Year: 1877

tact in encOmpaSsing q desperate situation,
subduing the passions and asstfaging the
wrath Of sixty thousand turbulent men and
bringing the order of to-day out of the chaos
of week ago, we must admit that
VIM. II. Vanderbilt rs THE AB1EsT RAILROAD
MANAGER In THE COUNTRY,
at least in SO far as dealing with his own en-
ployes is concerned He listened to the


grievances of his men kindly and patient
ly, and took them into his confidence. He
told them that he was doing about one-fifth of
the carrying trade between the East and the


West. That he could easily do half Of it.
That he was now running thirty trains day


when he used to run eighty. That he would


much rather pay his men two dollars day,
than one dollar if he could. That he would at
all times take the same care of their interests
as of those of the stockholders. He told them


that there was certain amount OF capital in


vested in the road, and that he aimed to make
1t pay o certain dividend. That capital must
earn as well as labor. That as soon as the


business of the road would warrant it he
would raise the wages of his men, and that


the rise in their wages should keep even pace


with the increase in his dividends.
Whether this sort of talk was ''beeoming
to great railroad manager" or not. it had
it's effect, for


THE CENTRAL MEN


with one accord went to work the next day.
Indeed, it took all the police Of Syracuse to
prevent Vanderbilt's hands from lynehing O
Communist who mounted dry goods box
and made % speech, advising the immediate
burning OF the Central shops and rolling
stock in that city! And the only "violenee"


that was exerted by the authorities upon
vanderbilt's men was in that case, when the


policemen, taking that communist to the


lookup, dubbed Central fireman OF two who


were leading mob of their fellows in an at


tempt to take the culprit into their own
hands for lamp-post purposes.


These facts are suggestive. The example of
Vanderbilt may serve other railway mana
gers good purpose if they will profit by it,


and learn from it that soft answer turneth


away wrath--even the wrath Of striking


laborers. Had Gov. Robinson "eleaned out
the yards at West Albany with his militia"
there is no doubt that several hundred mil
lion dollars worth of property would now be
in ashes and the State of New York convulsed
by


A REIGN OF TERROR.


That such direfulness was averted is due al


most wholly to the good sense Of VIM. III.
Vanderbilt, who knew the men he had to deal
with and how to manage them.


But this incident Is merely an incident. 1t
does not solve the great problem does not
even touch it except upon the veriest surface.


All railroad managers are not Vanderbilts,


nor are all railroad hands Central hands.
~, Isfx


mulated wealth and aggregated poverty


of which the late strike was the merest prelim-
| mary skirmish or reconnaissance in force,
| is not to be compromised by even such frank


ness and such good nature as that which
proved so successful in this single instance
It just happened that at the moment when
Vanderbilt and his hands came to an under
standing the strikers elsewhere were be-


coming dlsheartened at the misuse of their


movement, or at the perversion OF its objects
| by


THE IRRESPONSIBLE SANS CULoTTEs OF ST.
| LOUIS, SAN FRANCISCO AND CHICAGO,
| and were aghast at the consequent detection


of the great body of the real workingnen of


the country from the fortunes of their effort.


Moreover, 1t also happened that the Central
| fOad was an ali-1mpOflanb INK Ill Lnelf


strategic chain, and when 1t dropped out their


strategy collapsed.


But it is idle to suppose that the trouble Is


over, that the grievances Of the workingmen,


real Or fanciful, are in anywise redressed, or


that contentment has supervened after the
J storm of passion we have just witnessed.
/ And just at this moment it would be equally


idle to attempt to forecast what the future


may bring forth. A. G. b.