The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-09-12
THE wORKINGMAN'S SIDE OF THE
STRIKE SITUATION.


There are always, or at least nearly
always two sides to the strike situation
the side Of the working man and the
side of capital. That labor does not
always get a fair and impartial hear
ing will hardly be denied. Capital has
the advantage in many ways, and not
the least Of these is the control it
usually has over the columns of news
papers. There are, however, exceptions,
and when labor is given a just hearing
it greatly aids the public in arriving
at lust conclusion.
John N. Parsons general master
workman Of the knights of Labor, con-
tributes a valuable paper on "The
| Working mans Side of the Strike Situa-
tion," which can be read with profit by
all who recognize that labor has the
same rights that capital has. Mr.
Parsons says:
Labor organizations among all
kinds Of workmen have long since been
regarded as Of the greatest necessity to
their members when work is scarce, as
then those who are idle would seek the
places Of those at work-for less wages
or longer hours-eXcept for the organ-
zation which encourages them to be
fair to their fellowmen; for workingmcn
know that the men who are looking for
work are the men who regulate the
wages of any trade or craft, and in
maintaining wages for its members and
regulating the wages of all, the labor
union has been a success. Strikes are
no evidence of prosperity except in so far
as they expose the greed Of our great
corporations, who desire to further in
crease their profits by imposing upon
labor.
1t is said there should have been no
strike at Cleveland. This is absolutely
true. There would have been no strike
had it not been for the desire Of these
new officers of the company to make a
record for themselves by imposing upon
the men. And as we are told that these
men at Cleveland were only farm hands,
and had no experience in organization,
their actions showed them to be men
filled with that wizard word which
organizations of labor are charged with
using, Manhood" This word should
be made the password into all society,
as it represents a trait of character
peculiar to the American people, which
restraints the hand that would make
the people of our country slaves for the
benefit of a few. The men at Cleveland
have shown that they are not ready to
accept unfair conditions without resis-
tance. In the strike at that city the
issue depended entirely upon public
support, and for this both the company
officers and the men were contending.
From the start public sympathy was
with the men, until the dastardly hand
of the assassin was employed 10 cause
alarm, by endangering innocent lives
by the use Of violence. AS to who should
be responsible for such acts, first
thought would at once suggest the
strikers; and. in the absence of any
proof, circumstances alone must be
considered. No one will contend that
the cause of the strikers could be bene-
fitted by the use of violence. as public
sympathy was already with their cause
while the company needed just such
help as these overt acts supplied. So
whatever the motive which inspired the
act, the result was most damaging to
the cause of the men; and no one knew
better than the leaders of the strike
what effect such action would have up-
on their cause.
During the Brooklyn railroad strike,
a dynamite explosion occurred, for which
many of the strikers were arrested, and
held upon the sworn statement of q
private detective in the employ of the
railroad company. When the men were
taken to court his statement was
thrown out, because it was not based
upon facts, and also in consideration
of the low character of the company's
detective. All of these men have enter
ed suit against the company for false
Imprisonment, which may result in
heavy damages being paid them. In
New York city, also upon the Metropoli-
tan Traction company's lines, one of
the motormen was arrested, charged
with having dynamite in his possession.
| When brought to trial the evidence
would not sustain the charge, and the
man had to be held upon another or
make farce Of his arrest. The use of
violence in case of strikes is always
against the interests of the men, and
investigation into many of the instances
where violence is used would show that
the strikers were not responsible for
its use. The intelligent labor organiza-
ton of today deIaores the necessity OF
! having a strike, as a means TO ad-
just differences with employers, Tor the