New-York tribune., 1899-07-18
STRIKES OF TWO KINDS.

STRIKES OF TWO KINDS.
After giving his reasons for thinking that the
relations between the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company and its employees were such as to
make strike improbable and undesirable, a
conductor on one Of the elevated roads said on
Saturday: Then. again. the public conven-
'fence must be considered. and the public at
"the present time would not be with the strik-
"ers If it was put to such Inconvenience as
"strike would cause now. / don't believe there
"are many Of the men who want a strike"
That is a sensible and moral view Of the stu
alton. A strike which ties up important
railroad always causes great inconvenience, but
the people are not unwilling to give 1t the aid
Of their sympathy and patient liberation Of
manifold annoyances If they are convinced that
the strikers have serious and just cause of COM
plaint that the company has refused to give
it's men a fair hearing, and above all, that in
pursuance Of a selfish and cruel policy the
company is deliberately violating its legal OBJ
legations. Under such conditions strike may
he honorable and expedient, and largely be-
cause Of popular approval or acquescence it
may be successful
When the situation is so far reversed as to
put the strikers in the wrong according to the
common understanding Of the affair: when they
are unwilling to offer a candid statement Of
their grievances or unable TO make out a good
case for themselves; when they are the obsti-
nate and unmannerly faction, with which in
telligent and fair minded discussion tending
toward settlement by arbitration or otherwise
Is impossible; above all, when they consent to
surrender their judgment and their interests
to the despotic dictates Of a few individuals
who have nothing to lose by strife which
makes them notorious then public sympathy
and support are invariably withheld and the
strikers come to ultimate distress and failure
1t appears to us that the railroad strike in
Brooklyn at this time will be generally ident-
fed as belonging to the class Just described
1t is true that somewhat confusing statement
Of grievances has been made, the chief COM
plant being that the ten hour law Is commonly
violated But the president Of the Rapid Tran
sit company explicitly affirms that the COM
pany is obeying the ten hour law and prac-
tcally complying with all the strikers de-
mands- excepting only in the matter Of In
creased pay for brakemen, agents, gatemen
and platform men, and that while he could not
consent to raise wages he would consider and
endeavor to remove any reasonable cause Of
complaint relating to the arrangement Of time
tables. For the present therefore, the strikers
statement of grievances cannot be regarded as
convincing, inasmuch as they produce no
proofs Moreover, it lacks the weight which
it might otherwise have with many persons, as
fat contradiction OF Mr.. Rossiter's assertion
for the reason that as late as Friday General
Master Workman Parsons said for publication
that a clique Of stock jobbing politicians was
trying to bring about strike, that he knew the
men who were manpuvring to depress stocks
in that manner, and that If they succeeded he
would expose their contemplate work Mr..
Parsons thus practically admitted that there
was no good and honest warrant for strike,
and the fact that he has suddenly and mys-
teriously been converted to its support does not
dscredlt the position he then took, however 1t
may affect the general estimate Of his char
acter
1t Is perfectly evident moreover, that only
a small minority Of the companys employees
wanted to strike. That was concusively
proved on Sunday and yesterday by the fact
that the great majority remained at work. 1t
is another attempt Of the few to dictate to the
many, and to produce despotcally a situation
which does not reflect general sentiment and
desire. To what extent employees Of the COM
pany were responsible for early acts Of vio-
lence it may be impossible to determine. We
are loath to attribute to them performances
which they have good reason to deplore, but
It must be admitted that they might have done
more to prevent the lawlessness which win in
evitably ruin their cause II It is continued.
Thus far the strike leaders have made no prog
ress in morally establishing their case, and the
conduct Of the rest seems to imply an acknowl-
edgment that they have no case to establish
The evidence still sustans the first impress
sion, that the strike had its origin in con-
,plracy Of politicians and stock jobbers the
former being eager to hoodwink labor and the
latter covetous of dirty profits in cash. Such
n strike ought to fail, and there are welcome
signs Of its failure.