The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-17


war is to take the place of
- peace in our valley. We
have argued to avert this
calamity but now that Il has come re"
grets are futile; common sense bids
all to accept the inevitable gracefully
and to try to make the best of t..
1t goes without saying that the wish
of every honest man is that every la
borer in and about our mines may re-
ceive in wages a just and generous re-
turn for his labor. This is equity. This
Is the true basis of prosperity. Where
labor is robbed or wronged there is no
enduring public welfare. But not
every charge against employers is a
true one. There are men in labor's
ranks as we'll as in the ranks Of cap
ital who are not fair with themselves
nor viii others. Public intelligence,
even 1.-the tension Of a great strike,
must be slow to accept extreme state
ments, wholesale accusations, partisan
eXaggeration. 1t must investigate for
itself separate fact from fancy and
draw an average.
From the standpoint of the commun-
ity in general it is srievously unfor-
tunate that employers and employed.
before battling with one another, did
not como together as man to man and
have a full frank and fair discussion
of differences. We concur fully in the
belief that a meeting of this character,
or a series of meetings. could have
done no harm end might have done
much good. SO far as the operators in
personal touch with their workmen
are concerned, we think that a major
ity of them wanted such an opportun-
ity Of discussion undisturhed by out
side Influences, and it is an unhappy
circumstance in the development Of
the present conflict that among men
of power on both sides have been some
more determined to effect technical
purposes than to promote tho mutual
ald common welfare.
Another unhappy feature Of the pre-
liminary skirmishng was the failure
of public opinion to effect and enforce
judicial arbitration. our courts sit 10
pass on questions of law and fact in
matters vital to human life, and their
decisions upon the whole command
popular respect. Here was an issue
of facts not difficult to locate: and
peculiarly an issue suited to disinter-
estcd and unbiased adjudication. How
much better and cheaper it would have
been could the decision have been
reached in this civilized way. without
idleness, prostration of business or the
pail of uncertainty and apprehension
which ovcrhanPs whenever great
bodies Of men engage in a labor war;
But these considerations have to do
with a period now gone by. Today the
strike begins and what are its pros
poets? In it's comments during the
trouble now dawning The Tribune. to
tho best of its ability, will not be par
tisan; it will speak the truth as it sees
the truth in absolute fearlessness of
consequences, In this spirit ii has to
set down it's inability to perceive any
where in the outlook a probability of
rccompense for any of the Interests
~ W l'''S 'N ''li' l'Ai III VI NdllFlt.
Operators, men and general public all
see staring themselves in the face the
dismal prospect of sacrifice without
gain: the markets of anthracite bid
fair to be captured by competitive fuel
and years may be required to regain
lost ground, if some of it shall not be
lost forever.
Every one in the coal fields knows
that the miners lot has been hard and
would rejoice to see It bettered. But
It remains to be proved that better,
ment can be effected by a course OF
procedure which starts with idleness
and ends with want.