Show THE STRIKE IX PJI1LADEbPILLt The strike of streetcar conductors and motormen now on in Philadelphia is likely to be typical of strikes in general It is the old warfare between great corporations and labor unions A Short time ago all the street railway companies of Philadelphia were consolidated con-solidated into one companythe Union Traction Then followed numerous discharges dis-charges of men formerly engaged in street railway work and as they all belonged to the above named association associa-tion they had some ground for believing be-lieving that a war was intended on that labor association Committee after committee from the union sought conferences con-ferences with the president of the Traction Trac-tion Company but to no purpose Mr Walsh the president refused to recog nige the representatives of the union Finally F D Mahon president of the national association above named went to Philadelphia and took charge of the affairs of the union and an ultimatum was soon afterwards sent to President Walsh The refusal of Mr Walsh to recognize the union was followed by a great public meeting of theemployees where the strike which begun on the 17th inst was formally ordered In that meeting a delegation of citizens heaided by ExGovernor Pattison asked for a private conference with the leaders of the union The hearing was granted and When the ExGovernor urged the men not to precipitate a strike he was listened to with respectful attention but could not change the determination de-termination of the men the strike was ordered and carried1 into effect The demands of the employees of the Traction Company are not unjust They ask only that ten consecutive hours shall constitute a days work with half an hour off for meals that two dollars shall be the wages for such a days work and that men shall not be discharged for being members of the Amalgamated Association of Street Railway Employees Since these demands de-mands are so reasonable it is not surprising sur-prising that the sympathies of the good people of Philadelphia are witfh the men and against the Traction Company Com-pany Ten ihours is certainly long enough for a days work two dollars when the kind of work is considered Is but a moderate wage and no one can deny but what the working men on the street railway lines have just as much right to combine into a labor union for the preservation of their interests in-terests as the several streetrailway companies have to combine to further their interests And yet we can but think that the employees of the Traction Company would have done better had they followed fol-lowed the advice of EGovernor Patti son and not precipitated strike We think so for the reason that no sooner do men strike than the corporations import men from a distance to take the places made vacant and unfortunately unfor-tunately such is the state of the labor market so much does tine supply exceed ex-ceed the demandthat corporations do not find it difficult to employ men almost al-most at their own prices A large body of men suddenly thrown out of employment congregate together and are easily excited It is maddening to them to see their places filled by strangers Imported from a distance and it would be a miracle if some overt act of violence some disturbance of the peace or other violation of law did not follow No sooner is this done than the striking workmen are brought in conflict with the officers of the law for the law must be maintained the public peace preserved and this seems to throw all the machinery of the government gov-ernment on the side of corporations on the side of capital and against labor Not only so but violations of the law by striking workmen alienates from them that public sympathy which where their cause is just so readily goes out to them but it should be remembered re-membered that in America the people have made the law their soverIgn that it takes the place of king and court with them and no sooner is there violation of it than they fly to its support sup-port It is the very great probability that there will be violation of the law a disturbance of the peace that makes strikes so liable to be disastrous to the cause of the working men It matters not that the Unions counsel moderation modera-tion enjoin temperance and discountenance discoun-tenance violence The elements within their ranks are difficult to control In this strike in Philadelphia President Mahon of the Union in a long and earnest address warned the men against all acts of violence and urged them to keep away from the rum shops but already though the strike Is but three or four days old there have been such aCtS of lawlessness as to begin to turn public sentiment away from the cause of labor We are far from saying to workmen that there are no circumstances that would justify a strike just as we are far from believing that there are no circumstances that justify war but truly we are of opinion that a strike should be the very last resort of labor organizations to secure recognition of the rights of labor and very generally we believe more could be accomplished without the strike than with it |