The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-08-15
The Great Railway Riot.

The railway riot which last week
began at Martinsburg, in West Vir-
ginia, and for the suppression OF
which the governor invoked and OBJ
tanned the aid of the President, in
creased from that point until at the
close OF the week it had acquired
frightful and horrible dimensions.
Whether this is due to previously
concerted plan among railroad en-
ployes or is the effect Of sudden and
unthinking passion. awakened by the
tirst disturbance, We are not able to
say; yet the rapid and widespread
diffusion of the riotous temper, in
volving the peace of society in sever
al states, bloekading railroads. de-
stroying property, suspending the in-
tercourse of travel and business on
some of the great trunk lines of the
country, and resulting in desperate
lighting and the loss of millions of
property and scores of lives, is the
fearful fact to which the last few days
bear melancholy witness. To all
sensible and law-loving persons the
spectacle is simply one Of horror.
They look upon the rioters not only
as maniscs, drunk with ignorant pas
sion, and in the end doing to them
selves more harm than to anybody
else, but also as criminals that de-
serve to be punished.
1t is an American principle, almost
too familiar 10 need statement, that
every Que has the natural and legal
right to fix his own price for his la
Dor, and not to work unless be can
get it, and peaeeably to combine and
cooperate with others for this pur-
pose, subject to the limitation that
sucn combination and cooperation
shall not be virtual conspiracy
against the general good and safety
OF society. Nobody in this country
disputes this right. 1t is equally
true that every employer. whether an
individual or corporation, has the
same right to fix the rate of wages to
be paid for labor If the parties can
not agree as to wages, then the one
may innocently refuse TO work, and
the other may just as innocently re-
fuse to give employment to labor.
Each simply does what he has a legal
right 10 do, whether il be wise or
not; and with neither, when 50 doing,
should civil society Interfere There
may be and almost always will be
questions of equity, fair dealing, and
good conscience as between the par
ties; yet they are Of such character
as not to admit of legal eognizsnce or
adjustment without infringing upon
the freedom of contracts and produc-
ing more harm than good. Govern
meut cannot wisely undertake the
task of regulating the relations Of
capital and labor, beyond the simple
duty of enforcing contracts Eng
lsud for long series Of years tried
the experiment, and finally abandon
ed it, Us hopeless of good aud pro-
ductive only Of evil These princi-
pies have among the American peo-
pie the character OF political axioms.
When, however, laborers combine
not only to discontinue work, and in
this way to embarrass their employ
ers, aud, il possible, force them TO a
compliance with their demands. but
also By threats and violence, as in the
present case, to prevent others from
working at wages which they decline,
and To wreak their vengeance on their
employers, then the question ceases
to be one Of allowable conflict be-
tween capital and labor. and instant
ly becomes an issue between law and
anarchy. Laborers are then crimI-
mails in fact. They are rioters and
public enemies, and worse than wild
beasts turned loose upon society.
They are entitled to no sympathy,
and for them no apology whatever
can be made, whatever may have