Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-18
srn,,xE CONFESSIONS DUTY.

,r,,o 3. something expected and :de-
| manded Of the strike arbltratioi ootA'A1''
sion far beyond the bringing tosetnei -
tba GENERATORS and the miners ana eli'ui
,,r rolief as soon as possible from eiio
distressing conditions resulting from Tue
fro, shortage If the conmlssloil
fnlfi,s the expectation and proves e'iuot
to the demand, for many reasons the 'oAe
and bitter struggle between laoor anu
capital. now about to be brought ~ .
close, will not have been an unmlXed evil
All its aspects considered, the strike
h.s marked the most serious crisis IN the
industrial history of the country. Out OF
It developed for immediate solution anu
intimately relative to it problems tha'
had never been associated with any
similar conflict, except remotely ana Ten Ten
tatively It's hurtful effects touched
directly or indirectly nearly every
class and interest in the land 1t even
led to popular advocacy of methods for
it's ending, resort to which would have
struck at the very foundations Of our
institutions. 1t brought us face to face
with the prophesy of intolerable condi-
tons in the future, unless there
could be found some way of ad-
justment which would stand as
a precedent-would embody prn-
ciple certain to safeguard against
a repetition of such protracted paralysis
of any industry upon which the masses
are as dependent as they are upon coal
mining.
1t is not enough, therefore, that. the
commission simply secure the sounding
of truce, or evolve q modus vlvendl'
and leave the future to work 1telf out
on such lines as may from time 10 tllne
present themselves. The greater respoh-
sibiIity under which it rests has TO 90
with time to come 1t behooves it not
TO be content with harmonizing the pres
emf and surface differences of the con-
tending parties. The public, whose IN
terests in the future relations or laoor
and capital are gigantic and all over
shadowing. as compared with those OF the
miners and operators, look to the COM
mission to dig down to the heart Oh the
trouble, expose the grievances and the
strength or weakness of the claims OF both
sides, put the people in position to do equal
and exact Justice, and lay cornerstone
of broad principle on which the power
of popular sentiment will succeed IN com
nelling both capital and labor to stahu.
Agreement to the appointment Of the com
mission was a recognition by both the
onerators and the miners of a great prln-
chile. It was victory for the principle
of arbitration. That principle is the cor
ner-stone on which the immediate settle
ment will rest. Can it be made the cor
ner stone for a permanent system Tor au-
iustment of grave trouble between capt.
tai and labor-a system which will have
behind it the tremendous influence OF
popular sentiment. and will reckon no
less Justly with labor organizations than
with capitalistic combinations that would
seek to crush them? In our view the
commission will not have half discharged
it's duty to either the employed or the
EMPLOYING classes or to the great pubic,
until it has exhausted every effort to
give a practical affirmative answer to
that question, by formulating system
of arbitration that would appeal to the
intelligent toilers, would have the en-
dorsement of the masses, and which capt.
tai could not afford to set al naught, even
if SO disposed. The task is not an easy
one but the willingness to arbitrate the
PENNSYLVANIA miners showed from the
beginning, and popular feeling as it de-
veloped during the progress OF the strike
encourage the belief that ~ is by no
means impossible of accomplishment.