Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-18

to be returned to the public This
would be an easy matter to determine
with the books open to commission.
4
The time Is coming when the stat
utes will compel all public service cor
porations to report publicly on their
earnings, so separated and classified as
to show how much they are making on
the actual capital invested and be IN
spected by public auditors just as
banks are inspected. A resolution 10
that effect came before members OF
the resolutions committee In the last
state republican convention, and II
came very near to being incorporated
in the state platform. 1t is right IN
principle, and should be enacted into
law When the public pays per, cent
net to investors in the public service,
1T pays dividends equal to national
bank dividends on business contain
ing less hazards, and 1t pays enough.
4
Marshalltown has come to such
pass in the disorders of this railroad
strike that it is time for all good citi-
zens to counsel together Our own
citizens are telling one another that
men have to carry guns on their per-
sons in order to walk the streets of the
city unmolested There is unquestion-
ably much unfortunate and unneces-
sary public odium cast upon the strik-
ing employees, and Indirectly upon I'M
ionism, by reason Of the disorderly con-
duct Of few hot-headed pickets and
more viciously inclined sympathizers.
The honorable, upright and thoroughly
respectable gentlemen among the strik-
ing employees, who stay at home and
mind their own business, feel very
keenly the humiliation. and are sensi-
tive of the suspicion which has been
cast upon them by reason of events
that have transpired. They have sent
a committee to the T.-R. office to ex-
plain that they feel unjustly censured
by the prevailing public opinion. They
argue that unionism with them means
q brotherly combination among wage
shorter working hours, and better shop
conditions. They believe that the Ia
boring man does not get his fair share
OF what Is produced by his labor and
they think that public sympathy ought
always to be. with the union man and
his organization in their efforts to dig
Nifty labor.
No man could talk with his union
neighbor without feeling an intense
amount OF sympathy for him in the
present situation, and the man who
makes the remark THAT they ought all
to have been shot," when referring to
the shooting Of Davies, should curb
his tongue with the thought that the
great majority OF these union work
men are our respectable law-abiding
neighbors. But let us recognize some
Of the mistakes that have been made.
II those Workmen had struck in protest
against cut in wages, and had left
the company's property in search Of
other work, they would have acted
clearly within their rights, and the
chances are that public sympathy
would have been with them. The first
was made when pickets were
employed by the union to harass the
''scabs." The second mistake was made
when the pickets resorted to assault
and smuggling to intimidate the men
who had taken their jobs. This is the
point at which the union mans phil
osophy fails utterly and will ever
fail, when he denies to his
business competitor the peaceful
right to sell his customer the
service which the customer used to
buy Of the union man. Then the third
mistake was made when the police adj
failed to realize that the
kindest thing it could do for the cause
Of the union man was to prevent the
hot-heads from doing violence in the
name of the organization. Had this
been the first conception of public
duty George Davies would not have
been killed, strike breakers would not,
have an excuse to carry guns, and
and working. law-abiding. respectable
and sensitive union workmen would
not feel that the finger of public scorn
had been unjustly pointed at them 1t
Is useless to arrest men for carrying
gins when they are In constant danger
Of assault.
It is not too late to mend. Let the
union withdraw It's pickets and call