The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-28

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the test of a severe struggle. and they
failed because they could not corner
4 their portion of the labor market
Another weakness was developed in
the misuse of the sympathetic strike
when the aim. being TO cripple the Pub
man company. only resulted in that
/ the Pullman company was nearly the
sole interest that was not crippled.
But this great strike really accom-
plished one useful purpose. By appeal
ing to the courts, the railroad corpor-
atoms committed their blunder, the
result of which has been to completely
unmask the hypocrisy that had hid
den their motives. The appeal to the
law was an appeal to the American
court decisions were models of the
Judge Jeffrey's style of justice. and re-
vealed to the American people the dan
ger to their institutions as nothing
else could have done.
1t is becoming quite clear that the
power controlled by many of the cap
italized corporations must be reduced
and brought within the control of the
law. 1t also must be admitted that
gigantic aggregs.ions of labor must
also be invested with their RESPONSE
bility to society, and their powers de-
fined under the law. In short, that this
country must rise superior to it's parts.
and Establish equity between the parts,
or cease to be a government The
method by which this end may be
reached is not so clear. We see the
evils OF watered stocks, wrecked rail-
roads and general bankruptcy, all due
TO sharp practice or downright rascal
lty We see legislators transformed
into retained attorneys by corporations,
Tor iootlng purposes We see courts re-
turn monstrous decisions sustaining,
or at least winking at prodigious ras-
cahties, and endeavoring to perpetuate
fundamental wrongs. But there is a
reverse side to the picture We see a
Few clear minded and Fortunately DOW
erIu! courts adjudicate with clear per-
ceptlons ana honest purpose. We see
the gathering and concentration of the
puohc conscience. We see trades
unions taking counsel from experience.
ana unorganized masses perfecting
lhelr organization on bases indicating
clearer perception of the RESPONSE
Dllltles that organization entails. We
see employers and all honest men ear
nestly seeking for some solution of the
present universal unrest and confusion. |
Practlcally the problem lies in the
conditions of distribution. and this
again entails a system of distribution
that will leave mems incomes measur-
Hply secure from the destructive effects
or ultra competition Men unthink /
ingly ask for legislation for the sub |
Jugatlon of trade unions and the an
Inhalation of trusts. not seeing thar
they are at present the sole conser-
vative forces that prevent the com
pete destruction of the values of the
wealth Of production. The tendencies
OF the age are purely centralizing in
nature, and this force canot be re
versed by legislation or law. And of
all tho civilized couptries. American
political institutions are the least
adapted to meet the new conditions,
taking their rise, as they did, out of
the completest and most independent
ever known in nhe
world. That is. our constitution was
adapted TO a nation of
farmers. each actually independent
and self-sustaining. Now our popu-
ation is inter-dependent and individ-
ually helpless. The individual
s not alone dependant upon his
near neighbor, but upon pop
llstions far remote, to 15ll his com
honest wants A western farmer de-
bends upon Massachusetts shoemak-
ers for his shoes. The skins from his
,atite must be sent a thousand miles
. be tanned, while he finds the best
market for his beef and butter in
London. The dependence of the shoe
maker or tanner is equally absolute.
The financial question enters largely
IS a factor in any solution of the
problem of distribution. The Pullman
striker learned last summer the total
nutility to engage in. a really national
IT International problem with success,
IN the lines of a medieval strike.
they could not hurt Mr.. Pullman or !
lis business. Its ramifications ex-
ended over the world, and entered :
nto thousands of unlocked for COM
'inaltions. a permanent cure, if one 4
'e found, must take a national scope, {
nd become expressed through such 1
Iteration in it's laws as wisdom may ,
uggest, in order that they shall be ,
n exponent of actual existing condi- {
ions, and based upon the economic I
avs developed out of current events.
looking to the dissolution {
f trades unions or trusts, that does
ct remove the causes that gave them !
9th existence, is like trying to drown {
hurricane with a penny whistle. AT E
resent the world is in commercial $
Its legal codes, in most I
asses, while admirably fitting the c
asst. have lost their equity in the
ems, artizans and laboring men can 1
terally be driven from their homes S
nd thrown upon the charity of the G
-orld, because a secret junta of en- i
loyers may decide that they can il
ave a few cents a day to the man
Y importing a colony of laborers, S
hose standard of life is SO much '
pwer as to admit them to accept it.
nds historical parallels only when :
ands of free soldiery could swoop
own upon a community, loot the +
,wn. and either put itA people to the
word or turn them loose to starve.
he process differs only in the
lethod; the result is the same.
We have founded modern govern
Ients for protection from armed in
aston and piratical descents. But
hen we ask protection from govern
ent against an identical process,
e are gravely told that to afford
would be un-American or un-Eng-
sh Imbicility could scarcely be
irried further. If our political insti-
utions cannot reform themselves, in
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