New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-10
THE BROKEN STRIKE.

The passengers who have been tossed about
in the last few days by green" motormen have
had no severer jolt than that administered to
| the ruculent strikers who thought that they
could extort anything they pleased from the
| Interborough Company. The leaders of the
| national labor organizations deserve great
credit for the sane, reasonable and just atti-
tude which they have taken toward this utterly
inexcusable strike They have done something
to commend organized labor to respect, while
these reckless engineers Of the strike have been
doing their best to make people think that
labor unions were utterly untrustworthy and
that there was no use trying TO. deal fairly
with them. The strikers have dealt a serious
blow to labor unionism in this city and doubt
less stiffened the will of employers In general to
resist even reasonable requests, for they are
bound to feel that public sympathy has to
certain extent been alienated from the labor
organizations, and that the unreasona bleness
Of any labor demand has been made the popu-
lar presumption. 1t is only fair, therefore, to
recognize the action of the national labor
leaders who refuse to sanction strike under
taken in violation Of contract with employers
and in disobedience of the rules of their own
organization.
The failure of the strike ought to teach
valuable lesson 1t was not strike except in
on a corporation in the legisla ture as strike
bill" strike as labor men want the term
understood is a cessation from work to secure
Justice. This was merely an organized scheme
Of blackmail Mr.. Belmont is head of the
Civic Federation. The marlborough Company
was SO DESTROYS Of peace that it would let itself
be victimized without limit Its employees to-
day could make long term contract, get the
concessions which were the consideration for
that contract. and then tomorrow come and
hold up the company for new concessions on
the threat Of making trouble That was the
strikers conception Of the situation, and so
long as they held it there was possible no
stable and satisfactory adjustment Sooner or
later they had TO learn that they were not
licensed pirates, with both the Interborough
officials and the travelling public in chains be-
tween their decks. They had to learn that the
law Of business fair dealing and the obliga-
ton Of contract operate in the world of labor
organization as well as everywhere else.
Though the backbone Of the strike is broken
there is likely TO be a good deal of trouble in
undoing the harm which it did. Some of it.
indeed, can never be undone The suffering
and death caused by wanton neglect of duty
are beyond repair Wives and children, too, who
We're dependent on the wage recklessly thrown
away may not find it coming back The Inter
borough has rightly declared that the strikers
have no standing as being longer in its service
1t is to be hoped that the lesson having been
taught to the rank and file of employees who
were doubtless misled to a great extent by
those whom they trusted the company will
take back otherwise competent and worthy
men. 1t cannot be blamed if it refuses to take
back those who engineered the outrage of
which it, its ignorant employees and the general
public are all victims. At the same time it
owes something to the men who have aided it In
an emergency and would be justified in retain
ing those who are thoroughly competent in
preference to renstating its former men. The
strikers have nothing to do but surrender at
discretion