The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-04
Mr.. PoWderly on Strikes.

Mr.. Powderly on Strikes.
Mr.. Powderly, speaking at Prohihi-
tion park, Staten Island last Sunday,
is quoted in New York dispatch as
having said in substance:
You will probably have made up your
minds that am very terrible sort Of a
man. You have read of the hundreds Of
strikes that | have ordered, strikes that
have paraly2ed the business Of the country
and carried want into tens Of thousands Of
homes. Standing here before you and be-
fore my God, can say that never ordered
a strike IN my life. All the strikes that
have been credited with ordering have
been precipitated before l knew any
thing Of them, and then l have, as leader,
simply made the best of what have al-
ways regarded as very bad situation."S -
We are all now intensely interested rs to
tho outcome Of the strike In the west.
Every strike that takes place upon line
of railroad is strike against the whole
country. Our railroads are so closely
identified with the life Of the nation that
when you stop any one OF these arteries
through which the life blood OF the M
tion's prosperity flows YOU iniure those
whom you least expect to injure
and whom you would least desire
to harm. The great ma
tional highways, the railways. are
as much the property of our govern.
ment today as were the old coach roads.
There are many who believe that these
railroad strikes, which during the last
twelve years have become more extern
sive, will continue, doing more injury
each time, and that there will be less
chance Of controlling them In the future
until we adopt plan Of national co-opera-
ton and run the railroads uuder the
supervision Of the United States govern
ment, by and for the whole people. This
strike today is not for wages, not for the
recognition Of any association or organi-
zation. 1t is strike for the control Of
the arteries Of trade and industry. If Rll
the railroads could be nationali2ed then
al the strikes upon them would be ut an
end, for every man, whether he be an
employe Of the railroad or not would be
an equal owner in it and equally anxious
for its well-being. The day will
come when coal deposits, too, will be
owned by the government that represents
the people, who must have coal.
Is government ownership OF railroads
and coal mines practicable? The first
question to be considered is the cost OF
buying them, anu next the cost of con-
ductipg them along political instead of
along business linsG The fact that
now, under careful business manage
ment, railroad securities, on an average
the whole list through, pay less than
two per cent interest docs not offer
announcement to government purchase
and control Of railroads, with the in
evitable extravaganza, jobbery and
waste OF that unbusinesslike system
As TO the coal mines the government
could not logically buy them without
buying and running all other mineral
industries, until in real fact its capacity
for expansion would be hopelsssly
exhausted. The ownership of the
property is not always what makes
men work peac,sbly or riotously upon it
1t is the opportunity they have for be-
ing deceived by uowise leaders. OF
all the strikes that Mr.. Powdsrly says
were forced upon him. how many did
good; and was not the aggregate harm
larger many times over tina n the aggre.
gate good? II men working for the gov
ernment were paid more than theywere
worth, speaking in the commercial
sense, how long could the government
continue such excessive wages; il less,
how long would the men submit to it?
The government. Us an employer,
would have severe courts and sharp
bayonsts behind it; but these would
not bs long relished by turbulent work.
men and there would soon be greater
friction than ever.
No, the solution of these recurring
difficulties is not to be had along tbs
line Of the nationaliza tion OF our in
dustries. The government, it is true,
manages few businesses we'll; but
from its very nature it cannot manage
all businesses. neither can 1t wisely de-
part from its true function of perform
ing the least work consistent with the
proper protection of its citizens in their
inalienable rights. The individuality
of the citizen has been belittled too
much already by these great opposing
combinations of capital and labor. We
have about reached the apex Of this
folly, and it is time to think about get.
ting ready to go down hill again to
plain democracy and civic individual
ism. There should be no irrqconcilable
clash between the man who works
with his brain and him who works with
bis Drawn. The clash which exists is
aa artificial one. We have got to get
back to first principles in this matter.
Otherwise popular government must
be branded failure and civic equality
q delusive dream.
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