The sun., 1901-11-06
AFTERMATH OF THE sTRIK E.

1t is probable that the announcement
of the discharge of thirty of forty ma
chinistS at the shops of the Harlan and
Hollingsworth Company. does not occur
to everybody rs Il matter of more than
common interest. We think, however,
that there is more than appears on the
surface in this matter. The men who
have been discharged are the men who
were generally prominent in the recent
strike. Their discharge is the companys $
way of getting square with these men
for their part in the strike The process
by which this result was worked out APP
pears to he very simple. When the strike
was declared off and the men returned to
work it was with the assurance that
there should he no discrimination against
the men who had managed or been prom
inent in the strike. They were, however.
put to work shortly afterward on the
night shift, the shops running night and
day. The understanding Of the men was
that the night shift was considered the
more important and required the moSt
skilful men, the older hands and those
well acquainted with the shop. the tools
and the character Of the work to be
done. and the strikers generally being th
older hands We're to be given this work
temporarily, and to be returned to their
places on the day shift when the rush
of work was over. But all that part Of
the bargain by which the strike was
called off seems to have been held ont by
some mental reservation on the part of
the officers and agents of the company.
When the rush which demanded thenight
work was over all the old hands who
had been i'll the strike We're discharged.
the belief that there has been no dis
elimination against these men. They are
mainly residents of the city; many Of
them having lived here for years, and
some of them were born here. Theil
places have been taken by strangers
whose home ties and interests are else
where The preference shown these
strangers alone suggests, if it does not
prove discrimination against the late
strikers. There is another thing about it
which appears suggestive. Some Of the
men discharged have been applying at
other local shops for work. They have
been almost. if not quite, uniformly re-
jcctrl ana these men are now askin-
each other if, III addition to being dia
charged, they have been ''hlacklisted'
and are to he driven ont of the city, fo
having taken part in what they believe,
to bc Il reasonable and juStitiablc strtk
for their own and fellow workmen's i'll
we have stated them. The suggestions
Of conrsear given as reasonable Surmise
as to motive and object in the diScharg
of these mon. Assuming that we n
right about it, we would like to as
what has become Of the doctrine /
mutual interest between employer an
worknon. which the ant-strikc labor r,
formers 50 Scdulously advocate when %
caSlon suits? We have heard it said til;
workmcn have no right to strike whr
striking would put their employers vi
disadvantage; and we have heard too,
the lihcrality Of employers in runnil
their works 1T loss III order to keep II
men nj work We say we have heard :
these things, and would like TO know wi
the rule Of mutual interest does not som
times work i'll the interest Of the mcr
Are all the liberal minded employers :
the retired list or dead?