The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-12
MONDAY. JUNE IF, 1905.
coNTRoLLrNG rHn srnrrrs.


 A very significant remark was recently ment makers of Chicago. according to The Tribune. and the remark also let some light on the situation. These garment-workers were the real origi- nators of the strike. but it appears not to have paid them as well as they an- ticipated. Money has not been con- tributed as they expected. and much of the amount that has been sent in has gone to the lawyers and the bosses. Comparatively little has gone to the workers and the consequence Is that they are practically on their last legs. The representative admitted that un- less they could get help. they must abandon the strike, and then came this threat: T know that 1t would be a serious blow to the strike to have the garment workers leave it. for it would then become merely a contest, for the domination of the streets"
 That last sentence contains the sig nificant-we might say astounding admission we have referred to. Or
 
 that the streets belong to the city. and that the corporate authorities of the city control them. Indeed, the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois has decid- ed in a case before 1t that the corpo- rate authorities of a city hold the streets in trust for the use of the pub lic." which is good sense. and we've no doubt that it is good law. Then they added that the authorities cannot sur render the control thus given them of this power and trust"
 This is also good law and good sense but these strike leaders evidently do not so regard it. With them one very important consideration is the Nomination of the streets. and for that the different branches of the strikers have contended all along. The Tribune thus comments on the situa- tion:
 The representative of the garment workers talks with great frankness of the contest for the domination of the streets. Do the city authorities ap- preciate the situation as clearly as he does? Probably not, or they would not allow a campaign to deprive them of the control of the streets to drag on through so many weeks. The mu- more energy than many expected they would display the organized attempt to Is not 1t time for them to gather their forces. assume the offensive. and make 1t clear to the representative of the garment workers that the city and not the teamsters' union is to dominate the streets7
 Certainly we should consider it high time for the authorities to take a hand and convince the turbulent element thet the public streets have not been surrendered to them. While the war ring elements are contending with each other for domination of the citys thor oughfares, the authorities should set tic the controversy by stepping in and taking control for tse peopl. That would be doing a plain duty, and It would take some of the arrogance out of the strikers.
 The truth Is evident, as The Tribune charges, that the authorities have been on the defensive all the time. They seem to have known that they were powerless, but have not had the back bone to appeal for help where help might have been had, though we must confess that we have little confidence in the disposition of the State to do any better than the city has done. The entire business has been discredItable to Chicago and to Illinois.