The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-09-06
IN IT'S THIRD MONTH.

ed association has entered upon it's
third month and as appearances go
the end is seemingly as far off as
when the first union men in the en-
ploy of the United States Steel cor.
poration walked out. Neither side
to the conflict is manifesting any
signs of receding from the position
assumed at the outset and Judging
from present indications the struggle
has resolved itself into a contest of
endurance. AS each side claims to
have the advantage, the fight will
probably be continued with the same
stubborn determination that has
marked the attitude of the two cor
testing forces since the inception of
the trouble.
While the association claims to
have the advantage it's position can
not be said to be as strong as when
the strike began. Some of its mem
bers are beginning to feel the pinch
ing effects of want, as is evidenced
by the announcement that the asso-
citation has begun to make payments
to those in need. The fact that it
has not been found necessary to be-
gin such payments sooner speaks we'll
for the thrift and good sense of
its members, as it shows them to
be possessed of the trait of
economy. But a drain on the
society's funds has been start
ed and it is but reasonable to sup
pose that from now on the appeals
for relief will increase in numbers
as the days and weeks pass, and with
nothing coming in to replenish the
treasury it is only a matter of time
until the power to afford relief will
have been exhausted. When that time
comes the aspect for the association
Men who themselves are hungry and
in want and upon whom are depend
ing others also clamoring for food
and clothes cannot always be relied
upon to adhere steadfastly to a prin-
ciple which at best can only be said
to have it's inception in a question
Of sentiment, for candor compels the
statement that the strike is largely
n of sentiment.
Another factor which must be TAX
en- into consideration in connection
with the strikers side of the case is
the refusal of all the men to walk out
when so ordered by the officers of
their association. While many obey
ed the order, many others also dis
obeyed and continued at work, saying
in justification of their d~isobedience
that they we're in honor bound to re-
main in their places and continue
work, much as their sympathies were
with the strikers. This refusal had
the effect of weakening the position
of the dissatisfied ones at the very
beginning of what they recognized
would be a struggle for existence of
their organization. Repeated efforts
having failed to induce the men Of
M of the largest western plants of
the corporation to walk out, President
Shafer and his assistants turned their
attention to some of the works in
the east, where numbers of the Anal
gamated association still continued
at their usual employment, and up to
the present with no better success.
The men in the Carnegie works at
ing that the strikers seemingly can
do has the effect of causing them to
weaken and recede from their an
nounced intention of staying with the
company. Not only do some of the
men who continued at work refuse
to quit, but, if report is to be believed,
some of those who did quit are going
back and by their return are streng-
thening the position of the corpora
ton.
Then the speech of former Vice
President Hickey and his subsequent
%utterances must not be taken as some
thing which is to be without effect
He openly charges Shaffer and the
other national officers with having
misled the members of the associa
ton and with misrepresenting the at
titude of the corporation SO that the
men might strike. The charges he
makes against those officers are ser
ious and if they are true Shaffer II
particular has much to answer for
Hickey may be wrong when he say.
the strike is lost, but ever to the
strongest partisan of the men engag
ed in the struggle against the stee
corporation it must be very appar
ent that it is a very long way from