The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-08-17

| fof the United States army OF about
10000 men now encamped on the Dor
der or in Mexico the situation is
scarcely less eminOus. The soldiers
have no stores of food with them. They
depend on a regular daily supply by
train. If the trains stop running they
Will receive no new provisions nor will
their commanders be able to move
them to places where the great guam
titles of food needed can be provided.
In New York City alone there are
almost million babies who will die
if a daily supply of milk is cut off.
The railroads maintain that to grant
the mems demands would not only en-
tail an expense of $100,000,C00 a year
but would be the fOrerunner of more
demands. They are ready for test of
strength with the men, if President
Wilson does not find the way out.
In 1914, when the European wal
suddenly began and when a Western
trailroad strike, was threatened, the
railroads withdrew their demands to
arbitrate only the workers demands.
This time the managers refuse such a
concession.
1t is generally considered probable
that if the strike is called the public
will get at least as hours notice There
is no danger of any such thing as a
train being left standing on the tracks
somewhere in the middle of a run. The
railroad brotherhood leaders say that
in the event of a strike every train
will he taken to the next terminal and
left there.
The last national railroad strike in
this country occurred in 1894, when
the National Railway Union, of which
Eugene V. Debs was president, con-
Quoted more or less sporadic strike,
which at times caused scenes of great
violence in the Middle West. Presi-
dent Cleveland used the regular army
under Maj. Gen. Nelson A. Miles to
deal with the situation.
Scores of strikers were shot in the
streets of Chicago and hundreds of
cars burned by the strikers. Iniunc-
tons were issued by the courts and de-
fed by the strikers. The President is
sued several solemn proclamations
against rioting and participation in
the strike. Finally the strike failed
through the ability of the railroads,
with soldiers on every engine and car,
to maintain a crippled service.
The workers at that time were not
as well organized as now, nor was the
as concerted as that of 1916.
Only a small proportion of the work
ers were members of the National
Railway Union, as compared with the
highly organized character of the four
big railway brotherhoods today max
ing demands of the railroads.
In 1914 the Western territory mem
bers of the four brotherhOOds clashed
with the National Conference Commit
tee of Railways, which now represents
the transportation companies. Media
ton was tried, but failed. and Presi-
dent Wilson summoned leaders of both
sides to Washington. 1t was the day
after Germany had declared war on
Russia on August l, 1914, that the
President appealed to the factions to
make peace in view of the worldwide
crisis then. The railroads reply was
that they did not wish to imperil the
welfare Of the nation in a crisis and
would consent to withdraw their de
mands if the workers would arbitrate
heirs. Thus arbitration was effected.
The brotherhOods were dissatisfied
with the results, and upon that dissat-
sfaction largely base their aversion to
arbitration now.