Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-07-26
THE STRIKES.

Strikes are the eddies in The current
of prosperity When every mill and
furnace has business far ahead, orders
crowding in upon it, and the unem-
ployed are hard to find. while advanc-
ing prices are making business more
prof table, demands for higher wages
are more readily entertained and pre-
scented. There never was anything
like the amount OF business done in
this country that has been done in the
last two years, and employment for
labor has been abundant, while in
nearly all branches wages have been
advanced at least once, ill some cases
more than once.
Yet strikes are reported daily, not
always for higher wages, but for other
privileges more or less reasonable, TOR
shorter hours and recognition of I'M
ions and wherever the workmen or the
agitators think an advantage is to be
gained They think better prices, bet
ter times, busy factories and mills and
mines, increasing emolument for labor
and all the conditions of prosperity a
suitable opportunity to make new de-
mands.
1t seems as if the whole world was
paying tribute to the productivity of
our industries. A balance of over half
billion dollars in our coun1ry's favor
was reported for the last fiscal year.
1t was the third of three successive
years of great annual balances show
ing how vast is the increase of our
trade. Yet strikes and threats of
strikes are on every hand Three
years ago labor in America was crying
out for work at any price. Now it is
striking season. There are strikes
with and without cause, strikes for all
kinds of whimsical causes, strikes for
sympathy. Some of these have been
of brief life. for any reasonable de-
mands are met The strike of the tin
plate factory employees was at once en-
countered by an increase of Is per
cent in the wages of $4,000 men ard it
has been the same In other cases.
though the increase would probably
have been obtained by reasonable dis
cussion instead of strikes.
Strikes are always dangerous and
costly proceedings. That is especially
so when law,essness and violence are
used. The strikers in Cleveland and
in Greater New York are injured in
their cause by rioting, destruction and
the use of dynamite. The authorities
can only rightly do their duty and en-
force law for the good of the commu-
nifty without fear or favor against all
who use lawless methods.
The great danger from the epidemic
of strikes is of Staying the goose which
lays the golden egg. II would be
to check the march of pros
perity, to put the brake on the business
movement, to blight the power which
is making for the happiness and com
fort of millions
The conference at The Hague is !
seeking to promote peace among ma
tons. If a peaceful way of settling |
labor disputes, of applying reason and /!
justice so as to prevent strikes or
speedily terminate them could be in /
troduced among men, that would be
an invaluable boon. State arbitration
boards are as yet mere experiments
here or in Australia but much is ex-
Dected from them. Meanwhile, work
men should be slow in allowing them
selves to be dragged into these mis-
struggles for trivial causes.
When strikes come there is one duty
for all governing authori-
lies and all loyal citizens and that is
20 keep the peace and obey the laws.