The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-26
In the Matter of Fool Strikes

The Union, the oldest labor paper in the
United States with offices at Indianapolis, in its
issue of last week gives conspicuous place on its
first page to discussion of what is calls "fool
strikes"
1t deprecates the "fool strikes, called with
out and with no apparent chances OF VIC
tory, and asks workers to be absolutely sure that
just cause for grievances exists before they dis
turb the operations of plant or industry.
Says the Union:
We adjure men who work with their hands to
work little more with their heads, too, and get
over the notion-promoted by Socialists, l. W. w.
and other enemies of society-that the strike is
q panacea for all the ills of industry.
More money is lost to industry-and lost so
that it can never be recovered-by fool strikes
than is made by wage gains. Of course there
are other things than money to be considered,
but it is only in terms of cash that anything
he figured in these days. The business man
reckons in terms that may be set forth on his
ledger and the worker must figure in the same
terms if he is to come out even when he strikes
baance-which he generally neglects to do
We are very certain that the strikes and rum
of strikes that mark the present era are
chargeable rather to the stimulation of unrest
by fools or Socialistic adventures than to any
sound cause. 1t is impossible that the wage-earn-
ers-and we refer to that great body of skilled
tradesmen who constitute the backbone of trade
unionism-should find in the present state of un-
eXampled prosperity in this country any sound
reasons for unrest of such character as to justi
fly a cessation of labor. Of course there local
conditions to be treated locally, but there is no
general reason for that form of dissatisfaction
which might be expressed in a strike We do not
believe that that large and intelligent body of
workers which stands for labor whole can
or should be affected by influences that
either sinister or foolish Yet the country is
more or less-we prefer to believe less-distract-
ed by fool strikes and an impression obtains that
these fool strikes express the general sentiment
Of labor.
We of the labor world must disabuse the pub
lie mind of this error. Any strike that is not
Justified as business proposition is fool strike
and to be reprobated as conveying the wrong i'm
preston. Writing on this subject, John P. Frey,
a notably sound thinker on economies, says:
"A man who would invest his money in a
business before having given thorough consd-
GRAFTON to his chances for success, would be CAL
led fool by some. and body of workmen who
decide to strike without having given sufficient
thought to their prospects for winning, might
very properly be said to have gone on a fool
strike.''
We contend that labor body is not to be
held responsible for the fool strike. It is true
that it cannot be abolished but it is also true that
the evil it does can be minimized if the fool strike
is froWned upon a business proposition by
labor. And under existing conditions it should
not be difficult for to head off the fool strike.
We know that generally prosperous; we
know that the country is by reason of that pros
perty, peculiarly sensitive to any influence that
may adversely affect its prosperity. 1t is plain
~ the duty of the man who works to do his full
share towards stabizing industry for there is no
manner of doubt that he will be the first to suf-
fer from any break in the general prosperity
AS a business proposition it is we'll to avoid
strikes; if one be justified it must be by the law
/ AZ