The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-10
RAILROAD NEWS.
Railway ReyiewCaIls Machinists'
Strike Foolish.
Says 1t Is Due to Vanity of
ThOs. l.. Wilson.
NO GRIEVANCES EXIST.
States That Places of Strikers
Can Easily Be Filled.
Roast for Fake Reports in
Chicago Newspapers.
NO GRIEVANCES EXIST.

The Railway and Engineering Re
view says of the Santa Fe machinist
strike:
The -machfnists' strike on the Santa
Fe affords opportunity for observation
IN two directions. From the best in
formation that can be obtained and
a careful perusal of the official docu-
rnents in the case, it is apparent that
the strike is both unjustifable and
foolish. Uniustifiable, in that no ad-
eouate grievance has been presented,
which under any Interpretation would
warrant such action, and foolish be-
cause in the present state of the labor
market the places of the men can be
easily filled. The strike apparently
has no better foundation than the
vanity and aggressiveness of Mr..
Thos L. Wilson. the individual who
was responsible for the strike last
year on the Union Pacific, and which
cost both the men and the road
great deal of money. The Santa Fe
men are we'll paid, in fact better than
those of their class on other roads,
but it seems necessary that Mr.. Will
son should have another opportunity
to distinguish. or perhaps better put
extinguish himself.
The time chosen for this action is
particularly unfortunate from the
standpoint of any promise of success.
4
this season of the year makes the de-
mand upon the motive power COM
paratively light so that a much re-
duced force would be able to keep it
in order. Further than that because
of the general labor conditions ma
chinists, as well as those of other
trades, seeking employment, are
abundant. Further it so happens that
a large number of the men now en-
ployed by the Santa Fe are not mem
bers of the union and are under no
obligations to obey it's mandates. 1t
viii be an easy matter for the road to
I'LL every vacancy with competent men
inside of a week, thus preventing the
return of those who have been misled
by professional agitator seeking his
own aggrandizement.
Foolish is the action of the men in
this case the course of the daily press
has been still more censurable Its col
unns have been filled with sensational ac-
counts wholly without foundation, and
which, because of their falsity. have a
tendency TO encourage the strikers and
tnelr syInpathlzers to persist in a losing
cause. We happen to know that in re-
sPonse 70 a request TOR the actual facts
me representatives Of the press were all
glVen,by the responsible official in charge,
an exact statement of the condition of af-
1alrs on May 2. but none of them pub
ltshed it. On the contrary the head lines on
tne 1ollowing morning bristled with fig
Gtes ana the columns with incidents which
were wholly false and apparently. inten-
tionally misleading. If it were true that
these accounts did no harm except in the
way of catering to the sensational they
might be passed unnoticed, but they are
read by men Who, accepting them as true,
are encouraged to keep up a fight which
can only result in their discontinue and
loss Here is where the shoe pinches, and
It is just here that the public Journals
should exercise caution. At least they
should not wilfully misrepresent. In very
many cases, perhaps a majority of them.
the men who vote for and maintain
strikes would not do so If they understood
tne Iacts- The newspaper which states
that twelve thousand men have gone out
when the number is less than one thou
sano (as was the case with at least one
Chicago paper is responsible for the SUI
fering entailed by those who are encour-
aged by the m1ssta tement to carry on the
Tight The true mission of the press is
the bringing together of the conflicting in
terests IN all labor troubles and to that
end the exact truth is more potent than
any other force thew axart