The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1905-04-21
STRIKES AND LOCKOUTS.
Sensible Article On These Subjects
By a Union Man.

the Rocky Mountain News, and contains
much food for thought:
evil you kindly indulge me with
space in your paper in order that | may
show both my fellow trades unionists
and the public why | am opposed to
strikes and lockouts and an ardent adj
vocate OF Cancellation and arbitration for
the settlement of all labor disputes?
First, l am opposed to strikes and
lockouts because they are illogical. Sec
ond, a victory gained never yet proved
the Justice of the cause. Third, every
strike OF lockout inaugurated and fought
to a finish or until one side or the other
was compelled to surrender has but adj
ded fuel to the flame of bitterness and
dissension that is dividing the people of
the United States into hostile camps,
and because, while the opposing forces
so bitterly arrayed against each other
are but an intinitesimal minority, they
are by their illogical perversity inhicting
loss, hardship, suffering, death and de
struction on an innocent and unoffend-
ing public. The public pays the work.
ingman's wages, the manufacturers
profits, the investors dividends and the
taxes to maintain the government, ia
tional, state and municipal, and when a
strike or a lockout occurs that destroys
public confidence, paralyzes business
and calls for an expenditure of $SOO,OOO
as in Colorado, or of millions as in Penn
s~ylvania, or the Pullman strike of 1894,
in order to protect society from the law
lessness consequent upon industrial
quarrels, who is called upon to pay-the
strikers? Not a bit of it. The employ
ers? Oh, dear, no! Only just their pro
rata. Who pays, then? Why, of course,
who would pay but the public? Poor,
long suffering, idiotic public!
"Did the strikers or their leaders ever
ask the public for either leave or advice
before they inaugurated a strike? Did
they ever consult the public? Did the
employers, on the other hand. ever say,
"by your leave" consult, advise or give
timely notice that their men would be
locked out, money withdrawn from cir
culation and the average business mans
business sent booming along the road
that leads to bankruptcy. No, a thou
sand times, no! Then why, l ask, in
common decency, in the name OF justice
and fair play, should these business men
and our citizens generally, not be con-
suited on a question in which they are
80 vitality concerned, or why should they
be compelled to pay the war indemnity
when they were denied the right of v
a voice, either on the declaration of war
or the question that led to the war? The
idea that either side can find justifica-
ton of present methods is preposterous.
Each side is at present arrOgating to
themselves a power that belongs to the
people alone. If the results of the tao
tics and methods pursued by both does
not mean taxation without representa-
ton, then l don't know why we went to
war with England.
LET us look at the logic of strikes and
lockouts. Whatever is justifiable or
logical in any one given branch of indus
try must be conceded to all.
"In the Sacramento valley about four
years ago, when bOunteous nature as
sisted by man had filled this most fer
tile valley with a display of clustering
and juicy grapes that would delight the
eve of the most fastidiOus epicure, ma
ture, soil, climate and mar had cooper
ated thus far and the very day had ar
rived when this rich and abundant har-
vest should be gathered together and
shipped throughout the country for the
use and benefit OF rich and poor alike.
Well, well, what then? Just this: the
harvest was gathered. The grape
! pickers had organized. They demanded
an advance on the previous years rates.
The demand was refused. A strike en-
sued. l need not 60 into particulars.
The grapes were never picked; they
rotted on the bosom of the mother that
produced them, and thus, by the stub
born %perversity of man was man denied
the right to partake of the bounties sup
piled by a beneficent Creator and boun-
teous soil. If man or men a by any
power o. reasoning justify this wanton
destruction, or the system that led to
and still leads to similar violations OF all
that is great and good in nature, why
should we not have a strike in the seed
ing time as well as in the harvest time?
The farmer and the farm laborer have
just the same right to quarrel, lockout
or strike as any other class of employers
labor leaders or captains OF industry
think that Spring, young, joyous and
accommodating as she is, would stand
still for three months while the farmer
and his help fought it out? o, dear, no.
She would Just go on about her own
business and we would be left without
lOOus ICp III hId oAiiIh VI Ooy via =
overdrawn. Every strike, every lock-
out, every stoppage OF production is a
direct violation of all economic laws;
every dollars worth OF wealth produced
is an incentive to the production of more
wealth; every dollar lost by labor les
sons the ability of labor to consume, and
consequently lessons the demand for
production and the labor to produce.
"In a word, Mr.. Editor, our present
system OF disputes and their superficial
adjustment is a relic of barbarism, and
if carried on a retrogressive era in which
innocent and guilty must suffer alike.
Our greatest trouble in this God-given
and specially favored land would seem
to be that nature has been too kind, too
bountiful and too easily made responsive
to our demands. If the good people Of
Denver will do me the honor to attend
the chamber of commerce meeting on
Tuesday evening l will endeayor to show
that, labor troubles can be easily adj
justed in the future with justice to all,
injury to none, and in a manner that
will bring a lasting blessing to the whole
state, by showing capital that future in
vestments will be secured against all ex-
#- ~ "