The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-04
pened during the Chicago railway
s,r,Jn .n,A..&.A ~, Nr Dahs. We

llSV IL IVN NVVNp hh'',s
that these two strikes would become
negligible episodes as compared win
the awful and immediate havoc which
would be wrought II u entire Ameri-
can freight service were cut on even
for a few weeks.
I repeat. there will be no prolonged
general railway strike. for tho rest OF
us could not survive It. The law OF
self-preservation would come into
play, and II we had to become COM
batants in spite Of ourselves the rest
Of us would he stronger than the
railway men and the railway owners
together.
| do not mean hat anarchy would
lift Its head. The rest OF us would act
in our usual orderly fashion and
under color of law. Troops would have
to he called out. Order would be Sc
cured. Strikers would lose their grip
and return to work or new men would
be brought in to operate as best they
could the highly complicated mocha
nism Of our railway freight system.
Fair service would in time be restored
and maintained. But what an awful
cost we should all have paid in the
end. men, and the rest OF us.
Just because IL had not beef possible
in the beginning to submit the con-
troversy to arbitration and so avoid
a universal strike in tho American
railway freight service!
Let us think for q moment or that
loss. It is readily divisible into the
two classes. primary and secondary.
In the primary class We nave the tre-
mendous loss in wages to the hun
dreds Of thousands Of railway men who
viii be thrown out OF work, the loss
of income to the owner from the in
corruption TO their business. the cur
tnilment Of freight went and
probable injury to property and equip
ment.
The loss 20 the rest of US. whose
business. comfort and sustenance de-
pend in large measure upon mainte-
nance Of the freight service. IL Just
as inevitable. Our mills would soon
close for lack OF materials. Our babies
would soon be without milk. Our
butchers and bakers and grocers
would soon be without provisions. Our
general scheme OF business. LIE and
sustenance would he ders nged and de-
moralized. and the effect Of such a gen.
eral strike upon rhe world Of finance
and investment would be so stagger-
ing as to bafle the Imagination Of a
pesslmist.
Then there is the secondary result
of such q strike. Perhaps this would
be even more costly and disastrous
than the primary loss. It cannot so
! rnaAl,. ha vnip1nI n,,s nr laHnnA hut
1t would come in ono form or another.
and all three parties TO the contest
should dcplore Il. 1t would spring out
Of the necessity Il the situation which
must develop II a general freight
strike is declared. Its nature would
he sociological. I refer to the inevi-
table and sudden acceleration Of the
movement toward socialism that must
result from a national railway strike
which the two Combatants refuse 70
submit 20 arbitration.
| have pointed out that the rest of
lis cannot permit such a strike to 20
Oh. Hut II the cumbatants viii not
submit their differences to arbitration
IN advance there * nothing N exist
ing fw 10 enable lis to prevent the
. Z ~ lH'Nll tA NV 'ht
transportation system from Incoming
demoralizcd for "a time at least. Then
would soon follow the pinch. recent
lessly, unavoidably, and after that
would conn tho grave step Of public
Interference. The freight would have
to be moved. Troops would Cume upor
he scene, u neither side yielded. new
laws would have to be- passed. Those
new laws would he social.stic.
Already We have been put 10 the
necessity NJ injecting the strong arm
OF government into the business OF
ate making. The shippers and the
trafic men could not settle their dis
putes. The rest Of US with heav,
hearts and grave misgivings. II nont
the less resolutely. undertook to pro
v.de for the regulation Of railway
rates and practices by Government. II
Is a hat'rg work. Perhaps Govern
ment may fail IN the attempt. " o.
All thinking men now the alternative
j. Government ownership.
Suppose railway men and railway
owners cannot settle wage dispute,
and won't arhitrate them. Can any
sincere observer fail to see what mus
follow? Is +, not that the rest Of Us
forced toward SIN against ou'
wills, must again inject tho arm %
Government. this time actually 10 reg
ulate railway wages? Can we en-
force the regulati lion Of railway incom,
by Government and permit the e
lation of railway wages by the union.
and sanely expect To maintain III,
principle of private ownership"
OF course IL will be urged that unior
labor Will submit to public regu
lation of railway age Surely III,
rest Of us wish 10 avoid such a thins
il we can. The railway owners talke,
as II they would never submit ia III,
regulation OF rates. We We're force,
ultimately To take up the Difficult
task. We may Toe forced likewise I,
undertake to regulate railway wages
u then the men really will not sub,
nit. as the owners have had To sab,
nit. there is but one thing left, anG
that is Government ownership ou'
and ont.
ownership out and ont. Most ~ u.
don't want to try to regulate wage
Most If Us grow thoughtful AT any
suggestion to accelerate the present
movement toward socialism.
The acceleration will come, how
ever. il the American railway men a.
a whole demand an eight hour da,