Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-04-19
STRIKERS SENTENCED.

3H'StCoU an iib siItcl-Cdi Stilh0 III
Wheeling, W. Va, centered yesterday
in the special term Of the U. S. Court,
Judge jackson on the bench, for the
consideration of cases arising out of
violation of the judges injunction.
-Four men were tried ON the charge Of
opstructing the operation Of the road,
and each was given thirty days in jail
and sentenced to pay fine of $50
Before passing sentence Judge Jack
son addressed himself to the commun
ity generally upon tie matter of labor
strikes, in part as follows:
"The court is here for the purpose of
administering the law relating to this
case. 1t is not here for the purpose of
administering sympathy to either the
street railway company or to those
who have been employed by the com
pany, known now as strikers, who
are insisting upon the company increas-
ing the wages for their services.
This is free country. In a free
country like ours competition in every
department of life is open to every
citizen. He who by diligent and con-
tinuOus effort acquires not only com.
potency, but q fortune, has perfect
right to be protected in it. On the
other hand, laborer Of the country,
who maintains and supports himself
and family by his daily toll, has an
equal right to be protected.
"The trouble in this case seems to be
that there is an effort on the part of
the employees of this street railway
company to force the employer, the
railway company, TO advance their
wages without knowing whether such
action upon their part is justified in
any respect whatever.
Every employer has a right 10 look
into the question as to what he can
afford to give for services rendered to
him, the matter to be determined and
decided by the revenues derived from
the business in which he is engaged.
No employee can determine that, for
the employer alone is possessed OF all
the facts upon which he must base his
decision and action. In this case it
must be remembered by the employee
that the employer is ust as much in.
terested in maintaining the operation
OF the road and in obtaining revenues
from it as the employee is interested in
obtaining just and fair compensation
for his labor.
Suppose we reverse the situation
upon this occasion, and the employer
determines to reduce the wages of EN-.
ployees in the service Of the company.
The employer cannot compel his en-
poyee to serve for a reduced rate Of
wages. If he cannot, Is it right and
proper that the employee, who seeks to
have his wages and compensation in
creased, should take such steps as to
coerce the employer to comply with his
request without knowing whether or
not the employer can afford to do so?
"Whenever there is not n sufficient
remuneration upon the part of the en-
ployer for the services OF The employee,
let the employee leave the service
of the employer and seek other en-
ployment.
81 understand from the public press
that this community is in sympathy
with what are now known as the
strikers Let me say now that this is
mistaken sympathy upon their part.
No community can decide, as such, be
tween the rights of the employer and
employee. They cannot be familiar
with the circumstances that have in
huenced the employer to refuse to &C.
code IN the demands of the emDlovee
on this occasion.
This misguided sympathy is often a
wrongful sympathy, and operates not
only to the prejudice of the parties to
whom the sympathy is expressed, but
to the injury and detriment of the pub
lie at large. Labor will always com
mand capital when capital can afford
TO pay for it. Capital will always com
mand labor when it feels that it is justi-
fed in doingso. The effect OF this pub
lie sympathy is unfortunate.
whenever any community under
takes to set up for itself standard and
20 enforce that standard by mob vio-
ence, by communistc orders, or by ei-
| forts upon their part which are con-
ceived in spirit of anarchy, and which
lead to and end in anarchy, then the
time has come when the laws OF the
land must he enforced to control that
spirit OF anarchy.
"Such is the duty of the court here
today. The court is here to enforce
law and order. 1t is here to restrain
mob violence, and to prevent inUerfer-
ence with the movements of the mails
of the United States, and to protect the
rights OF citizens OF the United States as
under the interstate commerce act"