, 1877-08-29
THE LABOUR WAR IN THE UNITED
STATES.

W5kOLl1llAtEbk2 GQFO RONA wv ENNNNA''bA
feeling among Americans in England,
during the present week. It wes not
only that the news of the Railway Strike
and its results came on them as something
altogether unexpected, but it was one Of
the things which they lad been in the
habit of repudiatiag as impossible AID
inconceivable. No doubt the United
States have been troubled with their own
form CT the lsbour question for many a
day, and Americans aro very far from
undertaking the gravity Of the economical
difficulties through which lhcir couut:y is
now passing. But that the law should be
deied, the Institution of property assai.ed,
and the forces ot the Federal Government
resisted, wefd extremes of frenzy that
seemed wholly beyond belief. All this,
and more than this, has happened, nod
the Americans themselves are scarcely
able 20 offer a complete explanatio0 Of
the astounding tGcts. The strike in The
goods department Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railways, which broke oui ear last
week, was not o trjflng lffair, but it
possessed no national Significance. Even
il il had been followed up, as it was
doubtless Intended HAT it should be, by
similar strikes on the other main lines
the Pennsylvania, Enc, AMI New York
Central Roads-tho conflict, though pro-
ductiYe Of some public Inconvenience,
need not have Occqsioned any anxiety.
The railroad corporations III the United
States are quite strong enough 10 cope
with the Trades Unions among their men,
and upon any question in dispute, in tho
opinion of most Americans, the Unions
were at least as likely TO be in the right
as the railway dictators. But what the
country was not prepared for was the
attempt TO %euforc8 the strike by open
war upon the Railways, the State Gov
ernments, end the Federal Power Tie
seizure Of the rolling stock and the de-
structiOn Of the permanent way gave
evidence of q spirit to which no Govern
msnt could submit, and the State and
Federal Governments were not only justI-
fed in using force to protect and rescue
the property Of the corporations, but were
bound 10 do 40 by every moral and po'ili-
cal obligation. The intervention Of the
authorities, however, only gave u wider
scope and q more passionate split to the
enterprises Of the insufGeut UniOnists.
The Militia called out by the State Gov
ernments showed either a timorous eau
ton or dangerous sympathy with tue
IawIess. In tbs towns Of Maryland, Wsst
Virginia. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana aud
Missouri, popular feeling was unmlstaka-
bly, on the side Of the disturbers oil order;
that is to say, the masses were eager 20
see the Strike triumphant and the Rail
way "~monopolists'' detected. The at
tempts Of tho State Governments aided
after a while by Federal troops, to compel
the rioters to yield were not as successful
ss might have been expected, in a commu-
nifty which is proud Of its law-abldlog
temper. Almost everywhere the troops
were withstood or insulted. TIE inter-
f~srencs of the Federal Power was encouu-
tered by an extension of tire str Ike over
The railways of ten States, from the Hud'
son to tho Mississippi, and from the Great
Lakes to the Potomac. But this was not
the worst. The rising soon ceased to
have 90 exclusively Tra1zs-Uniohlst char
scter. In the cities the men 90 strike
were Joined by hundreds and sometimes
thousands OF the ordinary populace, aud
when violent collisions resulted the rough
element rose to the surface. In P%lttsbu'g
the victory Of the rioters led to scenes 90