St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-08-03

lame the SmOulQeflng ulScOntenC WHICH
unquestionably exists among the lower
classes of this city as well as in those of
other sections. This attempt was how
ever instigated wholly by foreign born
Communists and to the credit of our
people it fell fiat and pointless. A
monster mass meeting was announced
to be held in the largest open square on
the east side of town and serious fears
were felt as to its result. But the at
tendance was small and the assembly
seemed more ready to laugh at the raw
ings of the revOlutiOnists than to follow
their lead into anarchy and bloodshed.
After this fizzle the lunatics who hold
that no accumulation of property should
be permitted, subsidized, and have not
since been heard from.
The damage inflicted upon the coun-
try by this week of unprecedented in
terruption of business with its accom-
panying destruction of life and property
cannot be measured at present. 1t is
safe to say however that the value of
the property violently destroyed, though
amounting to very large figure will
prove a very small fraction of the total
loss. Thus | believe that the indirect
loss to New York alone where no vio-
lence occurred will aggregate nearly or
quite as much as the direct damage by
fire and breakage at Pittsburg.
Aftel all, however, the suffering en-
tailed by what will pass into history as
"the great STRIKE" will be most severe
among the wOrkingmen themselves. Of
course the original strikers, the railroad
men are losers, but it was their quarrel,
and that was to be expected. But their
sympathizers too will suffer, and are
suffering equally with them. Take the
Pennsylvania miners for example. In
hOt-headed sympathy with the firemen
and brakemen, this class joined the lat
ter in laying an embargo on the passage
of all freight trains The natural result
which they seem not to have foreseen,
was, that as coal was not permitted to
be moved, work at the mines was sus-
pended, and they themselves were sud-
denly left without employmentO or wages,
to curse their stupidity in fighting the
railroad company on whom their own
bread and butter depended. 1t is prob
able that these men together with the
thousands of others who have aided in
bringing about the stagnation which is
fore deciding to make common cause
with the next set of laborers who see
fit to quarrel with their bread and but
ter.
But while there is so much that can
be truly said in condemnation of the
wickedness of strikes, it is very good
plan to try and look at the case from
the laborers' standpoint. Every writer
and speaker has kept crying, "Shoot
down the rioter, give the striker no
quarter !" That is all very well, but
what made him striker and rioter ?
His employers have gambled, misman-
aged, and cut each others threats until
they are nearly or quite bankrupt. The
easiest way to save themselves or to
increase their profits is by visiting their
misfortunes on their employees; and so,
with the speciOus excuse that all prices
are falling, they cut off from the poor
mans pittance by successive reductions
much larger proportion than he can
save on his living expenses on account
of the general lowering of prices. Now
what is the unfortunate labOrer to do
SO long as he silently submits to these
reductions. public opinion presumes him
to be satisfied with his pay, and pats
the employing corporation on the back
for it's ''retrenchment" and praise
worthy economy;" and if, rendered des-
perate by inability to give food to his
family he rises in rebellion he at once
becomes "a turbulant malcOntentn who
should be sternly rebuked, or else "a
ferOcious rioter" who should be bayo-
neted without mercy.
There are then two sides to the story,
only one of which, so far as | have no
ticed, has received adequate cOnsidera-
ton up to this time, and while it is
natural that the restoration of order
should be the first aim of all good citi-
zens, it is to he hoped that the press
and the public will not rest satisfied
with the accomplishment of this object
but will proceed TO the earnest consid-
Grafton of the moral rights of those
whose misguided readiness to rise i'll
this terrible manner reveals an unmerit-
ed depth of suffering among them.
RADIX.