| Show ON THE RIGHT TRACK when a man discovers that he is wron wrong gand and comenout cornea come sout out and admits his error and turns from it be performs a noble action it to Is proper now that bat eugene V debs dabs president of the american railway union be given due credit for that kind of work like many other men his train training inz was with lab jabr ar unions and be learned to believe sincerely in the efficacy of strikes as a redress for grievances on the part of workingmen when mr debs dabs organized his union that was the prevailing notion in his bis mind as to the way it would achieve its victories if any came to it his idea was further confirmed by the success gained in his first strike when the northern pacific railway had bad to surrender unconditionally tio nally when the JP pullman ullman trouble came on he followed the same tRet tactics ioe but as the facts show with an entirely different lerent dif result this time mr dabs realized bis bie error and the mistaken policy that so long bas governed labor unions in various parts partis of the world other people had seen the wrongfulness of strikes and pointed it L cut ut but some novae of the labor unions did not recognize the great truth to which leaders in thought directed their attention and breathing the air of unionism under such conditions condition it is not strange the he prest dent of the A B R U did not comprehend the whole situation the recent strike brought the lewon lesson home however and in a manly way toe he makes the public confession that be was in error and promises that he will not be found on the same game side aide again he has come to understand that strikes are opposed to general sentiment in this country and declares that he be will never again be connected with a strike organization but will advise the work ingmen to seek redress by ballot the repentant expressions of the A R 17 leader have the ring of sincerity and whatever may he be said of his judgment in inaugurating the strike his big frank frankness in coming out against what he has learned is an evil must be admired it would be un charitable and not in ID keeping with his bis recent public to say aay that this stop step to Is taken to save eave himself in the legal proceedings now pending his declaration should rather be accepted as evidence of an earnest desire to repair as ab far as he can the wrong done by preventing similar occurrences in future his course in this regard should be a telling argument with every labor organization and especially with the members of the order of which he be is the chief when the laboring men seek redress at the ballot box in the manner provi provided jed by the laws of the land they have a legitimate weapon with which to engage in any contest in this country when they wield it intelligently and with united force there is none more effective by the vote of honest labor directed to that end great abuses which exist could be corrected and cor in high places be swept away and aad the earlier labor leaders learn this truth the better it will be for the mem bers of their organizations mr debets on this occasion is in the choicest he ever has given to the workingmen of the country have no more to do with str ikee but use the powers of citizenship to effect reforms it to is a choice of bullets or ballot suse uso the latter |
