The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-10
THE STOCK YARDS STRIKE.

THE STOCK YARDS STRIKE.
The meat packers of Chicago and
other cities say they are getting all
the labor they want. but daily tievel-
opments indicate that the stock yards
strike is by no means ended. On the
contrary. it is assuming larger pro-
portions and may be the cause of
widespread trouble before it is set
tied. The butchers and meat cutters
of New York will strike to-day and,
In Chicago the teamsters have been
ordered 10 deliver no more ice to retail
meat dealers of that city who purchase
meat from the so-called trust pack
ers. These retail dealers are hauling
meat in their own wagons and. hence,
so far as meat supply is concerned,
are independent of the union drivers.
But they cannot get along without ice,
and it is a question whether they will
be able to get it. They have to de-
pend upon their own wagons.
There is no doubt that the strikers
intend to resort to every lawful means
TO win the strike. Having failed to
accomplish their purpose, and seeing
they were i'm danger of being defeated,
they have now called upon other
unions for assistance, and they are
getting it, How far these sympathetic
strikes will extend. it is of course inn
possible to say, but the promptness
with which the New York butchers
and meat cutters, and the Chicago
teamsters, have responded to their APP
peal for help justfies the conclusion
that many thousands of other toilers
will lend the stock yards strikers a
helping hand II an adjustment of the
differences between the packing houses
and their employees is not made soon
These labor troubles are giving the
President and other Republican lead
ers a great deal of trouble. The strik-
ers expect the President to take sides
With them against their employees and
if he fails to do so he will lose a great
many votes. He understands that this
is the case and it is probable that,
in a quiet way, he is doing what he
can to bring the stock yards strike to
an end.
OF course, there is no legal way in
which ne can interfere between the
strikers and their employees, but the |
seem 10 think there is. They |
know that he interfered on behalf of
the strikers in the great coal strike,
and effected a settlement of it that |
tee, g. 4 nd
they cannot understand why he cam
not do the same thing for them. Per-
haps he is beginning to realize now
that the course he pursued in the coal
strike, much as he has been praised
for it by his admirers, was not alto
gether wise. He made a precedent at
that time that may have a very hurt
full effect upon his political fortunes.
The famous Mother Jones deliv-
cred an address before the Central
Federation Union in New York on
Sunday in which she said: LIT is.
your business to serve notice upon
President Roosevelt that unless he
sends those miners in Colorado back
to their homes as free citizens he won't
get labor. vote in New York city"
She had reference to the Union MIN
ers of Colorado who were deported by
the state authorities for alleged acts
of violence during the great strike
in that state of the employees of the
mine owners. That strike is not yet
settled.
Mother" Jones is not a. person of
much Importance, it is true, but there
is no doubt that she is gifted with a.
good deal of common sense, and in
strike times gives expression to much
that is in the minds of strikers. If
the President should be called on, by
livestock yards strikers to assist them
in their fight with their employees, and
should take the position that he
couldn't lawfully interfere the prob
abilities are that he would lose a big
percentage of the labor voterthe vote
he has been trying to get ever since
it became certain that he would be
a candidate for the presidency.