New-York tribune., 1902-08-23
prRrIc CONCERN IN THE STRIKE.


We are glad to see that President Iruesoaie'
A., -ooo of Cod lord of the Lackawanna
coa, mines. stands firmly for the doctrine OF
dir;ne right enunciated by President baer. ana
obo+oS nor one lot or title of the claim that ne
ii h;s felIoxr rulers are responsible 10 Goa
.1ope for their conduct Speaking OF the pos
ribyities of settling the coal strike by arbitra-
tion TruesdaIe del gratia presses, maJesucal-
IL declares: Just fancy such men as Sent''i
..Hanna and Bishop Potter. VINO know ho'llihs
..ahout mining trying TO settle olherences
(which concern us and our ehpioses A
nobody else"
Tbere * true Rourhonism in its glory by
divine right the coal operators rule and IL Is
an ;npertinence for Senator Hanna or bishop
po+ter to suggest that the body OF the people
are heIng ground between the upper ana l'e'heI
rniIIstone 1t is no concern OF the people il
they are ground. That is what they exist Ior'
to furnish a market for coal when the opet-
ator chooses to mine it. and Loyalty keep sun
and 60 without 1t when he doesn't.
Seriously the coal strike does concern the
nublic very much. and thousands of people
VINO have no sympathy with Mitchell or MS
schemes are more and more coming 10 leei
that nuhlic safety will ultimately compel the
State to dispute as well the asserted absoiutlsii
Of +be onerators as the pretensions OF the
s4ril,ars tn say whether the mines shall ne
worked or not. The old doctrine that man
may do what he will with his own worked well
enough when the life Of the community was
NOT dependent on what he did own, but some
wav or other it does not nj the case Wheh n
whole commodity is under one control. 1t dlo
not seriously matter if one mine was smut
down and its product cut off. The community
couId allow the owner TO say it was his. and
his use of il did not concern them. But Wnen
all the coal mines are subject to one Will the
WAY that will works is of profound concern to
those dependent on 1t. The mines are at law
unauestonably private property. NOBODY can
go into court and get relief because the mines
do not produce the coal he needs. But there Is
q moral trust-even kings now admit that. even
though they rule by divine right, they hold
trust for their people Prerogative and title
TO property rest with the operators, but the
people must have coal, and if the operators
forget the moral obligations attached 10 their
property holding they will force the substitu-
tion of legal for moral obligation in some form
or other Power carries with it responsibility
They who dare to take upon themselves the
domination of the whole coal market. saying
how many tons the people may have year
and what they must pay for ii, must be pre-
pared for corresponding responsibilities toward
these people whom they have subjected TO
their rule. They may not claim the immunites
of the humble mine owner. who, exercising no
control over others. owes no obligation to them.
We do not mean to say that the operators
should yield TO Mitchell. nor even that they
should arbitrate with him. Perhaps they are
taking the best course possible In dealing with
the difficulties. The pretensions of the strikers
to say who may work in the mines are not to
be endured. Anarchy must be put down, and
the operators are entitled to the strongest sup
port in their resistance to the mob. Only, in
whatever policy they adopt. they should not
forget that somebody besides themselves and
their former employees is concerned. The
public has large stake in the settlement. 1t
is perfectly willing 10 leave power in their
hands, but It expects that power to he used
with some regard for its interest. The people
do not like that the men who happen to be al
lowed TO control coal production should pro-
ceed on the theory that the conduct Of the In
dustry is no concern of theirs