The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-01
The Lesson of the Strike.

puOllCdu ADMINISTRATION.
The Lesson of the Strike.
1t is possible to have a general strike
of the magnitude Of that now exper-
fenced in the bituminous coal regions
without scenes OF bloo1shed and vic.
lence, but it is not probable. A strike
in itself is one form Of war. 1t is an
Industrial declaration Of belligerent in
tent, o formal notification to the com.
munity that in the adjudication Of
differences between two distinct
classes, employers and the employed,
n method of settlement is to be
adopted whereby m innocent third
class, the public Mt large, is TO be made
the chief sufferer. The man actually
engaged in any strike must Of necessity
occupy a small relationship toward the
lan who, without having had any
share in the conditions antecedent to
the strike, are yet forced to bear the
strikes brunt, both in direct ~pecuniary
loss and in the inevitable disturbance
Of social and economic conditions
which a strike precipitates
In the strike in question the men
who are out undoubtedly have the
sympathy of the public. That sympathy
is general in its character, and does
not pretend to know much about the
exact merits Of the matter. Il is a
sympathy that goes ont to men, who
under the best Of circumstances, pur-
sue a precGrioua, onerous and exacting
vocation, end n that, though it
should pay small fortunes Instead of
%pittances, would yet entitle its yotarias
TO u certain measure Of sympathy. At
the same time, it is just as true in the
present case as it ID in all
past instances, that it is this
same sympathetic public which is in
the long III the chief sufferer.
II is the third party to the dispute that
gets the hard ticks of both the other
parties. 1t is the party that for every
idle minsr, has. 20 encounter the serious
problem of ten idle workmen IN dc.
pendent industries. made so iuvoluu.
tarily thrOugh a tie-uD in the fuel sup
ply. For every pang OF hunger in the
home Of q bitumiuou5 minewOrker
there ere bound to be u dozen pangs in
a dozen homes of workingmen in no.
wise concerned in the dispute over
wage schedules among coal operator
and coal shovsler. yet made to bear the
burden Of the losses due to both.
We trust that the public will per-
ceive the immense significance of the
present coincidence whereby in as
many states three bodies Of armed
troops are on the eve of the command
to do their grim duty in tho preserva-
tion of life and property. It 10 not
necessary to the realization Of this that
there should be prolonged and indig.
nRDt consideration of the various
sides" Of the difference. The one CEN
trail fact standing out with overshadow-
lhS ukOLulICuCc ~ NuRL Tue WuOl6 DeO'
pie are paying the expense of a
state Of things which permits wage
disputes to grow at will into bloody
instructions and deadly conflicts, all
through the lack Of resolute luterven-
ton by the public in that public's own
defense. A genuine system of com .
pulsory arbitration, carefully adjusted
and overwhelmingly sustained by the
aroused sentiment of the people, would
present a recourse from whose final
verdict most men would hest
tate to dissent, In spite of all the
difficulties in the pathway to a
practical realization Of this growing
hope, it remains to be considered
whether the old method Of indiscrimi-
nate economic battle, with its inesti-
mable misery, loss and disorder, is so
desirable as to preclude the risk Of an
experiment in the direction of a more
scientific tribunal.