New-York tribune., 1919-11-06
Arbitration First, Not Second

Arbitration First, Not Second
Mr. Gompers intimates that if the
injunction is withdrawn the miners
strike will be called off-that the
miners will accept the arbitration
proposal, so far stubbornly rejected.
At the critical iuncture Mr.. Com
pers was silent. He was busy wreck
lng the industrial conference by
lnopportuncly injecting into its pro-
ceedlngs consideration Of the partic-
ular steel strike He maneuvcred to
deceive the country into thinking that
the employers opposed collective bar
gaining, whereas it was rather the
labor delegation which opposed coll
lcctive bargaining. The employers
offered to negotiate with freely
chosen agents of all their employees.
Mr.. Gompers held that only union
lists. often a minority of the en-
ployees, should have representations
Engrossed in excluding a major
ity of wage workers, thereby cocrc-
ing them into joining the unions,
Mr.. GOmpcrs looked on Quicscently
while preparations were made for
the miners strike. It is a fair infer
encc that he was afraid of the radi-
cal clement, even though personally
seeing its folly. He was not pleased
with the Presidents proclamation
calling for arbitration and did not
raise his voice for a prompt accept
ancc Of the arbitration proposal. In
this he Nas guilty of a great blum
der. whose consequences are not to
be easily escaped.
Why Mr.. Gompers has no love for
iniunctions can he easily under
stood As defendant in the Buck s
Stove case he was for some time
under sentence on a charge of hav-
ing violated one He has been IN
strumental in educating many to
agree with him that an injunction
policy, q red rag to many who do
not understand fine legal distinc-
tions, is impolitic-that complicated
social questions are not solvable by
a remedy which enmeshes the courts
N technical lcgalisms which have
little to do with the merits of a
dispute Nevertheless a withdrawal
Of the injunction is the first step to
peace
The first step should be the discon-
tinuance of an unwarrantabc strike
Then perhaps the government will
desist from pressing its case The
government did not start the row.
1t was forced ON it, and in defense.
as guardian Of the supreme inter
ests confidad to It's care, seized the
Weapon nearest at hand. Those who
began the trouble may be Justly
asked TO be the first to back track.
As to the merits Of the strike
what Mr.. Gompers says is non-per-
tincnt 1t may be that the opera
tors have faiied to keep the mines
as busy as they should, and have
held back supplies to hold prices up.
1t seems generally conceded that the
miners are entitled to am increase of
wages But these were claims to
bring before the arbitration board
not to base a strike on when arb,ra-
tion was freely offered No reason
able danger of an award unfair to
the miners existed
The way to break the deadlock is
to call the strike off and send It's
issues to arbitration. This must be
done in the end? Why not at once?
1t may be the Administration
crred IN asking for restraining or
der, bat it did it, and it is far more
vital to maintain the prestige of the
government than to salve the pride
of amy minority group. The miners
appealed to force. and force must be
r.ct. not parleycd with. Having
'verstepped bounds, having brofen
the social compact which is behind
all law, it is proper to ask of the
strikers that they uncondtionally
accept arbitration as the first step,
not as second one.