Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1877-07-21
From The Baltimore Gazette.

It would be impossible to magnify the grav-
iiy Of the situation GA the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, aud this entirely independent Of the
money value Of the damage which the strikers
may iut,ict II is a very serious state Of affairs
when an armed mob dares 10 breas down all
barriers Of law and set up its own mad will
instead. IL Is a long stride 10 the rear-tO the
days when might made right. IL is an uu-
bcarab.e aud dangerous violence TO society
when any Que OF It's clements prcSumes by
brute force % compel submission to what it
holds rs It's rights IL is the full and rank
flower Of ali that Is bad in tradeS-uuioniSm -
Labor organizations have found their way into
djsrepute aud come under the han Of public
opinion by Just such behavior. From bodies
OF workiugmen organized for protection by
lawful means against the acts Of unfair EN-
plryers, many OF them have degencratel into
py,ulaut fauit-iiudcrs, ever ready 10 pick a
quarrel and enforce their arguments with the
b.uIseon aud the pistol The result Of this
has been inevitable. Popular sympathy, which
naturally Is with the nottingham, has turned
aside from the trades-uui1uSt and gone out in
the opposite direction. This is the case with
the Baltimore aud Ohio strikers When the
company. falling IN with the other great trunk
lines. and like them compelled by the general
blight on business, resolved 10 reduce the pay
of IT'S employees, the public was sorry that 1t
must be SO Everybody would have been glad
IL the company could have increased the pay Of
the men instead Of cutting It down. Aside
from any question Of justice, sympathy was
very properly with the men. The strikers
have. of their own accord, changed all this
A healthy public opinion severely condemns
them. The company had a right to say what
% would pay IT'S men. IL gave fair notice that
IL would reduce this part of It's expenditures
The men were not taken unawareS twas for
them 90 say whether they would work for
what the company offered. They had right
o. refuse 90 accept the offer and Withdraw from
that service. There their rights IN relation to
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad company en-
led. But trades-uuiouism teaches other rights
the right 10 say whom the company shall
employ and what 10 shall pay; the right to
wreck trains the night 10 drive from their
work men who are glad to accept the compa-
uy's wages the night 10 oppose by force the
pcace-prcservius arm II the law. This is a
dangerous doctrine and it is well for society
that those who hold % il and practice il al
ways come 70 grief The Martiusbarg rioters
have placed themselves 10 a very discreditaUle
light They have set on footin West Virginia
q movement Ike that which eliminated 10
MAGNETISM In Pennsylvania: the West
Virginia productol tradcs-uuiou tyranny is not
whit better than the Pennsylvania pattern,
aud only differs fromit IN degree. The recent
fate ct ten Mollie Maguires ought to be
warning. Before there Is more violence and
b.'odshcd Jet the men stop and think on what
must be the effect Of their lawlesSnesS They
wit, surely meet with defeat. To this let them
not aid more awle>SncSs and crime They
may rest assured that there will be force enough
at hand 20 crush the rebellion against law
The tine is past when the public convenience
aud The property Of a great corporation are 10
be at tie mercy of armed strikers.