A Great Compromise
The newspaper prices for newsies dropped from 60 cents to 55 cents per hundred papers- A compromise of the 60 cents per hundred the papers wanted to charge, and the 50 cents per hundred the newsies wanted to be charged per hundred papers.
It is amazing that, even though communication in 1899 was mostly by word of mouth and newspapers, many people became passionate about the strike and joined the cause. Newsies joined together, working with others who strongly believed what they believed in, taking a stand against two powerful paper companies. Even today, it is amazing to get the support of 5,000. It isn't surprising that they got the attention and support of the public when many people believed in the same cause.
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Even though they didn't get exactly what they wanted, it was an amazing accomplishment for youth to be able take a stand and halt the distribution of New York's most popular papers for two weeks. The Newsboys' Strike Committee turned down many of Pulitzer and Hearst's offers throughout the strike. These offers included the 55 cents per hundred compromise, which was declined because the newsies wanted the original 50 cents per hundred newspapers, but they later decided that it was a good compromise. Newsies continued to sell papers in New York for years after the strike.
Effect
The success of the stand they took set an example for other strikes of the time, and even today. This included later strikes such as the Butte, Montana Newsboys Strike of 1914 and another in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1920s.
The example doesn't stop there. The courage of these youth still inspires kids to take a stand against adults with power. With ongoing stands being taken by youth today, such as the youth fighting to go to school in the Middle East, they have hope because groups like the newsboys' got results, even when going against people with power. |