The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-01
THIs sIRIKE SHOULD FAIL.

The attempt of the American Railway
Union to tie up all the railroads IN the
country unless the Pullman Palace Car
Company will agree to pay their en-
Moves what those employees think they
should be paid is one of the most serious
possible matters, and it is an attempt
which every railroad in the country Is
bound to resist to its utmost, ana every
good citizen is equally bound to ala the
railroads to his utmost in resisting the
attempt.
The case Is briefly this. Pullman cars
especially for sleeping and eating nave
become a necessity TO the traVehng pup
lie. as no other provision IS made FOR the
necessities OF those passengers VINO nave
long and continuous Journeys to make
These cars are rented by the railway
cor1panies from the Pullman Car COM
panv. and they have nothing whatever
10 do with their cost or the method OF
their manufacture. They simply use them
on contracts. generally running through
term OF years.
IT seems that Mr. George NJ. Pullman
the president of the Pullman Car COM
pany, finding business very dull, cut down
his output and reduced the wages OF his
workmen at his principal shops, IN the
town of Pullman, near Chicago.
The workmen resisted this, and insisted
that Pullman should arbitrate the wages
they should receive. This Pullman re-
fused 10 do. G'hereupon the workmen
struck and after remaining idle for sew
eral weeks, appealed TO the American
Railway Union 10 aid them in compelling
Pullman to submit the rate OF their
wages TO arbitration The hallway Union,
which is composed Of nearly all the en-
pioyes on railways. except locomotive en-
eineers, demanded that the railroads
should stop using Pullman cars and can
Gel all contracts with that company,
unless Pullman would settle with his
workmen satisfactorily. The railroad
companies refused TO do this, the troubles
between Pullman and his employees being
none of their business. and, therefore,
the American Railway Union went on this
huge strike.
Let US consider the consequences OF
this action of the railway employees;
AS society is now organized the rail-
way transportation OF the country is
Just as necessary 10 it as are light and air.
Every citizen Of the country Is deeply
interested that passenger and freight
trains shall be allowed to pass regularly
over their routes, without interruption or
embarrassment. Every citizen is. there
fore, deeply interested that the
principle Of free and uninterrupted
travel and transportation shall be
OF the whole land, that is TO be IT,
terfered with or suspended on no ac-
count whatever. unless by some over
whelming public necessity. such as war.
The railroads owe 1t. then, to the public
TO meet this attempt TO interfere with
the rights Of the public with an un-
terrified and unyielding front. IL must be
resisted and defeated, at whatever cost
10 the railroads and the public, and all
good citizens must back the railroads TO
the utmost In meeting and defeating IT,
1t would be Il terrible public calamity to
have railroad travel and transportation
practically suspended for any considera-
BILE time But that would be a calamity OF
trihing consequence compared with the
overwhelming calamity Of allowing an
organization OF a few thousand men TO
place this whole nation in the position of
a traveller stopped upon the highway. who
IS coereed into surrendering his purse at
the pistols mouth.
The labor unions of America are con-
trolled by men who are wanting in judg-
ment and common sense. They constant
ly precipitate the unions into strikes when
no rational calculations have been made
of the probability of success, and they
equally drive them into others that are
unreasonable. most injurious to the
unions, and with no principle OF justice
on which 10 rest The recent coal strike
is a fair Illustration Of the first. What
men, capable of managing great and i'm
portant interests, would have ordered a
strike of coal miners IN June2 The slight
est consideration would have taught them
that the world could get along through
the summer months with very little coal
and that the owners OF coal mines would
be grauied rather than otherwise I'm
most cases, 10 have so good an excuse 10
suspend operations for the summer
months. The result is already what any
intelligent man would have known before
hand would be the result. The strike has
collapsed, many working men have per-
manently lost their places. and all en-
gagged in the strike have been without
food or money during the time that 1t
lasted
The action OF the American Railway
Union is an excellent illustration of the
second class. There is neither sense nor
justice In the authorities of this union de-
handing Of their members in Virginia to
quit serving the Virginia railroads unless
those railroads win join the employees of
the Pullman Palace Car Company, In
Illinois, In fighting that company. There
~ no relation whatever, between the