The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-08-21
How Strikes Damage the Public.
and the Need for Legal Pro-
lection.

Washington, August 15.-While the
published interview with Representa-
tive Livingston of Georgia, declaring
that the public was entitled to pro-
tect itself by intervening in such a
contest as the present steel strike, has
aroused bitter criticism in same quar-
tiers. it is admitted by those who have
nothing to fear from the enmlty of
either the Steel Trust or the Anal
oamated Association that such is apt
to be the ultimate conclusion OF the
American people. Not so long ago, all
countries in the world recognized the
right of a man who had been aggrlev-
ed to challenge his enemy to mortal
combat and fight out the quarrel with
out reference to the law; nowadays,
nearly all countries punish the duello,
holding that the interests Of society
forbid private combat. Yet, while
prohibiting duels, the law does not
vet forbid gigantic strikes whose IN
eyitable result is to beggar thousands
who have no interest in the matter at
all. and without doubt to cause indl-
rectly hundreds of deaths whereas a
duel would cause one.
Mr.. Livingston spoke neither Tor Ia
bor nor for capital but for the public
which stands outside in nearly all
struggles, and pays the bills. He said /:
.'TRo great trusts that are in shape
to hold up business, or to control busl-
ness to large extent are the combina-
tions of manufacturers and labor.
The masses of the people, who are
the direct sufferers by the maneuvers
of these combinations, will demand
some permanent relief or basis of set
tlement lodged in their hands, and IN.
der the direct control of the United
States government. The interest Of
the trusts and the labor organizations
should not be permitted to- have full
sway and jeopardize the interests of
the great mass of the people, who are
not directly interested in either Of
these two warring combinations. The
middleman-that is, the man who is
neither member of the trusts nor OF
labor organization-will be the prin-
cipal sufferer in the case of strife be-
tween capital and labor, and as that
class far outnumbers those engaged IN
the war of the trusts, in all justice
and fairness and in the interest OF
good government, they should receive
prompt and successful protection un-
der the laws of the United States. .
In support of Nj. Livingston,s re-
marks it is pointed out that the Steel
Trust is proceeding to dismantle It's
mills in several thriving cities. By
doing this, anywhere from 5000 to
Is, 600 men will be thrown permanent
" out of work with their dependent
families. If this were all it might
be accepted as an incident Of warfare,
Willingly risked by the men who
threw up their Jobs. But it is not all.
The towns cannot supply work TO these
men: they must move away, depress,
ing values by sacrificing any landed
property they may have. Those who
SUPPLIED their needs will have to go
out ofsbusiness or move elsewhere, dis
charging their help and again throw
inc out of work those who supply
their wants; and so on around the
vicious circle. \ town of 100, 600 peo-
ple can be ruined for years to come by
the destruction of an industry located
in it that employ 10, 900 men.
This is case in which capital deals
the crushing blow; now here is one
where labor does so. There is big
strike on the Pacific coast, where all
means of transportation Of fruit, etc,
have been stopped by the strikers. The
results will ruin the fruit growers,
and set the state back ten years. The
perishable fruits in California are IN
the height of their season. As they
ripen they must be shipped without
delav or they are lost. But they can
not be shipped while the strike lasts,
so that the loss on the years crop
will cripple thousands Of farmers. 1t
is worse than loss by frost, for they
have been put to all the preliminary
expenses of raising crop, for whlch
many are in debt. Such men cannot
pay their debts. They cannot buy
more goods. The teamsters cannot
haul the produce, for it will have
rotted. They can never haul the mer,
chandise which the proceeds would
have bought. The merchants and
the transportation companies suffer
also. Trade suffers, labor suffers and
the fruit growers may lose everything.
Those who agree with Mr.. Livings-
ton saw that it is idle to contend that
public has no interest in such strikes
as these. They admit that there is,
so far, no machinery by which, ssthe
government can intervene, but they
sav there ought to be some, and that
sooner or later, some will be construct
ed and used.