The Hickman courier., 1877-07-27
STRIKE.
The Railroads StIII War-IDg'
Re acIsfng thF0ughOut the
North. East. nd West.

I Giles connected Herewith by railroads J.
This embraces prettv much all the States
of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
4 Mary land, Ohio, Indiana, and all the
) westel and Eastern States. No freights
are carried North of the Ohio river. =
1t is manifest that this strike, which
exceeasin magnitude and fury, any thing
evers@itnessed on the American continent,
was the result of deliberated plan by
organization of working-men throughout
the United States. The miners, hands in
manufacturing establishments, and la
borers generally, fiocked in compact or
CARNATIONS to the help of the railroad
strikers, and they came long distances to
join in the fight
1t is the old fight of capital against la
bor, and there is no philosophy in life tc
compromise the diG, rences permanently.
The natural sympathy of tie people is
with the working people, but the 'srik-
ers" and rioters generally so antagOnise
he. peace and well being of society as to
place law on the side of the capital. Pri-
maliIy, we believe the "st riket >" were
right in their struggle. The great rail
| road monopolies have systematically re-
duced The wages of operatives, until it
! is said, hey are reduced below honest
! living rates, and The workmen are forced
! to let their families steal or 5 arve Tue
there we're hundreds of workmen, eager
TO take their places, at The reduced wages,
but they were generally unmarried men.
debauehed to undermine the old opera
iors with families. The laborer is wor-
thy of his hi e, and these bloated rail
road corpol ations should pay living
wages to those who give thcm their ime
and lives. Corporations as well as indi-
viduaIs, have an indisputable right 10 fl
the price they are willing to payAfor la
Dor, and the laborer can accept or reject
But where laborers involve their all,
family, lives aud property, in the inter
est of a corporation, at understood if not
contracted rates, there are corresponding
rights on their side as to Wholesale dis
charges and reductions, and the Jaws of
the country should pro ect them. The
great error of these workiugmen is that
instead of appealing 10 the law, hey an
tagOnize all the better elements Of socie
by flying into rios. We wish eouita-
bic laws could be devised p,otect wo, K
ingmen in such emet gencies. These
great railroad companies suS'er loss by
foolish1y competing wi rival lines, and
forthwith oder reduction Of 10 per
cent. ~ wages, to make these poor work
men pay il. They are possessed with au
insane ambition 10 buy some couueciing
road, o. o build brauch, a..d focbwith
make be operatives pay IT by a reduction
in wages. II is so easy for The President,
with his salary fzed at $40 or $4,000 a
year, o order l0per cent. of The labor
ers SIS month. These things are wrong
aud should have remedy.
The weli-being of the country, however
can never tolerate. riots Id mObs, even
if the rioters are entitled 10 sympathy
The strong arm of the Government, a.e
aud Federal, city ana county. is compel
led to be exercised for their suppression.
and for The preservation Of peace and
order, and for the protection of life and
property. Hence, workingmen, whenever,
they resort to riots are always finally
unsuccessful, and generally only pile
trouble on themselves and their families.
True, IN the pending troubles, they have
forced many of The leading rail, Dads o
accede 10 their terms, aud we sincerely
hope all others will come in, but in the
END, The rio,ers will come to grief. They
will be suppressed-their leaders punish
ed, and thousands of them lose their
livelihood.
The whole power of the country, Fedora
and S ate, aided BY the law abiding cit
izens, whether poor or rich, is being ex-
erled 10 suppress these rioters, because
the sympathy of The country is with the
railroad monopolies.
This "strike" is the most fearful event
in the history of the United States, 10
those who will give it thought. Our late
civil war, biz er as are its memories, was
bright scene, 20 the future Of his couu-
try, with this communistic niue, sur
charged, and ready TO explode, at any
moment. shaItering every form and sem
| blance OF government. In this ''s.rike
we are made to see that the 'Ame rican
commune exists, and that it is s,rong and
powerful-able even in its infaScy to
over ride Fedei al and Stale sOldiery.
Let ii feed upon The tyranny of raj lroad
kings, and the eNactious of the great mon
opolies of he Ian |, a few more years, and
what fea ~ful power will you see stalking
over the laud. From this day politicians
will court ii, and capital seeking to protect
i,self, we fear, may still further enrage
1t is a fearful prospective. 1t will demand
the purest effort of the ablest statesmen
to avert it. Af,er this ut-burst, it may
sleep for monihs-for a year, or two
years, but lis organization is sireng 5hen-
ing, and the terrible niue is beneash our
fabric of government,