The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-06-23
THE MOBILES AND THE NINE OWNERS.
All the Guilt not on the sfdc of the Men who
were Hanged Last Thurs,iuy.

To THE EDITOR OF THE Sun Sir On
Thursday. in the mining districts Of Pcnnsyl-
vana eleven human beings. men Of flesh and
blood. of bone and snew. mon with immortal
souls who go before their Maker to render up
thcir final accounts. werc put to death. Let us
hope that in the next world they may receive
the mercy denied to them in this. The journals
throughout tho country win doubtless indulge
In numerous homilies bearing upon tho crimes
of these unfortunate men and pointing to their
fate as a triumph u those principles OF law and
order which should always prevail in such
just, honorable. law-abding. and God-loving
community as that Of the great American poo
pie is universally recognized Thy themselvesD to
be-. But there are two sides to every question.
and at least two lights in which 10 view every
subject.
Gricvous. indeed. hive been tho crimes OF
these mon yet. perhaps. we may find in exam
ming the motives which actuatcd Them some
cNtennating circumstances which might have
tempered justice with mercy and consigned
cell rather than have launched them. shrouded
in mental and moral darkness. into eternity.
The coul regions of pcnnsy lvania are notori-
ously owned and controlled bv few toncel
powerful corporations. which. from mere trans
port"rs OF cQal. have grown into the almost
total ownership Of the regions from which this
valuable staple is drawn. Between them and
the mining populations which they assume to
RUE, tltf' mas tNlSlhu l0r years lnr same httpf
strife which We SEQ constantly arising upon
every side between organized capital and or
ganNed labor: and out of this strife have been
evolved The crimes for which the ignorant. inn
brutcd Mullics have atoned with their lives.
Now i ask any reminded man who Is
familiar with the Pennsylvania coal regions
whether the corporations controlling them have
dealt in ~ spirit Of fairness. honest and lus-
ticr with those Of their fellow men whose des-
TIMES chance has placed ia their hands, Has
uught h"ru done to elevate. imrlOVo. and hui
manic the most hard workcd and lcast- favored
clasS Of our luhoring populationY Have lacli-
Ties Tor education, for moral and mental inn
rroVcmcnt. even tu tho extent Of those now pro-
Vidcd for the southern negro. been extended 90
these poor Northern white trash. who. with
pick and spade. and with lives in constant peril,
hrWrly how ont a vast portion Of our national
wealth. Have they not. on the contrary. been
troddcn down and almost refused recognition
~ members NJ the great human familyf
Emerging from the damp. dark nosomc mine,
where the sunlight never prn"tratH =. they find
themselves herded together in rude. implanted.
bare comluriipsa -hHnti's with nothing reiln-
ing or riNillI NJ in their surroundings. Seeing
Themselves ana their offspring condemned to
an existence below Tint Oi the brute. X It Ia be-
wondered az that they learn o. hat" those whom
that they are led IN to shed the blood Of those
To- whom in their ignuran they naturally us
crihe thcir wrrt'hed sond,t'on ~ liiey
Let tlr capitalists who rcVHl i'm the wealth OK
tra"t'd"rom the very life blood Of thrs" miscr-
able y. oue once r'tlile aud perform toward
them the sprred duty Of man 10 man. "a duty
which thry have long and wiifully ignored: let
hand Of helping fellowship which Christ 50
freely put forth. an The r."oris of such events
rs that whit durkon'd Thursday will soon bc
wiped forever from our calendars. FIAT LUX