The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-09-03
THE RECENT STRIKES.
Review of the Late Railroad Troubles
by President ThOs. A. Scott
Causes and Consequences of the
Recent Riots.
Legislation Required to Protect In
ter-State Commerce.
From the North American Review, Sep
TEN ber- October number.

From the North American Review, Sep
tember-OclOber number.
PHILADELPHIA, August l3.-The re-
quest that YOU have done me the honor
To make, to give YOU for publication IN
the North american Re0le,0 such results
OF my observation and experience dur
ing the recent disastrous disturbances IN
this country as may appear to have some
bearing upon the general Interests OF the
community, finds me absorbed IN imper-
atiye duties which make 1t difficult for
me to comply with your wishes. But
the issues and results of these deplora-
BILE events are OF such Importance TO the
prosperity and happiness of the ArAeri
can people, without distinction OF class,
and to the very existence OF our
social and political institutions,
that no ore perhaps, who happens,
through whatever circumstances, TO have
been brought into immediate contact
with these events, should allow any per-
sonal considerations to restrain him when
tho proper occasion Is presented, from
expressing his candid and deliberate
views in regard to them. | therefore
take pleasure In giving you the follow
ing statement, which must be taken tor
what it is worth by the readers OF the
North american Rcoie0, and my hope is
that 1t may be found OF some use IN help
ing the public IN this country to form
Just and practical conclusions on the sub
Ject.
BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD STRIKE.
On the 10th of July it became known
that the tiremen and freight brakemen Of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad were on
strike at Msrtinsburg, w. Va, and
that no freight trains were allowed TO
psss That point in either direction. This
proved to be the beginning Of a move
nent winch spread with great rapldity
from New York to Kansas and from
Michigan to Texas, which placed all en-
barge on the entire freight traffic OF more
than twenty thousand miles OF railway,
put passenger travel and the movement
of the United States mails ut the mercy
of mob. subj biected great commercial cen
tres like Chicago and st. Louis TO the
violent disturbance Of al their business
relations, and made the great manu-
featuring city OF Pittsburgh for
twenty.four hours such a scene of riot,
arson and blOodshed as can never be
erased rom the memory of Its people. In
Baltimore, Reading, Scranton, Cleve.
land, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Co!um-
bus, Cincinnati, Louisville and many
| points in New York and New Jersey,
the laws were set at defiance, the proper
| tv -of the various railway companies
! seized, injured or destroyed, the civil
authorities overpowered or overawed,
and in many cases compelled to call
| upon the military power of tne States to
project persons and property. TINS call
| ccgld not in all 4ses be fully MT The
Governors of Wet Virginia, MArylsnd
and Pennsylvania acted Win great
promptness, but found the military
organIzatious OF the States, although
very efficient for the suppression Of any
| ordinaIv ou. break, unable 10 suppress what
rapidly grew from riot to an insurrec-
tion, and were compelled to invoke the
| aid of the United States government. To
| this the President at once responded TO
the extent of the forces at his command,
| and the presence OF detachments of the
regular army and navy hastily gathered
| from all quarters, and hurried 10 the
points most seriously threatened, aided
| largely in securing the comparative quiet
| which now prevails within the borders oi
those States. HGd 1t not been, however,
| that in many communities the mumclpal
| authorities acted with great nerve and
| efficiency, aud were supported by organ
Izatlons OF citlz ,us and by public senti-
ment determined TO MAINTAIN law and
order at any cost, the troubles 10 be en-
Countered would no doubt have been
| much more serious.
swAYEp BY THE INSANITY OF PASSION.
l do not wish, and happily 1t is not
| necessary, TO I'LL your pages with the
mere recital OF the distressing cases OF
violence and outrage which marked the
course Of these riots uneXsmpled in
America history. Suffice II to say that
the Conduct Of the rioters Is entirely In
consistent with the idea tnat this move
meut could have been directed by serious,
right-minded men bent on improving the
condition of the laboring cl1sses. How
wages could be improved by destroying
property, the existence OF which alone
made the payment of sny wages at all
possible. 1t IS difficult TO understand.
Nothing but the insanity OF passirn
PLAYED upon by designing aud mischle-
vous leaders, can explain the destruction
OF vast quantities OF railroad equipment
absolutely necessary TO the transaction
Of its business, By men whose complaint
was that the business done by the tull
equipment In possession OF the railways
did not pay them sufficient compensation
for their labor.
During the greater part OF our cer.ury
of national existence We hsve enJoysi
such unbroNen prosperity ths. We had
perhaps come 10 expect exemption from
many Ell the vorS. problems which per
plex o.ler and older civilizations. The
vas. area OF public land open TO GU tiya
tiou and settlement had steadilv drsirod
oil lot only our own surplus population,
but that of other countries, and the rapid
extension OF our railway system. by turn.
isaing markets for the productions of sll
paris VI VIC NNAAks y Ls'N ibSiNaHE4 SL'
national wealth and built up genersl
prosperity. Bu. Tor the civil war this
state Of Things might nave continued 10
exist, but the waste OF human life and
the destruction of property whicn accom-
panied that war, the loss OF real produc
tive power, and the creation OF large
debts, national, State and municipal. in
volving heavy taxation to meet them,
have en;ailed burdens upon Us which
were lightly felt during the teverisn ex-
citement Of the civil conflict but the
weight of which became suddenly oner-
Gus, and almost iltoIersble, when the
financial condition OF the country
was so seriously disturbed by the panic
OF 1873. In lew hours the credit upo1
which the fabric of our apparent pros
perlty rested WAS almost entirely de>-
troyed, the capital which had been fairly
lent to all enterprises Offering even =
show of prospective profit was suddenly
Withdrawn. Since that time the coun-