The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-08-12
THE RUSSIAN STRIKE

The strike problem is worldwide Organization
among tSe laboring classes is not confined to the
United States. nor the divisions between the
worker and employer absolute here as elsewhere
Neither the eutburss. the open conflicts between
capital and labor. disturbing and tragic us abroad
The latest strike to command international attel-
ton has developed in Russia. If first reports may
in horror and has far more general significance
The indications that it borders very closely on
rebellion and may he Il sign Of impending revolution.
The Use of the militia in Pennsylvania resort to i'll
Junction, occasional encounter OF strikers with the
police or the mastering of the posse cnmitatus in ST
Louis, are as nothing compared to the methods Of
repression which appear to have been adopted in Rus
STA. There even the police on the point of
striking
This is from the news columns of The Republic
the Information reaching this country by cable from
the London Daily Mail:
Groups of men. WHO assembled last Satur-
day with the intention holding a
Ing. We're driven into solid by 500
Ccssacks backed by two lines of infantry
With fixed bayones. About 1000 strikers
being thus inclosed by double GORDON the
Ccssacks rode through them, striking right
and left with heavy whips the fallen
being trampled under the feet.
When the living had been thor
ershly kneaded to the Governors will.
numerous S suspected
agitators. The infantry then marched off
and the strikers scattered in dozen direc-
tons with Cossacls at their heels.
1t is reparted that 400 strikers
or less seriously injured
TO Il dozen succlnbed. The whole affair
a typical piece OF administrative savagery.
The extraordinary feature of the
ment at Odessa is that the police and
gendarmes belonging to depot threat
ened throw off their uniforms risk
T.; all the terrors of characterization unless the
miserable pittance of II TO II pence which
they are allowed daily increased and
t' the hours of labor reduced. Siberia is losing
its terrors even for Russian policemen.
The synpathes of the dsinterested observer of
not receiving adequate wages and who resort to
strike are with these workers. the principle that
the heart goes out to the under deg Aside from
FSlnpathies, justice is to be considered. 1t is the
spirit of repression but of protecting the rights
of all which prompts Governors to call out militia
and courts to issue iniunctions In practice either
through clubbing over the letter of the law by
mistaken acts Of those in authority injustice has
been done in the United States both employer and
employed during labor troubles. This is unfortunate
but the consolation remains that the endeayor TO he
just is q fact
Almost daily we find examples in American bust
ness life OF labor diSagrecmentS settled quickly and
satisfactorily busnessike basis. Very recently
at the conclusion of brief conference between the
officials of the road and the officers of the Order of
Railway Trainmen the Rock Island system granted n
material Increase 1000 conductors and trainmcn
Very seldom will the head of large business inter
est refuse to meet the representatives of his en-
Ioyes And discuss with them their real or imagined
grievances. Not that the problem no longer exists
here but that ii is much less acute than in other