The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1913. LESSONS FROM THE STRIKE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 78, 2 December 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1913. LESSONS FROM THE STRIKE.

Much argument, oratorical effort, turmoil and strife have been imposed upon the country by the recent strike, instituted by the watersiders in Wellington, and in order that the same should not pass without leaving, as it ought, some sold of it behind, we may profitably employ some moments in oarniest reflection concerning it. Fifty years ago, JRuskiu, with a clearness of vision not given to ordinary mortals, wrote: “Honesty is not a disturbing force which deranges the orbits of economy; but a. consistent and commanding force, by obedience to which—and by no,other obedience—those orbits can 'continue (dear of chaos,” and, again: “If wo once can get a. sufficient quantity of honesty in our captains, the organisation of labor is easy and will develop itself without quarrel or difficulty; hut if we cannot get honesty in our captains, the organisation of labor is for evermore impossible.”

| I 1 roni these words it appears that the •, evil besetting the cause of labor was then the* insincerity ami dishonesty of its leaders, ami whoever has followed the actions and statements of tin* leaders in the present trouble will find small reason to assert that improvement has taken place. The stories served out to the strikers to thoi effect that the Moana bad returned, to Worser Bay, that the Athenic’sj ' slings were run up and down empty, j and the later cabled utterance of Mr! Parry in Sydney that the special con-; stables were “s-iooi ijig dawn strik-i , ers in the streets,’' and all such falsehoods and misstatements may possibly] serve some immediate purpose, but the: ultimate effect must he damage toj the source from whence they came.j Labor is. and should he, noble, .and it! should resolutely weed out- all those! who endeavour to lead by unworthy, means. Tike bezels like, and evil means will not produce good results, and further, if Labor—or any other cause—would prosper, the heart of it must: he true. just, and honest, “Tarit' l ' armed is he that hath his quarrel just.” but how pitifully and utterly iutile must' lie the eliorts to lead men forward to'a struggle without a. genuine motive. Men of our race have ever been ready and willing to endure hardship, disease, and death itself r i upon good reason ; but no efiercive measures (such ,is fhe denial of a! secret ballot implies) or abusive epi-1 theta and threats or even acts of vio-| ienee will sufficiently bind thorn in!’

united and heroic action. The essence of successful action lies in its cause being just. In the government of our country each and every adult has an equal voice, and the majority ate moved chiefly hy their sense <1 J l, stice and equity. It therefore follows that any public wrong or grievance for which there is no constituted redress will always appeal to the public conscience, which will correctly assert itself, ii in no other way, then at the ballot box. The present laws are the most perfect we can conceive lor. the general good, otherwise the majority would alter them, and apartj from the penalties we incur hy in-| fringement of our laws, we are in hon-, our to our neighbour and fellow-citi-zens bound to abide hy them, as the, product of the majority. When ai countrv is governed hy a majority ofs its adult population, all attempts hy| comparatively small sections to deny ■ allegiance to the constituted laws.', and to forcibly impose their own ill-! considered, impossible and unjust j schemes on an unwilling majority,, must obviously fail. Ihe patient andj tolerant majority, wid suffer much and; will ho content to go about its husi-j ness so long as conditions are notj made intolerable, and will try by what moans lie in its power to seek and follow the just and most advisable path : but when the conditions imposed can no longer be honorably and practicably] borne, then will the majority rise ii’i its wrath and abundantly assert it-j right to the maintenance of law and. order and the peaceful carrying out] of the nation’s work.