The morning call., 1894-07-17
STRlKELOCALLY CONSIDERED
An Opinion From One of the Tulare
Papers,

An Opinion From One of the Tulare
Papers.
The strike has now been on so long that
the reasons which led to it have become
thoroughly understood by all our men of
business, farmers and all who have in
terests of any kind in this part of the
State, and we feel justified in stating that
they thoroughly disapprove of it. When
the tie-up first took place here consdera-
bic sympathy was felt. 1t was imagined
that so many men would not voluntarily
throw themselves out of employment these
hard times, when dollar is as hard to get
and is worth as much as three were few
months ago. without some grave cause i'm
mediatelY affecting themselves. But it a p
pears that no such cause existed. It was
found that while the country was full of
men willing to labor at the harder and
more eXacting work of the farms and
ranches for SO or SIS per month. or even
for food ana lodging, they were receiving
wages that TO labOring men not in railroad
employ seemed enormous, together with
treatment to which no exception could be
taken. A general revulSiOn or change
of feeling took place as soon a. it became
universally known that the strike occurred
because of some alleged grievance or
grievances of the employees of the Pull
man Car Company, 1000 miles away, with
which the people of California, the en-
piOyes OF the Southern Pacific and the
people of this county especially. have no
concern whatever. For this our mails
must be stopped, our business deranged
ana crippled, and the export of our prod
ucts prevented. This county is far in-
land, and we are peculiarly dependent on
railroad transportation Cut it off in
fho etrilv
unless the Southern Pacific accedes to de-
mands which they cannot do without viz
tually surrendering the ownership of
their property. and 1t has become plain
that general ruin to all our business inter-
ests must follow. We much mistake the
direction public feeling is assuming if the
condition of things now prevailing will
be permitted much longer. as far as
this county is concerned. Already
we hear that the best citizens of
Bakersfield are organizing to assist the
authorities in raising the blockade and in
furnishing those who have done or may do
unlawful acts in relation to the property
and rights of the railroad. And this is
the more significant from the fact that, as
the whole State knows, Bakersfield has
been most unjuStly and even viley treated
by the corporation. If the railroad en-
ployes here had anything to complain of
that concerned themselves then the SYM
pathiaS of our people would have stad
with them, and they would have done all
in their power 10 have procured them re-
dress, but they will not much longer
tamely submit to suffer for sins alleged 10
have been committed thousands of miles
away. Interests infinitely greater than
those of the employees are bound up in
railroads, and the cause that ties them up
must be very grave and weigbty if the
people endure it very long. The Southern
Pacific is unpopular. 1t has nosts of enc
mics. But when 1t has done no wrong it
should not be punished, and through it a
million and half of people who depend
upon it for transportation and who suffer
frightfully without its necessary and lndis-
uensable service.-Tulare Standard. July
IN