Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1876-02-25
GRIMES AND POLITICS.

suppression OF the MOLLY Mcguire cut
RACES and the arrest of the criminals be-
token better state of things for the Schuyl-
kill coal region than that which has 50
long been its disgrace. 1t is hard for peo'
pie living al distance TO understand that
in the heart of Eastern Pennsylvania, the
centre of what is usually looked upon as
the most cultivated, peaceful and law-abid-
ing portion of the country, - gang of rut-
fans could exist who dared 60 to any length
of crime, even to the most heinOus and
desperate knowu-the open murder OF men
in broad daylight, in the presence OF their
friends-and yet go not only unwhlpped
but practically unmolested Of Justice let
this has heretofore been the simple, unex-
aggerated fact, as the blood Of dozens OF
of murdered men cries from the ground to
testify. That il is TO be the case no longer
is made manifest by the way the Doyle
trial was conducted and still more so by
the arrests and disclosures which nave
followed il in such dramatic and start
ling array. While We 10 not yet know all
that has been done or arranged for, and
are not permitted TO publish all we do
know. enough has been made public 20
warrant the belief that all the plans OF the
Mollie Maquires are in the hands OF the
officers of the law. the chief conspiratOrs
and the most guilty criminals are known,
their long immunity from punishment is at
an END, their terrorism has lost its force,
and the breaking up of their organization
is inevitable. \ power as secret, as myS-
terious, as themselves aud more powerful
has been working against them and the
results OF lie work are now coming to light.
While all good citizens must rejoice at
this healthiu change in the situation,
their is ore thing about it which the people
of the region ought to be heartily ashamed
OF. and that is the means by which it has
been brought about-or rather the means
by which it was no: brought about before.
IL was not the people Of Schuylkill county
by the legal officers and the regular ma
chinery of the law they have been letting
the Mollie Maguires 20 on from bad to
worse and grow more reckless and law
defying year after year. II was not The
people acting irregularly through the quon-
dom "yigilance committees which became
so suddenly popular and made so many
mysterious threats 4 few months ago; all
they did was to Kill man who may or
NAV not have been murderer and wom-
an whom no body suspected. We do not
blame them for not doing more. They did
too much as il was but at their rate II
would have taken long time to do what
a single power has done without excitement
without breaking the laws and, best OF all,
without bloodshed. What that power is
has not been officially proclaimed, but every
body knows. 1t is an open secret The
arrests of these men were made BY the Coal
and Iron police. 1t is not pretended that
they acted under the authority Of any but
their regular employer, and theiremployer
is the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and
Iron Company. In 4 word, the Company
found that il did not pay 10 have the
Molly Maguires carrying on their peculiar
operations about its works. They created
too much confusion and made good mining
bosses entirely 100 scarce so, as matter
of business policy, the Company found
Itself obliged to suppress them, and acting
we believe, in concert with some or all Of
the other large coal mining corporations,
it is doing so in 4 manner which, while 1t
promises TO be very effectual, is perfectly
legal aud only what any corporation or any
citizen might do. and what the regular
public officers are legally bound to do.
Then why don't they do it? The ques-
ton is one which we have frequently con-
sidered. We think their are more reasons
than one. Personal cowardlce probably
has something to do with it d; politics has
more, for the Nolies have votes, and not
only ''stand by their friends, " but frequent
ly elect them to office, and have shown be-
foie now that they possessed influence
enough with the Democracy to secure the
nomiBation of one of their number to
high judicial position ana, lastly, there
really seems to be great deal of public
sentiment manufactured in their favor
Counterfeit public sentiment it is, ofcourse
and by no means the sentiment of the peo-
pie yet such as it is, it has been good
enough in the past 10 deceive judges and
iuries and exert controlling influence up
on the pardonine power. Else Why, Of all
the murderers with which Schuylkill coun-
" has tecmed, have SO few been brought to
the bar of justice, fewer still convicted, and
none ever hanged, except poor negro and
a friendless boyf
Il was this kind of public sentiment that
humbugged the easily influenced Board OF
Pardons into believing that the people OF
Schuylkiil county desired the release OF the
imprisoned ex- Commissioners, when in
point of fact, there was nothing the people
desired less. Their conviction was hailed
with the most unegned delight by all re-
spectacle classes of society, it was heralded
Iom one end of the State 10 the other as
something 10 rejoice over, triumph of
honesty and right. over fraud and unblush-
ing rascality and from all parts Of the
State came congratulations on this success
iul stroke for honesty and efficiency in the
public service. Yet the bolts were scarce
ly turned behind the prisoners before GER
tain local politicians were at work to secure
their re!eaSe-for what purpose we do not
know we were not in their confidence
but The nature OF the case forbids the idea
that it was for any good. Neither do we
know how many Of the names on the long
petitions laid before the Board OF Pardons
were in the same handwriting, nor how
many genuine signatures were purchased
q glass OF beer apiece. We do not know
that some highly important names were
wanting and it is another instance of
Governor Hariranft's consistently upright
aud honorable course that, although the
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