New-York tribune., 1896-12-13
THE RAILWAY SERVANTS SUCCESSFUL BOUT
WITH THE LONDON AND NORTHWESTERN
CoMPANY-THE HAMBURG STRIKE IN
BROKEN-RvsSIAS GAINS IN THE
EAsr-soSE CHRISTMAS BOOKS
Personal AND THEAT-
tBY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE
RICAL NOTES

ern Company. adopted the extreme course OK
dismssng a number of employees who would not
give satisfactory assurances OF loyalty. The
Chronicle" took up with remarkable energy the
grievances Of the discharged men and opened
destructive fire upon this great corporation.
Other journals after delay of day or two.
united in condemning the action of Mr.. Harrison
and advocating a policy Of conciliation. Mr..
Harrison at first declined to receive deputation
from the Amalgamated Society. and the secre-
tary of the company assured the Board of Trade
that the management could not consent 10 the
Intervention Of a third party in its relations with
its servants. On Friday the company surrsn-
dered Internationally agreeing to reinstate the
servants who had been dismissed. to receive Q
deputation from the Amalgamated Society and
to treat directly with Mr.. Hartford as the repre-
sentative Of the tfadesunion.
This signal triumph for trades-unonism mas
been won because the tactics Of Mr.. Harrison
we're offensive and maladroit and because pub
lie opinion was at once enlisted on the side OK
the railway employees The railway managers
doubtless had good grounds for apprehending
strike. as Mr. Hartford now frankly admits. but
the arbitrary measures adopted by Mr.. Harrison
only tended TO precipitate disastrous struggle.
which has been narrowly escaped. Mr. Ritchie.
armed with discretionary powers under the new
Cancellation act in addition to those conferred
by the previous Railway Servants act. has been
most helpful in suggesting mediation. ana VIII
probably succeed in obtaining settlement o.
the grievances of railway men.
The new Cancellation act is working well. bus
whenever it fails in a great crisis, such as the
one now happily averted, 1t is weli-nish certain
to be amended so as to render arbitration COM
pulsory in labor struggles That will be PROB
able result Of the disastrous Hamburg STRIKE
which is now exhausting the resources or the
Dockers' Union. Imperial legislation VIII be IN
order so as to prevent the recurrence OF labor re-
volts fatal TO the commercial and Industrial in
terests Of the Fatherland.
The crisis has brought out frank admissions
from the journals which have recently peen ois'
coursng on the wckedness or plutocracy IN
America. that there are oligarchs Of money power
In England bent upon enslavng the sons OF toll
"The Chronicle" has exclaimed excitedly: The
most powerful trust in this country has set out
on an attempt to stamp the manhood out Of iu
employees by means happily unknown In contem'
porary England" and it quotes approvingly The
Spectator's' conclusion that the era OF greai
trusts and monopoes is opening. and that thii
plan Of fortune-makng is certain to extend &c
articles OF prime Importance. such as salt. tea
painful news to Mr.. Bryan and Governor Altgeld
that the railway oligarchs in Free Trade Eng
land are crushing out the manhood Of work.
ingmen: that ssyndicates controlling the
rrIces of the necessaries of life, and that the
action of Parliament is required to loosen the
grin of giant monopolies. America. under pro-
tectiye system, seems not 10 be the only place
where whatever is is not altogether right
The comments Of the English press on Presi'
dent Cleyelands Message, his Cuban policy
and the prospect Of tariff and currency egisla-
ton are perfunctory and half-hearted. The fact
is clearly discerned that political authority has
passed out of Mr.. Cleveland's hands and thai
Canton Is the real capital Of the United states
during the transition period. Mr.. Clevelandt
treatment OF the Cuban question is generally re-
garded as cautious and moderate, although Ins
Economist" to-day is disposed to lecture him foi
departing from European precedent In the tone
Of his Message and TO warn Americans that the
conquest OF the island would not be simple
short and inexpensive undertaking,
The same Journal emphasizes the fact that
new International conference on the silver ques'
ton will be impractlca0le unless preceded by the
submission Of some definite scheme by the United
states to the Powers The meaning Of this is thai
Government of the day. will no; take any interest
in proposals for a conference unless the quesiior
OF the ratio which IL Is sought 10 establish be-
tween gold and silver is clearly and definitely
stated. This is a most important fact for Amer,
lean legislators TO bear in mind. English mono
rnetallists in arguing the case with bimetallista
invariably ask Nv hat ratio do you propose"
and when no answer is returned they dismiss the
whole subject with cOntemptuous gesture.
a ratio be named in proposals from Washington
a definite basis Of action VIII be outlined. ane
the conference scheme may not be mpractlcabla
There are go many signs Of imp ovement In the
relations Of Great Britain. Russia and France
that sanguine Unionists inclined To believe
that Lord Salisbury has told the Cabinet Coun.
ell that the Eastern question has been settled
This report is probably based on the evidencs
Of things unseen. When the corrupt ofciali
surrounding tho Sultan are removed. and the
administration is conducted by European repre-.
sentatives OF the Powers. 1t will be possible Il
believe that reforms OF far-reaching nature
have been introduced. and that the lives ant
property of Christians are safe In the Ottoman
Empire Whatever arrangement has been made
with the Dual Alliance. England must have paid
well for it: for Russia is now admitted to have
secured by treaty a great extension OF influence
in the Far East. with railway running int
China and a port open all the year round as the
terminus Of the Siberian system
THE Times" has shown that Lord saiisbury
was sincere when he declared a year ago that
there was room enough for all In Asia Russis
has received tremendous concessions with the
sanction OF England and may now be CON
strained to follow the example OF France In en-.
forcing reforms in Asia Minor Whether any.
thing more than a new issue Of irredeemabit
promises by the Sultan will be accomplished
Al Icy ID Al A N.,co