New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-16
pnINIS IL Tile CONTkOTEESY.

/
The Brooklyn railroad strikers III the "n'''
behaved well yesterday. Though at Jew poih's
tho comIanics found their tracks ihp'ucu' an"
some acts Of violence were commi'leu' u u Pr"''
able tha, this rcprchensiblc Interference WI"
the proyress If cars was not wholly me W"rh
If their employees AZ all events the "li''iaiS VI
| ,bo strikers organization wisely and credi'apN
warmed tbc men i'm special orders moi only 10
uduct themselves pcaceably and sobcrly bn' 10
avoid susnicion. foolish counscls AMI the FISK "f
excitement by keeping ont of the way ms II
, GOOD beginning 4 different course would NOT
only have been unworthy of good cause p'''
would inevitably and rightly nave ihaoe the
nrcsc,yaiion Of public order the paramount issue
| and rho merits OF the original controversy iii
| nsicniticant consideration. For the sake of all
and cspccially 10. the sake OF the siriKers' VINO
onnorcntly have just reason to complain II Is
Tn ne hopcd that the contest may not DC again
| degraded even by such comparatively harHiess
manifestations of an evil spirit as those OF yes
tcrlay.
We see no reason as yet To mouiII inc "ph
ions which we have already expressed concern
ing this unfortunate conflict. The railroad en-
Moves have not been well treated. and the pun
Ne TO which the companies owe their possession
Of extremely valuable privileges has been treat
cd very badly in AT least one respect. ana 'h'''
the most important. The companies nave hchd
human life cheap. and for this monstrous ohehce
they are universally condemned ire record oI
deaths and injuries on the trolley r"ads "r
BROOKLYN is not direct issue in TINS case put u
has to be taken into account nevcrtheieSs' Tor u
is believed by many that these accidents are III
largo measure due to the enforcement 10y Inc
companies Of running schedules whch nave
compclled the operatives either IN ~ r"ckhSS
or 10 forfeit their places. Such Is the ASSERTION
of the men. and common observation ''hhS
strongly To confirm it. But even with fhls couh'
left ont of the indictment. the fact remains 'ha'
the companics have stubbornly refused I" adopf
spprovcd safeguards. and III the sam" tiih' nave
mcanly cndcavorcd Ia put III" Wh"i' "u'''" vi
responsibility upon their men. mus 'i"S nav
amply earned public censurc. ana inc! are i"o
sh il they suppose that so grave a dchhpu"h'!
will he forgotten now. when they ar" involved
in Il contest in which their chief reliance seems
to he might rather than right.
Furthermore though the companies are On
titled to bc completely protected by III" c'h
mover in the undisturbcd exercise of all their
lawful functions. they need not expect I" escape
contcmpt when they come into the court ~ pun
,o pay the higher wages which II Is cL'ilh'h
they promised a year ago to pay as soon aS pos
sihlc The community Is tolerably familiar win
tho processes of stock watering ana r'"rgah'Ha
tlon. and not nj all inclined to weep Tor p''y "'
4 CORPORATION which is paying n r'nfai "' J."
per cent upon a capital inflated 100 per Gem Tor
lis own PURPOSES The earnings of the princ'paI
trolley lines Of Brooklyn are known to he very
large. and their employees are demanding con
siderablv less than the employees ~ tho hroa'-
way Company in this city receive. II Is against
hubble welfare and policy that they should De
i'll paid for long hours and cxac'ing labor
And this leads 10 the consideration ~ another
point The number Of the unemployed Is large
and the strikers are consequently at serious
disadvantage But rs have warned them
against lawlessness. we now take the liberty 10
warn the companies against the temptation y"
nut cheap and incompetent men In charge OF
their dangerous vehicles. II they do that. ana
the natural consequences follow. they Will hnd
that they have aroused n storm ~ haired ana
| cxrcration which they will not easily lull