Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-11-10

ity is presented, though right under its
nose will lie the authoritative state
ment of Commissioner Wright. Such
is the perversity of some OF my edi-
torial brethren.
Though there have been many-Mr.
Wright says 1,403-different causes Of
strikes, nearly 60 per cent have been
due to three causes: Increase of
wages, reduction of wages and reduc-
ton Of the hours of labor. Within the
past year Or so majority of the large
strikes have been because of the en-
ployers' refusal to recognize the work
mems organizations. 1t certainly has
occurred to you that this is, to say the
least, Il very inconsistent attitude for
the captains of industry" to assume
at a time when capital is combining
at n rate hitherto unthought of. Or
ganization is the watchword of twen-
tieth century industrialism. The indi-
yidual capitalist is being replaced by
the all absorbing trust, and yet this
mammoth boss says to the individual
miner or mechanic, You must come to
me all alone if you want to talk about
conditions of employment; l will not
recognize your right to combine with
your associates.
Hasn't it occurred to you that the
coal trust, for example, has a very
weak case, when it takes refuge behind
such an unworthy defense as n re-
fusal to treat with its men collectively?
Their position is based upon an alb
surdity, anyhow. 1t isn't practicable
for employees singly to reach the high
and mighties to state their grievances.
I have in mind two cases in point.
There was a strike over all of the
Union Pacific railway lines, embrac-
ing 10000 employees. When repre-
sentative of the men visited the offices
of the company in Omaha, he learned
that Mr.. S. ii. II. Clarke, the then gen.
eral manager, could only discuss the
subject in general way, and must re-
fer to the president Mr. Charles
Francis Adams, in Boston, every detail
for settlement. By the use Of the tele-
graph the trouble was adjusted, the
strikers winning every point. Just
imagine every one of those $4,000 en-
ployees personally visiting Mr.. Adams
in his Boston office or carrying on an
argument with him over the wire.
The other case, which was also in
the railway field, showed that the
man with a grievance can't always
catch up with the artfully lodging
boss. A committee representing some
of the Wabash railway men OH strike
went to headquarters in st. Louis to
interview the general manager That
gentleman, though he knew the COM
mittee was going to call upon him,
had left for parts not definitely known,
but presumably in an easterly direc-
ton. He was chased from st. Louis
to Cincinnati, from Cincinnati to Wash
ington, from Washington to New York,
where he was finally cornered in the
office of Jay Gould. And Mr.. Gould
was figuratively sitting on the slippery
managers coattail to prevent further
untimely flight.
l might take up the grievances that
impel workingmen to strike; but, my
friends. the night would have come
and gone and come and gone again
and again before l had half told the
story. l have no desire to play
upon your heart strings My appeal
has been to your reason and not TO
your sympathies, and you know of the
wrongs under which labor suffers
without being told by me. You know
of the dangers that beset the coal min
er's life, of the hardships he endures,
and you wouldn't face them for ten
times the miserable pittance he re-
ceives. You know of the wearing toll
and the awful responsibilities borne
by the workers in the transportation
service, and you think smaller divi-
dends and more liberal compensation
to the toilers would more nearly ac-
cord with the eternal fitness of things.
You know the story of the tenement
and the cabin. of the wan faced moth