The wageworker., 1910-03-05

Maupin, Lincoln: The question is,
Resolved, That labor unions are. on
the whole, beneficial If the mega
tive should point to the lawlessness
of the Philadelphia street car strike,
how would you answer it? I would
appreciate anything upon the ques-
ton. Do labor unions encourage their
members to use the savings banks,
and have they in some places founded
them? If SO, would you tell me where? |
If labor unions promote temperance,
why is there Bartenders' Union?
| Lincoln, Nebraska, March 2-Dear |
Sir: Your favor of March / at hand, I
| and I undertake to answer your
queries in the order made The law
/ lessness attending the Philadelphia |
street car strike is caused, not by the
strikers themselves, but by an ele-
ment existing in every large city
which seeks to find a vent for its law
/, less exuberance. This element is aid
| ed by young boys, and even girls, who I
take delight in the excitement attend
| ing such occasions. AS proof of the
participation of children, l cite
you the fact that a few days ago
Archbishop Ryan addressed a letter
to Catholic parents warning them to
Philadelphia. The Associated Press
dispatches appearing in the daily pa
pers of February %, say: Realizing
that much of the disturbance was
started by children, Archbishop Ryan
sent letter, which was read in every
Catholic church today, warning pa
rents not to allow their children on
the streets during the present dis
turbance." The Associated Press dis
patches appearing in the daily papers
of February "a say. "Most boys are
participating in the trouble through
pure mischieviousness. They are
having the time of their lives and Su
perintendent of Police John B. Taylor
| has issued an official warning to pa
rents
That strikers seldom are responsi-
bic for disorder is proved by the fact
: that almost invariably strikers are
; compelled to report daily at strike
headquarters, and only pickets are al
l lowed to be outside. Union officials
, always warn the members against vio-
lence, knowing full well that violence
= always alienates public sympathy, and
5 without public sympathy a strike can
g not be won. That the Philadelphia
! strikers are justified is demonstrated
by the attitude of the clergy, the press
and the public. / cite you to the daily
, newspapers for the facts. During a
strike every breach of the peace is
attributed to the strike, even though
there be not the remotest connection.
For example, during the teamsters'
e man sitting on his front porch was
killed by bullet fired from target
e rifle in the hands of some one un-
t known. The police added the death
| ! to the list of deaths caused by the
: strike, claiming that the man had been
the man was killed by bullet from a
| gun in the hands of small boy who
: was shooting at pigeons. Another
man was killed during, the same time
by large piece of cut stone dropping
on him from the top of a high build
ing in course of construction. The
police claimed that he had been killed
j, by a brick thrown by a striking team
ster. Later it was proved that the
| stone fell of it's own weight and killed
the man, who was guilty of having
gotten inside the guard ropes just in
time to be struck by the falling stone.
!. Yet the daily papers heralded MS
:, death as due to riot. Illinois has
law to the effect that a county is
: liable for any damages resulting from
a strike or riot, if said damage is due
to the inefficiency of the public OH
GERS. AAgreat deal of property belong
ing to the railroads was destroyed
during the A. r. U. strike of 1894
| Hundreds, yet, thousands, OF freight
cars were burned. The A. R. U. oft1-
: cials dared the railroad managers to
Il sue Cook county, saying that PROOF
n would be offered that the managers
t ran old and dilap'd dated cars on the
t sidings and fired them for the double
Z, purpose of winning sympathy away
d from the striking railroad men ana
J. establishing cause for recovering from
Cook county millions of dollars worth
of damage thus prof1ting by the de-
structicn of their own cars. Inat the
0 A. r. u officials we're right is well
s shown by the fact that up to date
e Cook county has not been mulcted
: for damages on account of that great
! strike The police Of the larger cities.