The Washington herald., 1909-05-27

Atlanta. Ca. May 26.-To-aight finds
the strikers and railroad officials on the
Georsia road as far apart as ever. with
small chance Of settlement in the early
Future.
At noon to-day there was a faint ray
Of Heht on the situation. For a while It
looked Is If General Manager Scott might
be persuaded 20 yield enough 10 make
arbitration possible, bat tonight finds
/. him and the strikers as confident as ever,
unwilling TO yield one jot Of the advan-
tage gained.
On the surface. the strikers have far
the better OF the situation. For four
days the road has been so tied Up that
net a single train has operated The
strikers have the sympathy OF the au-
taorstiss Of the state. and Of the people
OF the state In addition. as events have
proved. they have the active aid Of the
citizens along the route Of the Georgia
road. which has counted for a good deal
more than sympathy
Situation Dangerous.
{ The dangers Of the situation brought
about FL this state by the strike can
hardly he exaggerated. The gravity OF
Z the conditions facing the State authori-
ties and indirectly those Of all the other
/ Southern States wherever whites and
blacks are employed side by side at the
same labor, is Just beginning TO be real
/ lied
( Little progress has been made toward
harmorizing tne differences between the
I Georgia Railroad and It's striking en-
ploycs. There is stM time for taetful
I handling 20 bring sn end 10 sn intolerable
and extremely delicate situation. But un-
( less The right thing is done. and done al
once. neither the raiIread management
+ nor the striking employees win have II n
their power to eject a settlement. The
/ whole matter VIII De taken o1t Of thei~
I hands by an infiame5 public sentiment
and no person here dares say what the
ultimate outcome viii be.
Beyond Conflicting Parties.
In a sense. the controversy between the
/ Georgia Railroad management and the
striking white fremen has already 10
some degree gone beyond the control OF
! the high conflicting parties. Il can stu
/ be retrieved, bat each days delay makes
( It more difficult. The whole dispute
J threatens 10 become a conhlct. rot be
/ tween the striking white fremen and the
/ railroad, but between the people along
the lines Of the Georgia Railroad and
/ the management Of the road.
/ The broad question al issue is whether
/ black fremen shah continue employed. as
. they have been for years. equally wita
I white firemen on the railroads in the
I South. The controversy has not reached
+ this stage vet. but il IS the logical pro-
I lOnEation Of the present situation: and
+ the question viii be answered by the
/ settlement made Of the present differ
/ ences
Methods of Settlement.
More Immediately the present strike Of
( fers these three methods OF settlement
and adjustments:
J. The railroad company may accede
20 the demand Of the striking white fire.
men and give them the preference in
days runs and hours over the negro
fremen- It remains 20 be seen whether
this would be satisfactory 10 the people
living along the line Of the road, whose
latent prejCdices, with almost criminal
/ needlessness. have been aroused.
? The railroad company may decline
I fatty 10 accede 10 the demands Of the
white fremen for preferential treatment
and appeal through the Federal courts for
/ protection. This would mean, first, that
the United States marshal would swear IN
! deputies 10 guard trains run by strike
. breakers. II the marshal and his deputies
/ proved inadequate TO the task Of keeping
/ open the traffic Of the road, as in all
I probability they would. the inevitable
/ next step would be for the local Federal
/ authorities 10 call upon the President 70
send regular army troops to Georgia to
F. guard the line of the road and protect
I the trains and mails in transit Nobody
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