Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-07-21
Tho Railroad Riots:

Tho rafIroad strike which has been WIDEN
ing in its area since the hrst demonstration
nj Nartinsburg on Monday, reached the point
- - insnrraction in Baltimore last night,
rssrI,tyo in q conflict between the Maryland
niIitia and the rioters, in which ten or more
persons were killed and many wounded. AS
usual in these affairs the persons killed were
not the rioters, but the innocent bys.anders;
but spectators of this class, who stand look
ing on in open mouthed wonder when a col
lisiOn is impending between armed men.
never seem to understand that bullets will
not discr inmate between the just and I'M
just; and consequently no great amount OF
sympathy need be expended upon the victims
who pay the penalty Of lingering through
morbid curiosity in a mob-infestei street
The sudden rise and the tigersh fury of the
riOtOus element shows that the mob spirit
which has had such terrible sway in Balti-
more on many occasions in the past still
exists TO certain extent, and that very
little encouragement on the part of public
sentiment, and very little vacillatiOn on the
part Of the authorities will serve to reinstate
ii in The most dangerous form. But the
substantial elements of Baltimore citizen
ship are evidently impressed with the neces-
sity for promptly suppressing mob law in
the business interest of the city, u for no
other reason. These interests have already
kuUffcU IIt Ncth otAAhcr
especially the cattle, grain, provision,
petroleum, coal and coal oil traffic. 1t is
a matter, also demanding the consideration
of working men and poor people, that this
interruption to cattle, grain and provision
transportation means higher prices to them
for all these articles of food. The strikers at
Martinsburg and elsewhere, who hold the
cattle trains, and allow the poor animals
10 perish of hunger and thirst, are making
the price of meat higher 10 hungry men, wO-
men and children in Washington and Balti-
more, who have hardly the means to pur-
chase meat at the present prices. In short,
rfotous strikes of this sort, interru pting traf-
hc and business generally, always work the
most disastrously upon the poor and the Ia
boring men in whose names they are insti-
tuted.
Widespread as are the present strikes,
and formidable as the demonstrations Of the
strikers are for the moment, there can prob
ably be but one result-the strikers must
ultimately succumb. The reduction in
wages made by the railroad companies,
though OnerOus upon the freight employees,
whose pay is small at best, is apparently ne.
cessitated by the prostratiOn of railroad bu-
siness, and hard as the terms may be the
employees will have to accept until better
times what the companies can afford to pay
them. AT the same time, the railroad com
panies should take pains 10 th01zhJ.gtty sd.
Pervice their scale or reduction, 40 Order ina
no special Laf5sb rs sLoald NJ mao = 80;
tVaT airy class Of -u'F.-yCe- according IN
o.. -pr.rga-r 80 or Intelligent Baltimore
SOME. OIL ut -t ~lUic seem Tat the re-
men 100 ..- Baltimore al0 ono road have
-lst con s.-..-.t o. SPECIAL grievance IN 40
manner '- F--Cl Eeig sIa- Pay has been
syIge--