The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-23

I AN lDf llttlc uOuDt
that the public sentiment in
favor of a settlement of the
street car strike on terms
less harsh than the crucifiXOn of the
men is growing. Three weeks of war
.are have demonstrated one thing TO
the satisfaction OF all observers. They
have shown that the strikers are loyal
to each other that they have the cour-
age of their convictions and that the
sympathy of organized labor is with
them to the last ditch.
We take back nothing said hereto-
fore in these columns as to the unwis-
dom of the strike. We believe it was
begun too hastily. without properly
counting the cost We believe it should
nave been settled the day il started and
that if'wiser counsel had prevailed it
would have been settled then. That,
however is now all past. The present
and the future concern us more Win
ter is coming on. Hundreds of these
strikers own homes or have families to
support. They cannot, afford to tear
up and seek work elsewhere Scranton
does not want to lose them. Neither
can they afford To remain throughout
the winter in idleneSS. As for quitting
their union and incurrinG the enmity
of all their fellow workers. that is not
to be asked of them and certainly not
to be expected,
We do not doubt the ability OF the
Scranton Railway company, if i, so
elects, to wear out the opposition of
the strikers and of their Sympath!zers
who at present refrain from riding in
the cars, But it would be both IL
costly and cruel proceeding. Mercy
ana humanity become the management
of corporations not less than they be-
come Individuals The company has
established its main point. 1t has dem
onstrated that il must have free
hand in the direction of its business;
that its employees must be faithful and
obedient. If that WAS ever doubted by
any former employe it cannot be
doubted now. Therefore the company
is in position to exhibit concilatory
spirit.
in the long run this will pay. The
great weakness Of the Traction COM
pany since it first began business in
this city has been its lack of unison
with local conditions. 1t has relied on
its Doodle and its pulls when it should
have courted and won the honest favor
of honest folks. Scranton is a complex
city, and to prosper in it you must
know and cater to its people. The
Traction company has either not sought
popularity along these lines or has not
known how to get it, For its own sake.
ward the soliditied ranks of organized
labor-not surrender of it's rights of
control nor an invitation to a renewal
OF the strike epidemic, but manly
overture for basis of humane settle
nfnt-would be worth more than
technically complete victory won a the
cost of the cherished hatred of every
union workingman in this valley.
We abhor strikes. We consider that
labor loses by them even when it thinks
II wins. We look forward to the day
when a strike in this vicinity will be a
nightmare of the past. We expect to
live to see the time when organizations
of labor will frown on strikes as they
would frown on pestlence or famine.
We desire TO cooperate with every
reputable influence aiming to check the
habit OF striking and 10 re-estabish the
relations of capital and labor on basis
OF mutual esteem and confidence. But
to bring this about in the Lackawanna