The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-01-22
THE BROOKLYN STRIKE.

and possibly no worse basls tnan otner
great upheavals OF the unemployed poor
OF the country, The men had a perfect
right to resign their positions, quit
work and to idle away their time il
they so desired to do, but they had no
right whatever to prevent the. new
men from working or TO prevent the
company from operating their roads II
the company desired 80 to do. When
will the striking element among our
laboring masses learn this great truth?
They must learn it sooner or later. How
many strikes is it necessary TO have
before the men will learn that others
have rights which they must respect
even if they happen to be ION striker
A few bitter lessons of blood appears to
be necessary ere the men learn that the
government and the people are not
outcasts by reason of the fact that the
one does not sympsthize and the other
insists that the public highways must
be kept open for their use and behoof,
even if the roads and their manage
ments treat their men unfairly and dis
honorably. 1t was hoped that the vast
ruin last summer in Chicago, had taught
this severe but salutary lesson per-
fectly. 1t seems the blood and mil
Iione of property de stroyed have been
wasted, and now in Brooklyn the
battle is to be again fought cut at
tended by the same loss of life, of
precious time, and the employment
without which the men and their
families starve. Nor are the eastern
railroaders any wiser than are their
western brethren.
Last summer when Utah was full of
the marching columns of common
wealers it was determined to find out
lust how far the regular officers might
go to determine the rights of the three
parties affected by the movement. l.
is true that men may travel how, and
when, and where they please as indi-
yiduals or in scores, providing their
missions are peaceful, they pay their
way and encroach not upon the rights
of their fellow men and citizens on the
way, or affected by their movements.
The rights of others must be re-
spected and the laws of the land
be respected also and obeyed. 1t seems
this lesson was not regarded by the
Brooklyn men, or if regarded then it
is forgotten now. Thore are in this
free and happy republic, courts where
the rights of even the humblest in the
land are upheld, defended and pro-
tected. If toe Brooklyn men had
stopped work and appealed to
these courts, not one word could have
been urged against them, As it is now
they stand in the attitude of law break
ers defying the civil powers of the gov
eminent and defying its military
power, when lawfully in pursuit only
of their duty.
1t seems monstrous that these
things are done in a christian country
having laws and ali the paraphernalia
of civilized and regularly organized
government. The degeneracy of the
people is plainly exhibited in this,
or else they have been befooled
and defrauded so often that
they have no faith IN the power or
disposition Of the law to protect them
and their rights, and refuse, in conse-
quence, to invoke law for their own
protection. If this is the case, the sit.
ustion is far worse than we spprehend
and the dismal end is fast approach ing
Are not both the people and the gov
eminent to blame for this terrible stu
alton? Is not the permaneney of the
government and the happiness of the
people put in jeopardy by the means
used by the strikers to right their real
or supposed wrongs2 Are they justifi-
able in precipitating revolution with
a of It's terrible consequences to affect
sixty millions of people, only that two
or three hundred men may have ten or
even twenty cents day more compen.
sation for their labor? If the honest
lsborers, honest car-driYers, will ask
themselves these and similar questions
and they will answer them honestly,
the difficulty will soon be solved, and
the strike remedy will soon be aban-
doned for something infinitely better
and immeasurably more effective.