, 1877-08-02
JUDGE DRuMMorp's DECISION,

runl atfiko has been furnished nv Jndr,n
pnuuuoxp in his decision committing A MIN.
ber Of tho peoria rioters for contempt. rim
men brought before him l,ad l,cen enroru1
will, others in obstrucsinp The ToIedo. 1,cor;,,
l. Warsaw Railroat1. nrres,inr lol,, fruic,,t
md passenger trains. unco,,nIipv cors. ,,n,,,.
iuc rcyotyers at the lca,,s Of engineers in.
timi.lstinc Tho conductors. an,1 vio,ont,v anil
lawlcsaly impeding tho ordinary transaction
Of business, This road is iu tho hands Of a
Receiver, appointed BY ansl IN officer Of t,.o
United States Court. ami tho attack nm Ina
road was Al, attnck on tho authority Of tl,o
United States which held It in trust. Tim
strikers were in more earious business tl,nn
they apprchontled. os they hnro ,,ow .liscovcr.
ed by fine of SO cacl, viii, costa. md an i'm.
prisonnent Of four months for tho ripcleader
and two months each for The others Tbfa
Ia practical instruction IN 1cseon w1,iob n
Ia HIGH time for strikers to lcorn. viz. that
It Ia crimo aeniust tho law to dr;yo men
from the peaceful pursuit of their ayoca-
tions. md to forcibly Interim. t1,c nroaec,,.
ton of business, Jutieo DaCNxoyp haa set
a precedent for tho oct;ou of thu 1,n;te.,
hn nF1l ff%s
needs TINT the State Courts shnll srectl;ly
follow In sjmilar construction of tba 1aw.
Thero ara seyora1 nointa in tho rov;aw =,
the case before judge Dau,t,,orp Which n,av
bo impressed with value u1,on ali WIN hovn
been coucerned in tho recc,,t rat]root1 a.r;ta
In tl,o first p1ace. tho Inv IN M cloar that
Judge DnuNuoSn found no occasion 10 tlia.
.enss it. Io simplv nrononncei1 Il nnlaufr,
and criminal to tramplo upon the r;o3,ts
of labor by violently Interfering viii,
tbosa At work. because tl,e tojernt;or ~ anc,,
violent interference would mt mn end
to all pcaceful relations of life. This
ia tho Fundamental nrinc,n,o viii, s,,on1.,
undorlie ali the decisions TINT grow out Of
tho recent railway strike. In this ssate We
have a special statute Applying It specifically
to the operation Of tho railroads, but where
no sucll statute c1ists tho rule Of law laid
down by Judge DnuMxoxp Is 20 broad md
clear, aud tho converse would bo 20 autago-
nistic TO reason md Justice, that tho result
should bo tho same. Wherever there has
been flagrant attack ON the peaceful and
regular running Of railroad trims by vio-
lenco Or intimidation, those who have medo
tho attack should be severely punished, "a
the quickest md surest means Of toachtng
tho whole community of workinqmen that
tho rights Of labor do not include tho right
to stop labor.
Another point clearly mst1o In Jn;7oo
Dnuuxoyp.s decision. md insisted unon hv
Tur Tribune ever since the Inauguration n
ths strike. ia TINT the obatr,,ctIon ~ thu rail.
roads is not merely tho violent INTERRUPTION
Of a business prosecuted for nr;vato nron,
but a blow struck Mt tho pubiic, Tho nm.
cessful stoppacc Of tho railroad bus;nesa NJ
the country implies tho general eusponslon
Of commerce md the prostratlon Of ali
business md industry. This In M 1onoer a
theory tho recent strike las t1emonatratad
Il. Tho producer Ia cut OF from tha ea,a of
his commodities: the manufacturer Ia force1
| To ahut on hin steam .po,vcr ord c1ot, TN
vhes1a Of lila ,noc};nerv. tho ono,o,tvos ~
| f.c,orics ara +b+,v, mi ~ a,r-,o,,,,.,,..