The Washington times., 1904-07-18
MONDAY. JULY is. 1904.
A Threatening Situation.


When two sides to a controversy de-
clare that they are willing to arbi-
trate and then are unable to agree
even on what they will arbitrate, the
natural conclusion is that one or both
sides are either lying or footing them
selves. They really do not want to
arbitrate at all. What they do want
is everything in sight.
The situation in the meat strike is
this: On May % wages for uns&illed
labor were reduced from 1912 ceSts
an hour to from IS to Il 1-2 cents.
When there was talk of arbitration
the trust demanded that the work
men should take the lower wage
while the arbitratOrs were consider
ing the merits of the case. The work
men demanded that 1912 cents
should be the temporary wage.
Finally the wOrkmen yielded this
point. Then the two parties split on
the question of the method by which
the men should return to work. Ting
strikers demanded that the men who
went out should go back in a body
The trust said that they would take
the men back in the order of their
applications and only as many of
them as were required to do the work
The men hired since the strike began
were TO be kept in their jobs
Tho rfTafCv, rr-or71H r-ioI1 .
point. and consequently negotiations
were broken of. 1t is easy to see that
as long as both sides persist in their
present attitude there is nothing to
do but fight it out by brute force
Arbitration means reason and mutual
concession. 1t does not mean that
one party shall take its stand on one.
side of the river and demand that
the other party on the opposite side
co all the swimming.
Whether the meat strike was DELHI
erately perpetrated TO injure Presi-
dent Roosevelt for refusing to prom
ise the trust that he would not push
the Supreme Court for a decision on
the trusts appeal is not known. The
charge that threats TO that effect
were voiced by representatives of the
meat trust. who saw the President in
Washington, were made IN a special
dispatch from this city to the New
York Times" a Democratic news
paper
A bill of complaint was filed against
this trust long ago. 1t was charged
with various illegalities. and q Fed
eral judge issued a. injunction
against it, forbidding it any longer
TO commit these illegal acts The
trust appealed to the Supreme Court
Of the United States. and there the
case at present rests awaiting a deci-
sion from that body.
In the meantime the people have
been paying the highest prices for
meat charged since the civil war.
The cattle raiser has not received
any extra profit for his stock, and the
retail butcher has been obliged to
squeeze his customer in order to
make a living II is difficult for the
people TO reconcile these well-known
facts with the allegation made by the
trust that the condition of business
makes it necessary to cut the wages
of unskilled labOrers. Nor is the fact
that the trust has already made enor-
nous profits from the strike by sell
ing at advanced prices the meat IN
stock altogether hidden from the
people.
The single comfort that comes from
the whole deplorable situation-with
its shameful exposition Of the brutal
argument that might makes rights
found in the undeniable fact that bit
ter as are such experiences as this
meat strike and the coal strike they
must be doing their part toward edu-
eating the people. Taxation without
representation caused the American
Revolution. A people with ballot
do not have 10 take up arms in or
der TO cause a revolution.
If the meat trust has brought about
this strike to revenge itself upon
Theodore Roosevelt the people have
q duty 10 themselves TO perform by
supporting Theodore Roosevelt. III
the meat trust did not bring the strike
for any such purpose, the strike itself
shows the danger that the people are
In when the food supply Of the coun-
try exists or ceases 70 exist at the
will Of any private coterie or Organi-
cation.
Mr.. Roosevelt is universally known
as an honest man and a determined
man. He has never yet started in toI
do thing and left that thing undone.
There is no reason 10 suppose that
he will change the established char
acteristics of a lifetime in dealing
with the trusts.
Alton b. Parker has as his chief adj
visers In this campaign August Bel