The morning call., 1894-07-06


his assets running down. he cut down the
wages of his EN- mDl0yes to make his profits
reach the magnificent sum they did before.
"Those employees only bad living wage
when the works were prospering. l con-
slider that 40 man has a right 10 fatfen
| and feast while another starves and tolls.
| Magnificent fortunes built up to the i'm
poverishment of the working-peODle will
ultimately ruin republican principles.
Il would have every honest man, from
the Atlantic to the Pacific. join the union
organized for securing for labor living
wage. 1t has been ordered that employees
| shall receive less than this wage, and so
the union has ordered them to quit. Thank
| heaven, there are more laboring men than
capitalists" After expressing this opin-
ion Mrs. Folsz reflected for few mo-
ments and then continued: "As a lawyer
| strongly disapprove of any action on the
part of the strikers outside the limits of
the law. The interstate commerce law
seems at this time to be a very great bless
ing to railroads. They have never paid
any particular attention to it hitherto. un-
| less 1t was to choke off some worthy per.
son who wanted return for services rem
| dered
1.-THE basic principle Of this proposition
| is that every honest man-aye, and If /
| could have my way. every honest woman
should join the union. | do not consider
that the strikers are justified In tearing up
rails or In menaclng life or property.
| These men have succeeded in forming the
most powerful organization the world has
ever seen, but better let them lose the strug-
| tn a m m al Inn like n ha nd n
anarchists. ! am with their cause. but
could never approve of anything they
might win by lawlessness. If they were
to go no farther than they have gone now
they would have taught capital lesson it
could not easilv forget"
Miss Sarah d. Hamlin considered the
strike one of the phases of great historic
struggle. I'm the middle ages" she said,
''tne struggle between the rulers and the
ruled existed till all had equal rights. cul-
minating in Europe in the French revolu-
| ton.
"To-day the struggle is between employer
and employe. In my opinion the termina-
ton of the struggle, whether to-day or
later, will result in Government con troll of
all trusts. corporations and labor unions.
within certain limits. of course.
There is no excuse for making an in
nOcent public suffer either on account of
railroad corporation or union. n
body of men has any right 10 inflct such
loss and Inconvenience OH the public.
think all these cases ought to be settled by
arbitration, and | believe this strike could
be adjusted by arbitration. 1t is no worse
for abOr TO dictate to capital than for cap-
| ital to dictate to labor-neither should be
arbitrary.
Il do not think that either labor or cap
ital will be arbitrary when each has its
proportionate share of those mechanical
forces of nature which cost neither party
anything l allude to electricity. steam.
etc.. which realize such enormous profits
to capitalists. Labor should have its pro-
portionate share in these forces of nature,
fectly willing to share with his employer
In The losses also.
with regard to the present strike do
hope that arbitration will be resorted to.
A good deal more is involved than the
mere interest of either side. The strike is
step in the struggle between la Dor and
capi al. and believe that the result will
be the same as of the political struggle of
the middle ages. Labor is gathering
strength every day by means of education,
organization, and defeat and failures.
Capital will be wise if it heeds the signs Of
| the times"
The lady physician, DR.. Amy G. Bowen,
who. when an American student Of medi-
cine in Germany. did pioneer work causing
hospitals there to be opened to students of
her sex, had a different opinion from that
! Of the lawyer and lady teacher quoted
above.
II am on the side of working people,"
she said, "but | cannot say that l sanction
the strikers methods If they had taken
different means to bring about their end
they would probably have had everybody
in the universe on their side. Undoubt-
edly Mr.. Pullman has got rich off the
work of the laboring classes. He has Just
barely supported his laborers. but il they
did not want 10 work for him they wers
under no obligation not to take their la Dor
to better market.
''If no one would have worked for Mr..
Pullman at the reduced rate he proposed
he would have bee obliged to pay better
wages. But IFS free country-f a man
wants to work for % cents a day, in fact
do it. 1t the Southern Pacific began max
ing concessions there would be no stop
ping. Some of these workingmen may be
trodden. but they would be glad TO
be in their employers places and | doubt
whether they would treat their employees
as we'll as they have been treated.
THE law, think, will have TO be carried
out. and it does guarantee security to
property, that of the Southern Pacific not
excepted. We realize that the Southern
Pacific is not all it ought to be, but that is
no reason its property should not be pro-
tectod. We may know a man is a bad
man, but we do not turn him out into the
street, beat and ill-use him. and allow
every one who likes to prevent him from
carrying on his business simply because
the man is not all he ought TO be. OF
course, the laboring problem is very deep
one. Political economists have used up
good deal of cerebral substance, but
don't think they have found any way of
solving it-as yet"