The New York herald., 1877-07-23
Tn. sympathy or workingmen.

We are not surprised that the complaints
| of tho train men meet with so much sympa-
thy from their fellow laborers everywhere.
The times are hard; many thousands OF fam
lilies all over the country now know what
want is who never knew it before, and
when men who are themselves suffering
hardships hear the pitiful story OF other
men also suffering, or claiming to be, 1t is
natural and not improper that they should
sympathize with them and wish them sue
cess in IN effort to prevent decrease In
wages.
But we wish to call the attention Of hon.
est and respectable workingmen to an i'm
portant distinction which it does not be-
come them to overlook. 1t is one thing to
sympathize with a strike and to wish the
strikers success; it is quite another and a
very different thing to wish success to mob
or to men who engage in lawless actions.
An orderly strike may deserve the sympathy
OF the whole community. We believe II the
train men who have struck work had con-
tented themselves with this, and with pre-
sentation of their grievances to the public
and to the stockholders Of the companies,
they could have carried the sympathy OF the
country with them, and undoubtedly pub
lie opinion would in such case have been
inclined to force the railroad managers to
come to an amicable arrangement with their
people. Everything shows that these are
thoroughly organized. and that they had it
in their power by general strike to put the
com panies and the public to such incon-
venience as would have caused universal
demand for an arrangement.
But all this vantage ground they have
forfeited by their lawless conduct; and to-
day, as matters stand, they do not deserve
the sympathy or help of any honorable or
intelligent workingman anywhere. 1t is
fatal blunder they have made, and the less
excusable because there is now abundant
evidence to show that the strike was prear-
ranged, and was to take place simultaneously
on most of the great lines. So general
stoppage OF work, so great and widespread
demonstration could not have failed to be
effective had it been carried on in peace
able and legitimate manner. If the men
have been wronged, as they profess. they
public in manner which would have
gained them universal approval. As it is
they have set at defiance not only the laws,
but the conservative instincts Of the coun-
try. Governor Robinson rightly says in his
proclamation, 'the law recognizes and pro-
tects the right of all men to refuse to work
except upon terms satisfactory to them
selves but it does not permit them to pre-
vent other men from working who desire to
do 30. Unless the State is to be given up
to anarchy and its courts and laws are to be
defied with impunity its whole power must
be exerted to suppress violence, maintain
order and protect it's citizens in their right
to work, and the business of the country
from lawless interruption"
We repeat, therefore, our warning to
honest and respectable workingmen not to
let their sympathies go out to wrongdoers.
The men who are bockading roads, burn
ing cars, attacking troops, breaking open and
sacking shops, throwing stones into moving
trains, are not strikers they are rioters it
is not q strike but an instruction, and
it has not hope of success. 1t may still
further cripple the railroad companies and
disable them from paying fair wages; it
may put the public to great inconvenience,
loss and expense but it will be crushed
out /; and when the end comes, after all the
disgrace such anarchical attempts bring
upon the country and upon its workmen,
what good will have been accomplished?
Full and Fair Trial Demanded
The State Senate has started well in its
trial of the charges made against the Super
intendent of the Bank Department. In the
opening proceedings the counsel for the
accused made effort after effort to cripple