M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1858-01-21
The Late RalIrond strike.

was a general strike among certain
classes Of the employees of the Mari
eta and Cincinnati Railroad Compa.
any. The engineers, firemen, brkes-
men, freight conductors and machin-
lists, with but few exceptions, joined
in the rebellion. The object of the
movement, was to compel the pay
ment of wages due the employed by
the Company; for want of which, it is
alleged, that many of these creditors,
were in destitute circumstances. The
objects of tho combination extended
to the seizure and detention of the
whole motive power Of the road, ex-
cept what they considered nee
essary for the transmission of the U.
S. mail. The number of men involv-
ed'in the strike was about one hun
dred and fifty. All the engines of the
Company, but one, were taken and
run over the turn table, into and in
front of the locomotive house. A
passenger car was moved upon the
turn table to obatruct the passage Of
the engines to the track. A guard, of
from sixty to hundred men were
placed in and around this car, day
and night, to prevent its REMOVAL
On the second day OF January, an at.
tempt was made by the Superintendent
and other officers Of the company to
get possession Of an engine; but with
out success. A conference was held
on the same day, between the presi-
dent of the road and a committee of
the Strikers. The former proposed
to apply the first receipts of the road
to the payment of a months wages to
the employees. The latter, first de,
manded payment, in cash, Of ali ar
rearages. They afterwards proposed
that a receiver be appointed, who
should take the receipts Of tile road,
in trust for them, Ito be applied to the
payment OF their current wages; and
that responsible security should be
given for what had already been earn.
ed; CT that there should be a change
in the management of the road. Var
ious notifications Of these PROPOSE
tions have since been made. The Di-
rectory ofthe Company, after their of.
fer to pay a months wages from the
first receipts Of the road had been re.
jected by the Strikers ION the ground
that they had no confidence in the as.
suraEces of the otficers) refused to
treat further, until an unconditional
surrender of the property was made.
On Friday last; a civilsuit was insti.
tuted against sixty of the prominent
actors in the affair for damages laid at
fifty thousand dollars. On the same
day, an affidavit was made before the
Mayor, charging forty-tlree ofthom
with force and violence, in taking the
property of the company. They
were arrested aud brought to trial
The evidence disclosed, that personal
violence has been used in obtaining
possession Of and retaining the proper.
ty, that threats Of personal violence,
had been made towards those who re.
mained in the service of theroad, and
that the conduct Of those implicated
was such as 10 threaten a breach of
the public peace. The offence being
thus clearly made ont. Thirty-nine
of those charged were consequently
recognized to appear and answer, at
the next term OF the Court of Com
mon Pleas Of this County. Pending
their examination, the property was
surrendered into the hands Of the
Railroad Company Internationally.
Fifteen Of the number were arrested
on Monday, upon warrant, issued by
U. S. Commissioner Newhall, by the
Marshal Of the Southern District Of
Ohio, upon charge of obstructing
the transmission of the mail. They
were taken to Cincinnati for trial.
We cannot but regard this strike,
as a most unfortunate occurrence--in,
furious to the prospects of the Rail,
road Company, in whom successful op.
GRAFTON and management, as business
men, as creditors of the road and as
stockholders lard every tax payer in
the county is a stockholdeD we have
so direct an irterest--disastrous to
these operatives, who have been
thrown out Of employment, with moth.
ing ahead, in a time when employ.
ment for the most competent men is
difficult to be obtained; and who have
perhaps saddled themselves, at the
same time with criminal offence and
a civil liability, of such magnitude
as they can never escape it These
men deserve moro OF pity than cen
sure.
The result has shown, that they
acted i'll NdviSedly and without suff
cient consideration. They have our
warmest sympathy. Labor should
ever meet it's reward. tits hard to
suffer for the want of that which we
have earned, by honest, faithful toll.
And let him whoreads this-surroun.