
duce the liability Of frequent strikes,
with all their vast volume of attend
ant annoyances, loss and misery.