Mr. Tillett and Mr. Mann not long after their failure
dis- appeared from public view in Australia, rather like the French heroes who arise from time to time to direct a general strike and quickly pay the price of defeat and ridicule. The corre- spondent concludes that strikes which cause public incon- venience are always bound to fail, through the alienation of public sympathy, and the leaders are certain to be discredited. Australians are in general sympathy with the methods of legislation and arbitration. We have no doubt that this is a correct summary of the prevailing Aus- tralian opinion, but for ourselves we should reverse the alternatives and prefer the direct struggle between capital and labour to excessive intervention by the State. Workmen have a perfect right to strike if they wish in order to make corporate bargains with their employers; but it is essential that they should abide honourably by the pledges made on their behalf by their recognized leaders and should be compelled to allow those to work who desire to do so.
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