The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-06-17
GkaGntelIigsnrer.
The Coal strikers.

For the present the great strike among
the miners Of the Hooking Valley seems
TO be OF an end. Whether or not the
murderous spirit which characterized ID
Z early demonstration 70 cruGhed out or only
smothered by the prompt and ample pre-
psratlonS made by the State authorities
for the concentration oE armed forces In
the valley remains 70 be determined.
Just now II seems to be fully demon
Strated that mine owners, in Ohio at least
have some rights which the strong arm
Of the law will exert itself to protect
There can be nothing more detrimental "a
the prosperity Of great interest than fre,
quent and protracted Misunderstanding
between the employer and the employed
It affects not only the immediate cente.
Of disturbance, but rsmifes into oil Sec
tlonS and into every other interest that
may in any manner be directly or indl-
rectly dependent upon the branch Of In
dustry involved In the controversy.
Just how far men may combine for the
protection Of their interests as individuals
Or classes, without trampling under foot
the rights and privileges OF others, seems
scarcely well defined. That the present
methods oi combination in so far as they
eject ipluriously the rights Of the capital.
lists or the lsborer, are without shadow ol
right or justice needs no argument to
prove.
Ever since man was condemned I'd
earn his bread by the sweat Of his brow,
the question Of labor has not been O
matter Of choice, but Of dirc necessity,
and labor, like air and sunlight cannot be
monopolized, it Is the heritage Of the
whole human race. No man has right
to say to his nelghbor thou shalt not
work. Every man has right to say for
himself that he viii not labor. for aspect.
fed sumsnd In SO doing to be governed
by his ability to fall back upon accumu.
lated reserves or to procure employment
at what he may consider remunerative
prices. u ffEt fEItt -
Labor combinations or unions 'as they
are called have not been without good
results and would no doubt yet be power.
full instrumentalities for the elevation OF
the laboring classes II carried out upon
the principles Of justice upon which the
system was inaugurated.
The tree is only to be judged by It's
fruits. From an organization designed to
secure members from an unjust discriml.
nation, labor unions have become tyr
rany expressing alike the capitalist and
the laborer. Terrorism and assassination
are the formidable weapons with which
the unscrupulous leaders enforce their al.
most imperial authority. Rejecting the
laws which govern the business Of the
world, and which are as fixed as the uni
verse, they set up for themselves and
their followers q standard ruinous to
their immediate locality, ruinous to the
business Of the country, and in the end
destructiveo OF lteir own best interests.
The deprayity, the crime and the pov.
erty Of many Of the great eastern cities
and Of the extensive mining districts OF
Pennsylvania are directly traceable to the
iron.handed despotism with which the
selfSh and unprincipled leaders Of the Ia.
Dor organizations In those districts have
ruled their ignorant followers. In the
great coal regions very large proportion
oithe operatives are comparatively fresh
importations from the Old World, igno-
rant Of our laws and Of our free institu-
tions, mistakiDg riot for liberty, and yet
following the behests Of theirleaders with
ianaticism more desperate and q servili.
tymore intense than ever characterized
the followers Of the barbaric chiefs Of the
middle ages.
fortunately the terrible incidents Of the
Laekawanna and other regions Of Penn
sylyania have mot been forgotten, and
the threatened Communist riots in New
York have not been without their lessons.
Ohio has protted by these "reminiscences,
andby,prompt and vigorous action shown
q -NtNN