The Record and Guide. 485

April 11, 1886 The Record and Guide. 485 opposed the construction of the Arcade, yet had it been built Broad THE RECORD AND, GUIDE, way property would have been worth double what it is to-day, and Published every Saturday. the city would have had real rapid transit, for the Harlem River 191 Broadwav, 1ST. 1T- could be reached from the Battery in twenty minutes' time. But Onr Telephone Call is JOHN 370. all is well that ends well. TERMS: In his conference with Mr. Powderly, Mr. Jay Gould presented ONE YEAR, in advance, SIX DOLLARS. one view of the railway difficulty in connection with the labor disputes which has often been given in these columns, but which Communications should be addressed to has been overlooked in the general discussions of the press on the C. W. SWEET, 191 Broadway. subject. Says Mr. Gould : J. T. LINDSEY, Business Manager. It is the public duty of a corporation and every individual member of it —of a railroad corporation—to operate the road for public use. It is the duty of all employes alike in that respect, from the President down. They VOL. APRIL 17, 1886. No. 944. clothe themselves, so to speak, with public duties. It is unlike the employes of a manufacturing company or any private organization. A railroad is a Just at the moment things do not look promising. There is a public thoroughfare, a public organization, and it has contract duties to the hesitancy in general trade and a marked falling off in orders for State and to the public; and from the President down to the lowest employ^, when they take service with the railroad they assume their share new goods. Nor is the real estate market as buoyant as it was. of those public duties. The sales of the past week have developed weakness. Certain dealers have been overdoing the market and offering more property Time and again has THE RECORD AND GUIDE urged that the true than investors would take at high figures. The renting of houses is solution of this whole trouble would be for tbe government to not as brisk as it was. Indeed, some agents say that the coming make all railway employes a part of the police force of the nation. May will see a larger number of unrented residences than usual. Engineers, conductors, brakemen and switchmen should wear the The labor troubles seem to be paralyzing business in every direction. national uniform, and their wages and treatment be subject to regulations by Congress. This would put an end forever to all The sympathies of the public were with the conductors and car- strikes, and would add a force of half a million men who would be drivers when they struck for $2.00 a day for twelve hours' work. under the command of the Federal authorities, and would insure But the outside public do not justify the tie-up of yesterday. us not only against strikes but local insurrections. The Southern Demanding fair treatment and fair wages is one thing, but to put rebellion would not have lasted three months if the railway vast numbers of people to inconvenience in order to force the employes were at the orders of the military authorities of the Third Avenue Company to discharge half a dozen non-union nation. Then, were the engineers, conductors and car-drivers of employes is, in the judgment of disinterested persons, little short our city steam and horse-car companies made a part of the police of an outrage, and the company will have the backing of the com force of the municipality, we would hear no more of senseless munity in fighting this demand to the bitter end. Then the boy strikes and tie-ups, and a force of at least 15,000 men would be prac cotting of Mrs. Gray's bakery was a most unwise proceeding, and tically added to our local militia, who could be depended upon to has done more to damage boycotting as a practice than anything suppress riots and keep the peace in times of great public excite that has yet occurred. This is not to be regretted ; the boycott is a ment. Both inter-State and local railway lines are intended for dangerous weapon in the arsenal of labor agitation, and should the public convenience primarily; the wages of the operatives and never be resorted to except in very extreme cases, if at all. These the profits of the stockholders are only incidental considerations. excesses and mistakes of the labor organizations are tending to dis credit them with the business community. It is all right to demand Judge Joseph Donohue is confessedly one of the ablest members of employers fair wages and good treatment, but they must be per of the New York bench. He is a well-read lawyer, can see a mitted to conduct their business in their own way and with their point quicker than most of his associates, is prompt in his decisions, own agents. The American public will not tolerate the assertion and has many other elements of popularity with the legal pro of extreme demands, either on the part of employers or their work fession and the public. But, somehow, there has always been a people. Senseless tie-ups like this on the Third avenue road and great deal of talk about this judge. He has been charged time boycotting like that of which Mrs. Gray has been a victim will, if and again with favoritism and suspected of wrong-doing. The continued, turn the tide of public feeling entirely against the labor members of the bar dared not say much, because they feared it movement. might damage their cases when taken to his court. The charges which, it is said, will be brought against this judge]are his overriding Jay Gould is a man of great courage in a financial way. He the law by injunctions for the benefit of sporting men and liquor would probably run away from a man bigger than himself if the dealers. He enjoined the police, for instance, from interfering former showed fight. But in his office Mr. Gould is willing to face with the bookmakers at Jerome Park. Perhaps, technically, he any danger to himself or his fortune. Yet those who have seen was wrong, but certainly in that matter he had the countenance and him recently say that he is very much excited just now. Matters support of every turf man in the State. Our laws on that subject have not turned out as well in the Southwest as he expected. He are preposterous, and if there was any legal way of evading them had the Knights of Labor at a disadvantage, and he thought he the !public sentiment of the vast majority of 'the country would could discredit them. Hence he refused to arbitrate ; would not sustain him in the course he took. Then his interposition against recognize the labor organization, and certain results followed drinking wine after one o'clock at a masquerade ball does not seem which he did not foresee. The labor disputes have got into Con so heinous a matter to the patrons of those hilarious gatherings. Of gress. Other interests are being attacked which affect him nearly, course this is not the view of respectable and pious people, but the and, worse than all, there is a probability of legal proceedings latter comprise, after all, but a small portion of tbe community against himself which may prove awkward. His enemies say that and they never go to masquerade balls. Still, law is law, and Mr. Gould has been guilty of illegal practices which, if the laws Judge Donohue has no business to nullify it by the abuse of legal were rigidly enforced, would land him in States prison. T. V. process. But what a pity it is that so bright a judge should have Powderly. is not.the kind of man to make careless threats, and if his good name called in question by actions which may not be the Knights of Labor can raise $500,000 there are plenty of lawyers blameworthy, yet which lay him open to suspicion. who could be hired to worry the life out of this great Wall street operator. The money interest in the Southwestern sail way system The political and social changes which are taking place in Europe has been transferred to New York. Very few persons in Texas are cannot be well understood without reference to the difference in interested in stocks of the Gould roads. Rightly or wrongly the the present price of land compared with what it was formerly. In public feeling in that region is with the strikers. This is shown by the generations gone by it was the great landowner who repre^ the meetings held in St. Louis to try and bring about arbitration. sented the accumulated wealth of the cummunity and who formed If the lawyers get after Gould's past transactions he may get more the class basis for aristocratic rule. Corporate wealth is practi law than he bargained, for. cally a creation of this century, and the banker, the merchant, the manufacturer and the railway king have taken authority away The Broadway Arcade Railroad bill has been indorsed by the from and accumulated more wealth than the landowner. But the Legislature of this State. There were only two votes against it in fatal blow to the latter has. been the competition of grain-growing the Senate and seven in the Assembly. This settles this important countries, such as the United States, Australia and India.

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