Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-07-12
Number Io.
The Ultimate Result.

In eNAAAOA( NOAAAAASS SAA0b 40 AAON
on between the organized capital
as represented by railroad corpora
tions, and organized labor has
amply demonstrated that some
thing must be done in the way of
changing conditions, so that these
struggles will not appear. 1t is
evident that these struggles will
become more desperate until they
emerge into revolution and anarchy
unless something be done 10 amel-
iorate or to prevent them. The
spectacle of the business of the
country Frustrated, mails delayed
or totally obstructed, property des-
troyed and even life lost is one that
ought to cause every true and earn
est citizen of the United States to
seriously study the situation and
the condition of affairs that brought
about the same.
Capital, as represented by the
railroad companies of our country,
is at once the most grasping and
selfish of all interests. Controlling
as they do a large per cent. OF Tue
means of communication in Our
country, they impose every unjust
burden upon the producers and
their laborers that they choose to
think outraged communities will
stand. When the burden which
they have imposed becomes un7
bearable, they are the first to invoke
the aid of the laws which they
have so outrageously trampled up
on, and to seek for sympathy from
a public they have Systematically
robbed. Organized labor seeks to
protect its interests, and where
these two come together there is a
clash, and the usual result is a
strike. The largest sufferers from
these strikes are not the strikers,
for their communities and local
authorities are bound to protect
them from starvation and want.
The railroads do not suffer ma
terially for in the end their loss is
added to the traffic rate and the
mill grinds on. The real sufferers
are the producers and shippers of
the land. Upon them falls the
heavy burden Of making up to the
railroads the loss resultant from a
strike, and the maintaining the
strikers during their enforced idle
ness, to say nothing of the enor-
nous loss occasioned by the stag
nation Of business resultant from a
strike. The people being the
main sufferers then the question is,
to how best protect their interests1
TO our minds, after careful
and as comprehensive study as
possible, of the question, the only
method which may be successfully
employed to protect the interests of
the producers and consumers, for
they both suffer, against these con-
stantly recurring labor troubles is
the government ownership OF rail-
way and steamship lines.
We are aware that there are
serious objections which can be
urged against this scheme, but we
submit that there is not a single
one of them that will overshadow
the evils that are presented to US
by the present struggle between
the railroads and their employees.
The loss occasioned by the strike
to the business interests Of the
country, and to the property OF the
railroads would operate the rail-
roads Of the United States for al
most a half a year.
The strongest argument against
railroads is that it
would be paternalism in govern
ment. This is true, and is potent
But there is a saying
that this is government that be-
lieves in the greatest good to the
greatest number, and this being
true, we must accept that evil,
when choosing, that will be the
least detrimental to the whole peo-
pie. One thing is certain. The
government is now compelled to
be paternal to protect its mails,
and we would rather see peaceful
parternalism that operates to the
welfare Of the people, than to see
the paternalism as evidenced at the
point of the bayonet.