The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-26
..uNLawFUL COMBINATIONS"

NOUSItcS lo"alu SaNh SN'Nt
..UNLAWFUL COMBINATIONS"
1t should be remembered that the
new Ku-Klux law is not limited in its
operation to the States lately in insur-
rection, but may be executed wherever
within the limits Of the United States
the President sees fit to enforce it. 1t
is also to be remembered that the law
deals as well with Combinations Of
,cnarmsd citizens as with those organ
lied bands Of armed marauders who are
generally known as the "Ku-Klux
Khan" Penalties against armed con-
spiracies are provided in the fourth sec
ton of the law, but it is held that the
trades unions" of the Northern States
are, or may become, amenable to the
penalties of,the third sedtion, which
reads as follows
SEC. 3.-That in all cases where In
surrection, domestic violence, unlawful
combinations, or conspiracies in any
State, shall so obstruct or hinder the
execution of the laws thereof, and OF
the United States, as to deprive any por-
ton or class Of the people OF such State
ofany OF the rights, privileges or immu-
mites or protection named in the Con-
stitution and secured by this act, and
the constituted authorities Of such State
shall either be unable TO protect, or
shall, from any cause, fail in or refuse
protection OF the people in such rights,
such facts shall be deemed denial by
such State of the equal protection Of the
laws to which they are entitled under
the Constitution Of the United States;
and in all such cases, or whenever any
such insurrection, violence, unlawful
combination, or conspiracy shall OPP
pose or obstruct the laws OF the United
States, or the due execution thereof, or
impede or obstruct the due course of
Justice under the same, it shall be law
full for the President, and it shall be his
duty, to take such measures, by the EN-
ployment OF the militia or the land and
naval forces of the United States, or OF
either, or by other means, as he may
deem necessary for the suppression Of
such instruction, domestic violence or
combinations; and any person who
shall be arrested under the provisions
Of this and the preceding section shall
be delivered to the marshal OF the proper
district, 10 be dealt with according to
law"
1t is no uncommon thing for men,
bers Of Typographical Union to re-
fuse to work with negro, and combine
to drive him from his case. 1t is not
unusual for the ST.. CRIsPIN Society to
combine against the employment Of
1.-The heather Chinee asa shoemaker,
and visit the offending Celestial with
personal violence. 1t is quite common
for members OF 1.-THE Boilers Union
the "Nailer's Union" or any other OF
the innumerable combinations Of skilled
labor, to exclude black sheep from
employment, and even by force drive
them from work The newspapers have
recently contained voluminous accounts
of the operations Of Miners Broth
erhood in the coal regions Of Penn
sylvania, and of the destruction OF life
and property by combination Of men
without sanction Of law. In the latter
case, it is known that the Governor Of
Pennsylvania sympathized to some en-
tent with the miners, and that he in
yoked the laws as well against the rail-
roads and the proprietcrs as against the
laborers themselves. ...
Now, do not all Of these societies
come under the comprehensive ban OF
the Ku-Klux bill, and would not the
President be authorized under its pro-
visions to interfere in each Of these
cases3 Why may not Pennsylvania or
Massachusetts be deemed to have de-
MED to some of her people "the equal
protection Of the laws to which they
are entitled under the Constitution Of
the United States" and the expulsion
OF a negro printer from a newspaper
office, or of "black sheep" from
rolling mill or a coal mine, be made
the pretext for the employment of the
army and navy of the United States to
override State law and send the offend
ers to the United States Courts for
trial2 If the third section of the law
does not confer this power, what does it
mean?