The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-06-04
TUESDAY. JUNE 4, 1901.
ON WHICH SIDE.

There is good authority for asserting
the virtue of Il quick decision of matters
in dispLte, in the prophets admonition:
Choose " this day whom We will serve"
What we have in mind is the propricty
of choosing sides in the labor strike now
in progress. In our Judgment of this
matter both principle and policy urge
an immediate choice. We have no doubt
about the ethics of the strike. 1t is
right. 1t is not only prompted by Il right
motive, is for il perfectly good end, and
the men have conducted themselves so
as to disarm criticism.
The policy of deciding for these men
is clearly reasonable and in business
sense commendahlc. The working people
of this country are Mt once the produc-
crS and consumers Of the proulcts Of
labor. For the largest and best products
the labor should he of the best. Its earn
lngs should he adequate for I'LL its needs
and leisure should he available for the
enjoyment O that which is earned. The
man who earns and cnioys-spends his
earnings for that which hrautifes and
enables his own. and the lives of those
dependent upon hinl-ls the better man
compared with the misery fellow who
only enjoys having the money representa-
tive Of his lahors. These are the men
whose lives are hcnefactious. They are
the hehefactorS of the manufacturers and
merchants. They not only make hut
consume. That this is true cannot he
successfully denied. Ii is true that in
dlvidunllr they ARE not the largest cot,-
S'lherS. but collectively they consume
vastly more. indeed So much mora finn
other classes Of consumers, that if II
common, aud truthful. Ia say they CON
sumo all the products Of labor.
In n business sense the merchant Is
til" natural ally of the workinknrn. 4
strike Is his business M well m thrirs
not in the narrow sense that he Is only
interested about the temporary cessation
OF ms business. hut in that sense N
which the promotion Of the interests ar
thr workingmcn is promotion IL In
merchants interests The advance oC tbo
NORTHUMBERLAND III money value and leisure
make him II better customer. nm ~
make local application of these trntbs
we Gan say without fear 0f contradiction
that the merchants Of this CITY ora ia
pehh"nt upon the workingmcn'S families
Tor their business. 1t il thc MN or I'M
SHOPS Factories and yards who pntroujzr
local merchants There is large trad.
going from this CITY y, "'h' -'-a--- \
,nn,,,cs were pollcd than nj any l S,Ir,l,
-ystTfy. wTgUTS are to he seen distrib,itinr
he purchases of these ont of town sbon /
iers Watch them. They do not n4 !,
'ulr stop NJ The door 1T lie mechanics nr y
II" city. They do go to the homes ~ IN.
'""lr VIII" arc opposing the strikers
We ~" not saying Tint Il purchaser
should not buy where hr plcaso4, That
y not "nr point. The local merchants
are the interests of his eu4
TONER'S With no ethical reason for 81.
posing labor strike. II IL fairly snppos-
able hat local business men arc. from
business policy. in favor of tie strikers
W by should not that sympathy kr
shown?
Just now what these men nord Il
and moral support. An OK
preston " popular sympathy would aid
them immensely in their fight for ins. =
nee Popular opinion is the most power
rhl lever for The projection IL reform.
The making of it in this ease would liz
pr"motve of the public wral- .n I'll
pressed sympathy with tho objects If M
strike encouraging the men in contend
me- f"r that which would promote mn
general welfare, would not only bc IN
ia" In" Of good citizenship. but ought
10 bc III" local merchants bcSt advertise
mrnt
rs matter Of business We inuiIirr.
Upon which side Of the strike question
NJ" the local merchants. for or against
heir customers?