St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-02
"A DANGEROUS EXpEDIENT.

The most astounding and ridiculous
development of labor agitation of late
years has been the sympathetic strike"
1t has become fashionable whenever a
trade has a grievance and orders a
strike, for all kindred trades to join in
the demand of the malcontents, and, if
necessary, to join them in striking, to
the end that the moral influence thus
exercised may lead the employers to
submission.
AT present there is a strike of the
Pullman employees. Their grievance
concerns only themselves and their en-
ployers, and yet affairs have been so
shaped that what should prop arly con-
Germ but one division of labor in the
city of Chicas threatens to involve all
trades i'll every part of the United
States. The butcher, the baker, ana
the candlestick maker are all up in arms
Oh behalf of the Pullman strikers.
The American Railway union has Or
dered out all the switchmeu at the Chi
cago Stockvards, and to estop the delv-
cry OF cattle there. This has already
had its effect, and several thousand peo-
pie have been thrown out of employ
meut. The cattle at the yards cannot
be fed or Watered during the pendency
OF the strike, and must therefore die.
They cannot be slaughtered, for the
butchers refuse to perform the work
because, forsooth, they were brought to
the pens on ears owned by railroad
that runs Pullman sleeping cars. To be
sure, the cattle didn't occupy lower
| berthS in one of the palaces on wheels,
nor did their owners pay tribute 10 the
lordly porter who keeps the passengers
on these c0nveyances in such aOject
terror. But for other purposes than the
transportation of cattle. their owners
and herders, the railway company has
seen fit to lease few cars and to attach
them to their regular trains. For this
otfense the employees OF all railways
have been ordered to strike-not only
those using Pullman cars, but those
who build and run their own sleeper5
and the sleeperS of other corporate ons
rival to the Pullman.
A similar principle applied to other
lines of industry would involve some
most surprising complications. If a
against his employer and quit Work, he
would have an equal right to demand
that industry in every direction should
cease as the Pullman strikers have to
demand that the coal miners. the rail-
way SWiGchmen, conductors and brake
men, the butchers and packers shall
quit work as long as their demands are
ignored. 1t is, indeed. the avowed pur-
pose of many CT the labor agitators to
bring such condition aoout-to inau-
gurate despotism for their own bene-
fit. and to decree that whenever the
word is spoken all labor. OF whatever
nature, shall cease throughout the
country. The principle is a dangerous
| one. 1t is fraught with the most dis
tresSful consequences TO the cOmmuut-
ty, AID If pursued to its Legitimate con-
clusion would produce condition Of
chaos from which there would be no
escape, except through revolution.
The GLOBE has frequently justified
the Pullman strike as protest
against industrial slavery in one OF
its most odious forms. The strikers
have not lacked for either public sym
pathy or support. Care mist be take
lest the claims of the strikers are not
forfeited by a policy that is so utterly
indefensible as a general boycott of all
trades and suspension OF ell industry.
The present attitude of the leaders of
the movement is threatening alike
to the public peace and prosperity.
They are counting the public disfavor
while the public approval is already
theirs. They are SOWING the wind; let
them have care lest they be required
| to reap the whirlwind.