New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-06
Az TNDEFENSIBIT- STRIKE.

The labor leaders who have forced
general strike in Philadelphia are guilty
Ct q gross brench Of the trust imposed
on them by union labor and have com
mitted fragrant outrage on the general
Public. There is no excuse in logic or
equity for general sympathetic strike.
Such move is simply Il cowardly and
selfish attempt to widen the range of Il
legitimate Ia Dor dispute. ard to involy"
in il 10 their own injury thousands and
thousands o. persons who are not prop
erly concerned in the issue al the bottom
of the controversy. 1t is we'll enough
for the Philadelphia Traction Company
and the men whom il employs to engage
IL n conflict over the terms Oh which
employment is given or shall continue
IL be given That is Il faif question be-
tween the TWO antagonists directly IN
teTested III settling il. But for either
side to try 10 lay a general embargo oil
labor or production and 10 compel out
si6ers 10 fight with or against eIthe;
party is just as indcfenSible as for two
persons engaging in Il street braWi
Jointly to fire on the innocent passerby.
The general sympathetic strike stands
Oh practically the same footing with the
secondary boycott The public has Il
right TO protest against being drawn into
disputes with which il has nothing 10
dc. and in whose settlement its interest
is not 10 be considered The law pun
shes corporations or labor unions con-
spring to apply q secondary boycott by
jutmidatinG third parties who wish 10
employ men engaged in n strike against
ala employer or TO handle goods pro
duced by an establishment against
which a strike is being prosecuted But
the public is similarly wronged when Il
general cessation of labor is ordered
simply because 4 traction company ana
it, employees are unable TO agree on
terms of employment. Labor union ieao-
ers il outside trades and industries seem
t. be just as Indifferent as are the sec
ondary b0vcotters 10 the natura! rights
Of a community when they punish all
-combatantS for no other reason thah
that such punishment may serve lndI-
rectIv 10 soften the heart Of the cor
noration directly aimed AT. II is the
same principle-that of making the IL
nocent bystander bear the pains and pay
the cost Of warfare conducted ny two
rival interests for their own profit and
agerandizcment
As n matter Of policy nothing could
l,c more unwisn from the point of view
Of the labor unions than the general
embargo which they purpose laying on
industry and business in Philadelphia.
They arc bound 10 ALLEVIATE a com
munity whose sympathy has been here
tofore largely with them. The Phila-
delphia Traction Company has few
friends. for it has never treated the pub
lie with proper consideration. Possibly
three-fouTi hS of the people Of Philadei-
phia would be glad to see the strike Of
the traction employees succeed. But #
these natural sympathiZers are 10 be
harassed in their daily life and occu-
pations deprived of transp ortation facil
tiles outside those offered by the trac-
ton company hindered in their shopping
and in the purchase of ordinary house
hold necessities. their sympathy will
naturally he converted into Indignation.
anu lHtN VIII t11tIuStlNPS against
the promoters of strike whose hard
ships are absolutely unnecessary and are
entirely undeseryed 10y those who have
to bear the brunt of them.
No American community can tolerate
the idea that il must be made to suffer
for the whims or blunderS of small
fraction of its population. The traction
company stockholders and employees are
an insignificant percentage of the popu-
l&tion of Philadelphia. Even if seventy
five thousand laborers take part in the
present strike. including their families
less than one-fifth of the inha bitants of
the city will be directly concerned in the
warfare growing out of the traction dis
i.ute. The other fOur-fifths cannot he ex-
pected tamely 10 submit to 4 state of
chaos occasioned simply to suit the pur-
poses of the One-ffth. The general strike
* bound Ia be failure. because il IS
hased on no just complaint and seeks
10 penaliZe the vast majority of the peo-
pie merely 10 demonstrate the power
and satisfy the ambition of a few mis-
guided labor leaders