Evening journal., 1920-11-02

or the 3,95OOO0 workers who went
on strike In 1919, 1888 ,256 struck for
reasons which labor authorizes them
selVts refused 10 recognize and other
wise condemned as unwarrau.ed.
On August 30. just past, the front
pages OF all the newspapers contained
an announcement that $4,000 hard
coal miners had sent a three-day ul-
timatum TO President Wilson. threat
enng a strike in defiance OF their OWN
officers, who did not believe such
strike was warranted.
On the same front pages OF the
same papers was another announce
ment Of the actual tying up OF the
principal transportation systems OF
Brooklyn that was insisted on and
perpetrated against the orders and
threats Of the unions own officials,
who said a Strike was not warranted
and could be defeated.
only per cent-One ont OF twenty
of all strikes in the building trades
last year actually aimed at improving
the working conditions Of the men on
strike.
The printers strike in New York
last fall, which cut ahe wages Of
100000 other men, was condemned
by the printers own international
union as entirely unwarranted.
Out OF seventy conspicuous strikes
that were begun during the first half
OF October. 1919, only eight were rec
ognized by k;xher labor officials as
being iustlned.
The whole series Of railroad strikes
during the last spring, which have
cost the public more than the coal
strike itself, have been p0pularly
| known as "Outlaw strikes" because
| they have been condemned as unius-
glfed and combated as much by the
rest OF labor as by the employers
themselves.
Mr.. Samuel Gompers. for twenty
years president OF the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor, Is undoubtedly in a
position 10 defend strikes in general
or In particular with as much knowl-
edge and ability as they can be de-
Tended. In his famous debate with
| Governor Allen OF Kansas, as labOr's
chosen advocate on this subject. hC
rtdcd his whole defense of strikes
first, on the inherent right Of a fret
man 10 refuse TO work as a prOtes
against unjust conditions, and, second
on what strikes I'm the past had ac-
cOmplished an doing away with chile
and woman labor and in raising The
working conditions and standards o
living Of all labor.
In order that there may be no mis-
understanding OF the aims Of the pres
ent discussion or misapprehenslon o.
its fundamental attitude toward labor
10 may he said that Inc writer Is per
sonllly Of the opinion that 10 would b.
entirely unWise for society TO deny Il
any group Of men the Fundamental
right lto strike In protest against eco
nnuafn fufnaff0n IA XNOnld no I'm
wise to deny any group Of men thi
right to rebel against any form Of in
Justice or tyranny so long as soclet!
contains so much OF both.
But any lheorizing about the righ
10 strike. any discussion Of the goOt
or bad effects OF strikes in general, Il
merely academic.
For we have. or have had. durinl
the last wear millions Of men not dis
cusslng the theories Of strikes. bu
striking. II Is not what strikes u
the past have amed at or done o
what strikes in the future may aim a
or do: 10 is what strikes Of last yea
aSd this year are aiming at and dom
that Is practically impOrtan. now.
There hive been three times as man
strikes since the war as I'm any sin
liar period before the war; prohabl
ten times as many men have been O
strike in the last year and a half &
in any similar period before the Wa
in our history. What have been III
results Of these strikes? We kno'
! something about what they have co..
the public. including labor, in loss an
suffering and present high prices
S Have they paid anything or do the
promise TO pay anything to the publ
, that has or may in any way OTIS
4 their tremendous costs?
2. The nrst and one Of the most stril
, inc answers to that question Is O
- fact that Mr.. Gompers himself az
s organized labor In general have ope
q ly admitted that the aims sought
a large number Of our most cost
y strikes do not Justify the cost OF u
strike. and Mr. GOmpers and orga
s lied labor have themselves oppos
these strikes.
i No other strike in American histo
= cost the whole people so much in
1, many ways as the outlaw railro
L. strike: yet the big majority Of lab
le officials tell us that this strike W
G not Justified and ouilawcd The m
= who called and manased it,. In A
IN gust nearly 100000 hard-coal mine
IN followed a minority OF their lead,