New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-08

The Reign Of Terror is ended at least
temporarily, and the curtain has been rung
down on the most disgraceful scene ever en-
acted in the drama Of American government
and American life. The labor brotherhoods
were unable by their threats to overawe the
presidents and managers OF the railways
There is still some courage, manhood and
civic spirit left in this country. But most
of these qualities seem to have departed
from the City of Washington when the pres
idents and managers of the railways went
away TO prepare for the strike. There were
few men in Congress who had the bravery
and patriotism to arise and tell the truth
about the proceedings leading up to and
attending the passage of the so-called
"eight-hour" law, but the number was pitt
fully few 1t was insufficient, and demo-
cratic government fell, and there was erect
ed where il stood a servle autocracy neaGed
by Gompers and the heads OF the railway
labor unions. When any body of men get
enough power 10 coerce government they
themselves become the real government.
The struggle ceased weeks ago TO De a
contest between the railways and part OF
their employees. 1t became then. and 1t still
is, and il will continue to be, until IL IS mn
ished a contest between reason and brute
strength, between order and disorder, be-
tween fairness and unfarness. between light
and darkness, between courage and cow
ardice between democracy and mobocracy.
Thus far the forces of darkness have pre-
vailed over the forces o. light, the principle
of coercion has trlumphed over the princi-
pie Of reason, the principle Of disorder over
that of order. and mobocracy has been en-
throned But the struggle is not over. We
believe the American people understand
what has been done, and why and how 1t has
been done, and that the forces OF darkness
in winning this battle have lost campaign.
1t is unnecessary to review the develop
ments which led up TO the recent crisis
The train service employees, constituting les
than one-ifth Of the employees of the rail-
ways and only fractional part Of the work
ers of the country, demanded an enormous
increase in wages. To avarice they added
hypocrisy, and 10 hypocrisy deceit by
claiming that they were asking for an eight
hour day. The railways refused the de-
mands, but repeatedly offered to arbitrate
The employees as repeatedly refused TO arbi-
trate and threatened 10 strike, and all the
circumstances now indicate that throughout
course BY high officers Of the present ma
tional Administration who, the circum-
stances indicate, had conspired to make polit-
ical capital out of this awful menace to the
nations welfare. and even to its life. AL
most the moment the controversy reached
President Wilson he threw overheard the
principle Of arbitration, although il had
been sanctioned by national law which he
himself had signed, and insisted that the
railways should grant-a real eight-hour
day? No. the counterfeit eght-hour day
the train employees were demanding Did
he decide 10 take this step after hearing
both sides? On the contrary, he told the
railway officers he had decided on what he
would do before he ever saw them.
The railway presidents who had refused
TO yield TO the menaces Of the labor unions
also refused to cover before the Presidents
doctrinaire declarations or his attempts to
exercise a cocrcive power not constitution
ally belonging to his Office. They deter
mined to stand to the last for the principle
Of arbitration, and they were grathed and
strengthened by soon finding that the intelli-
gent public opinion of the country with
practical unanimity supported them
As soon As the decision reached by the
railway presidents became known, the heads
of the brotherhoods. without the slightest
warning to President Wilson. issued the or
der for strike to occur in less than ten
days.
With a pistol at rs head and bayonet
between its coat tails, Congress, with An un-
precedented celebrity, rushed through the So
called "eight-hour day" bill. The defects OF,