| Show V STRIKE lillILiEif V T Some of the Union Pacific shop employees have struck work and there is a feeling that the strike V may become general It will be remembered V V V re-membered that some months ago a V I general reduction of wages of ten F 1i per cent was ordered this was i promptly met by the announcement V that the men would all go out and V 1V V V for a few hours we believebusiness t1 was at a standstill along the line V 1 V u Bather than engage in a contest r ji which would result disastrously V to the company even if the latter V t V should prove victors in the struggle V j V strug-gle the order was revoked and the I V old wages continued Wo suggested V at the time that the Union Pacific V was not prepared to make the fight li VV V nimneifVpisnla itself I V V and that as soon as 5 1 i I l 1 into position to carryon the war the V V look tor the renew 1f Ii employees mightlookfor I i r I i al of the cutting down order which I J f V had been fully determined upon u I V i j though it had been sprung too V early The belief is that the com f iv f I itself for V has been preprring pany I i r V hI k the battle and the ball is opened i V I J n isThoced that the emnlovees will JL la UU5V3 V II V consider well their course and bIfF iJ I IV flI t i V governedby wiee counsel in what IfF theyjcb Jit is admitted at the outset I r out-set that the employees are the ln i fii party they are not too well i r t jured i V r V f paid they are not paid whatthe I Ij company honestly and intelliponfy l V managed can afford to pay them V V V V V V1V i1 i tJi V j V r V no fair mirid d i person wilf censure the employees theyr fuse the reduced re-duced wages and quit the employ of the company whether or not it would be wits to sop work is a matter for them individually to decide de-cide taking into account their present financial condition and their future prospects for employment But of one thing the men should be careful and that is to keep wI bin the law It is their right to get as I high wages 6s they can command it is their right to decline low wages and to quit work and there their rights BS regards the affairs of the company will end It is not their right but is unlawful for them to destroy property to interfere with the running of trains or prevent by threats or violence others working for the company for wacts which the strikers refuse If they do any of these things they will lose the sympathy of the public which 13 sometimes a gocd deal more powerful in bringing heartless grinding corporations t > terms then law or force The good will of the public is ever on the side of the wage worker sj long as he keeps within the limits of the law but as soon as he steps outside those limits lim-its society regards him as an enemy to good order and withdraws its moral support from hIs cause If the Union Pacific employees can force the company to pay them reasons able living wages by means of any pressure that it is lawful to exercise ani to employ they will find nobody in the west but will encourage en-courage them to proceed j and we believe the public sentiment of the west is just as firmly set against lawless coercion and acts of vindictiveness vin-dictiveness or retaliation |
