Chicago Strike Lessons

The two big strikes among the laundrymen and the waiters of Chicago are about over and the men have accepted the terms which their employers offered them before they went out. The fact is there never was any valid reason for either of these strikes. This became more and more apparent as the strike progressed. An important lesson of these strikes is, therefore, that the method of settling differences between employers and employed should not be resorted to until all other means have been exhausted. It is estimated that the laundry strike cost both sides at least $800,000 besides the permanent loss of business which is sure to result and then the men accepted in substance the terms offered by the employers before the men walked out. The chief point in the laundry dispute was the right of the employer to enjoy freedom of contract.

The waiters' strike is practically over also and they have accepted what the flatly refused to consider at the time of the walk out. The hotel and restaurant keepers' union offered to arbitrate the differences, but the waiters refused this. That is they refused to recognize the employers' organization, thus assuming a position wholly untenable. The right of employers to freedom of contract and to organize are as fundamental as the right to work or not to work.

There is one thing to be observed in this connection, however, which is encouraging, viz., that the older union men, the safer and more conservative leaders, have not been with the hot heads at any time in their refusal to recognize these principles. This is probably the cause of the termination of the strike at this time. But how much better it would have been to have followed their advice before either strike was inaugurated.

There seem to be a possibility, if not a probability, of another strike in the anthracite coal regions of Pennsylvania. When the strike commission appointed by President Roosevelt made its report it advised a conciliation board to be composed of representatives of the operators and of the miners. Recently the miners designated the three district presidents for their representatives of the operators refused to recognize these men as representatives of th district labor organizations because of the manner of their appointment. It seem that the operators hold that these representatives should be appointed by the miners without reference to the district organizations. In other words the trouble seems to be over the old question of recognition of the unions. The manner of appointing these representatives provided by the strike commission seems to have been followed out by the district labor organizations. A strike may result, if the operators persist in refusing recognition of the miners representatives as the refusal is looked upon by the miners as a deliberate attempt on the part of the operators not to abide by the recommendations of the strike commission. It is to be sincerely hoped that means may be found to prevent a reopening of the strike. Such a result of these differences would be deplorable. 

In many sections of the west the people have been passing through some terrible experiences within the past few days. Terrific stormes have deluged whole sections, destroyed millions of property and at least a hundred lives. Cities have been inundated and when the waters subside, the worst may not be over unless the most prompt and vigorous attention be given to work of sanitation. It is difficult for people living in sections where such floods do not occur to appreciate what these severe storms mean in some sections of the county. With our knowledge of storms of rain in this section, it scarcely seems necessary that lives should be lost thereby, but how little our experience teaches us in this particular is shown by the fact that a hundred lives at least were wiped out by these storms and the consequent floods. While rain storms are not as dangerous as the terrible wind storms, still they are bad enough and there seems to be little chance of protection against either. We know little as to their cause, or when to expect them, and consequently can make no adequate provision for safety. The best that can be done is to stand ready to render all possible and needful help when such emergencies come and to alleviate the consequences as much as it is possible to do. 

It is said that Senator Moriarty has cast a serious reflection upon those unfortunate citizens who are doing time in the Jackson state prison. He claims that there are men in that institution just as innocent as any member of the present state senate. What is the use of striking at men when they are down in that way?If the convicts were at liberty and could hurl back the aspersion with proper spirit, it would be a different matter. But to make such invidious comparisons when it is known that the convicts can make no reply is little short of infamous. What standing can convicts whose term is about to expire hope to regain in any community in which Senator Moriarty's statement may be regarded as having foundation in fact? They might hope to live down their prison records and reputations gained through the crimes committed for which they were sent to prison, but the implication that they are on the level of the members of the present senate places them without th pale of hope. The only chance for convicts with terms less than life lies in the probability that an outraged public will not believe that these convicts are of the same level as members of the senate. 

The republican postoffice stew is getting thicker by the addition of new ingredients almost every day. It is new reported that a United States senator is mixed up in a charge of boodling in the interest of one of the get-rich-quick concerns, for which he used his influence with the department. Evidently this is what the republicans call "running the government and the country on a business basis."

The Postmaster General "regrets to report" that one of the assistant attorneys in his department has been arrested for boodling. It is also sad to relate that the prisoner charged with the crime is a good republican and was vouched for by that good and great man, Senator Fairbanks. The good state of Indiana seems to be furnishing more than her share of these patriots for pelf discovered in the post-office scandals.

The governor has signed the bill for a new normal school and now the strenuous life will be on with those cities and towns which hope to get it located within their confines. It will no doubt depend on the bonus offered as to what location is accepted. Not that everything will depend on this, but other things being equal, the state will in all probability regard favorably a good gift from the city which gets the location. The Argus has not believed that another normal school was needed at this time, but as the bill has passed the legislature and received the approval of the governor, it is sure to come and consequently it is to be hoped that it will be located where it will serve all interests best.

The republican program for the incoming congress is said to be to avoid any political legislation and adjourn in May. There is to be no tariff or trust legislation, but a financial bill is to be passed. This certainly is not a strenuous program. Perhaps this do-nothing policy will prevail and then again perhaps it won't. So long as trust prices and starvation wages are the order of the day the democrats are not going to let up in their endeavors to get at the trust-controlled schedules in the Dingley bill. The republican majority in the next congress will be about thirty, and if sixteen recalcitrant republicans join with the democrats some of the trust-sheltering schedules will go glimmering so far as the house is concerned and when the bill strikes the senate there will be tariff music in the air to which the republicans will be compelled to dance far into the summer. The democrats will have some leadership in the next congress, and there will be something doing from the very minute the extra session meets in November.