Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06

One branch of organized labor-and that,
1t Is fair to presume, means all organized
labor-is now engaged in an endeavor to
compel the Washington and Anacostia
Street Railroad Company to deal justly by
It's overworkel and underpaid employees.
Public sentiment is strongly adverse to the
corporation. and 1t does not seem as though
there could be anything else than victory
for the strikers. or course, it is possible
that in case of a prolonged struggle the
protesting car-drivers may act Illegally. and
thus ALLEVIATE the sympathy of the mass Of
citizens. but the chances are that common
sense will prevail. and that in the end the
company will BE- compelled by pressure
much more powerful than physical force to
do the proper thing. From the time when
first developed a desire to make public an
nouncement of the fact that they at least
owned their souls, the corporate in queS-
ton has done what 1t could TO discourage
organization. although how it could do so
hgically-having in mind it's own existence
does not appear. That organization of
wage-earners Is necessary has been demon
strate1 50 frequently that debate on that
subject would be absurd. If capital-which
y to come extent essentially seihsh-were
at liberty to deal with It's employees as indi-
vidual5, the rates of wages would not have
advanced as rapidly as they have in recent
years. nor would there likely have been
any shortening in the hours of labor. Fail
ure to achieve increase of pay and decrease
of working time would have meant non
expansion of educational facilities and a
much lower average of civiliza ton through
out the entire republic. Attempts to dis
courage labor organization must therefore
ha NIfS,a -l frrtiI &c ortrn
more of remunera ton for capital in endeav-
ors to reach an amicable understanding
with employees than there is in efforts TO
disrupt the unions into which men and wo-
men have justifably banded themselves to-
gether. Occasionally some of these confed-
Grated forces will be unrea sonable in their
demands, but ii may be questioned whether
they are more likely to make improper re-
quests than are those whose financial su-
periorty and greater powers of direction
have given them control of the mechanical
ability and muscle of number of their
fellows. Then. too. will come those spasms
of disorder with which lawabiding people
cannot afford to deal otherwise than with
sternness, but IL is not at all likely that the
organizations will in many cases be held
to accoun liability. for those who speak in
their behalf in these days insist upon ODE
dience to the statutes, and must, in most
instances. be credited with sincerity of ut
terance. Moreover, the labor leaders are
themselves controlled by the millions who
permit their leadership, and these millions
have advanced eiucationaiiy and fntellec-
tUally to a greater extent in recent years
than any other body of American citizens.
In this city organized labor has had many
struggles. but there has been steady IL
minution of strife with antagonistic forces
and continued education of the public mind
as to the necessity for and the advantages
of harmony of purpose and a law-ab!dins
unity of action among those whose bread Is
earned in the sweat of their brows.