The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-09-11
THE EDITOR STRUCK.
HE JOINED FORCES WITH THE PRINT
ERs WHEN THEY QUIT.

The Winning manner IN Whlch hh
sterItt Handled Demand For In
creased Pay by the Force on the
Old Dallas Times.
There are ways and ways OF settling
labor strikes The unions have used
the sympathetic strike" pln. at times
securing settlement by calling out
the forces of allied trades. with the
"hossps' the lockout frequently has
done the business. But there are meth.
ids of craslug differences between en-
r!OyCrs und employees which even Chi.
rGgo has overlooked. Strikes have
been settled 10y the bosses Joining the
ranks OF the strikers, voluntarily as
sumlng the posts OF walking delegates,
directing the movements of the strlk'
Ing army and debating the time wh'n
difficulties were declared Off.
Proof Of the power Of this method
was furnished during the days Of the
old Dallas Times That Texas city
was but struggling town then, with a
population that was getting close up to
the 1900 mark. The editorial helm Of
The Times had just been seized by
william Stcrltt, better known In Wash.
lngton's and Texas newspaper world
today as plain "Blll'' Steritt, the title
Colonel frequently being prelxed In
recognition Of his birthplace, Ken.
| lucky.
The Times under the Stertt regime
employed five men and one woman In
wife OF the foreman of the printing
room and worked at the cases" while
the printers devll' performed double
duty by acting as the motive power Of
the hand press. The foreman during
his younger days had had an argument
with mule. and the scars Of that hat.
tie which decorated his face had aided
In securing his reputation Of being "a
bad man In a mixup." Shortly after
the new hand press had begun the
moldlng of editorials and the sharing
of subscription donations ranging from
garden truck to overworked farm stock
uneaslness lodged In The Times office.
Rumors OF labor troubles and OF union
organization were heard.
"We've concluded to quit" said the
foreman as he stalked into the editors
sanctum one morning backed up by the
entire mechanical force. 1--WE don't
get union pay, and we've organized a
chapel. If you don't show up more
money, your paper don't get out, that's
ALL"
"Golng TO strike, are youT querlcd
Steritt, who had not found promises OF
a direct road TO wealth and Wall street
through The Times. "Unlonlzed, are
your Well, sir. I'm glad to hear It. I've
been thinking for some days OF going
on a strike myself. The circulation Of
this concern isn't extremely fcverish,
and none OF the subscribers viii ever
miss us. and II they do II will be to our
benent. The few blocks OF white paper
out there Will keep. and | guess the
hand press won't object 10 n day off.
Yes, sir, Wen strike right here and
now. Wen Just walk around the cor.
ner and celebrate the Inauguration OF |
this 'walkout with a drink"
The foreman's wife here transferred |
her share Of arbitration power on the |
contingent and departed.
The quintet expressed some surprise
ut the turn OF affairs, but followed Ster-
1T TO the corner saloon, where three
rounds Of drinks were put away under
his direction.
"You see," began the foreman, "we're
ready TO go right back to work now II |
you'll pay
''No, Stree" broke In the editor.
why. we've Just struck, and couldn't |
rall things OF now. Hold on, tell |
you. and Wen win out"
The Times office was closed up, the |
windows nailed down and the office cat |
turned loose TO forage. On the fourth |
lay the foreman approached Steritt |
and sounded him as TO the advlsabllity
'f declaring the strike at an end.
Cant do IT," was the answer. "Why,
I'm having the best time OF my life. |
Hang out, and wen win. tell you. II |
could find another union around here, |
we would have one OF those sympa. |
.hetic affairs. Mop; the strikes not off,
md | hereby issue another pronuncla-
nento to that end. Besides that, the
people are beginning to find out they |
heed a paper. I'm in this strike for
Then they liquored several times, and
he foreman left.
On the ninth day the striking army /
Il fye conferred with the self appoint.
ID walking delegate. They contended |
hat they were ready to resume their
nd OF the work OF shaping public opin-
on at the old schedule OF weekly pay.
'teritt was obdurate and advised fur
her hostilities for several days. On
he fourteenth day he was called on to
Iccept a most sweeping capltulation.
The next day the hand press began It's
'rind. the foreman, who had not lived
lp TO his reputation as n bad man."
ook his wife and his followers back TO
he "cases." and Sterltt continued the
york OF gathering "items" and build.
ng editorials. At the close OF the days
york the force was summoned to the
flee.
Next time" advised the editor, you
ont want TO stop when you've organ.
1ed chapel. You want to go ahead
nd organize and build a whole cathe
raj That's all"-Chicago Tribune.