The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1877-07-26
SCHEDULE.
The Bloody Strike.

pay Of its employees 10 per cent
This was followed by all the rall
roads North and East. Again re
Gently another reduction Of 10 pei
cent. was announced. The employ
ees Of the B. & O. claimed thai
wages we're already low enough be
fore the first reduction, and refused
TO work at the reduced rates. They
requested the Railroad Company to
restore the rates formerly paid, and
asserted that their families could
not live on the reduced pay. The
regulations were more oppressive
than formerly, too, as under them
the employee was required to lose
all the time that trains were laying
of, though it might be at some sta
ton where they had to pay board
during the time. The employees
demonstrated against these regula-
tions and against the oppressive
reduction Of wages. But the soul
less corporation turned a deaf ear
20 their cries, and they, goaded by
the prospect Of starvation for their
families, became desperate and de-
manded pay. The Railroad, still
deaf. sought to ignore their de
mands and put on new hands, when
the strikers lost their discretion,
and frenzied with hunger and mad
ness, they blockaded the railroad
and refused to let trains pass. The
strike, as they call it, also extended
to the Pennsylvania Central and
other roads that had acted in con
cert with the b. & o. in reducing
wages. The Governors Of West
Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and Penn
sylvania, called out the militia, and
asked for u. 5. troops to dispense
the strikers. This was granted and
riot, bloodshed and arson have been
the consequence at Baltimore, Mar
tinsburg, Pittsburg and other points
on the two roads. We could not
undertake to give the details, as
the daily papers were filed for a
week or more with them and the
consequences. The strikers were
reinforced by large numbers Of
working men Of all classes and
trades, and had the sympathy OF
nearly everybody until violence
commenced. Indeed they have the
sympathy but not the approval OF
the public. At Baltimore on Tues
day a mob fred into the military,
who returned the fire, killing and
wounding many persons, but the
strikers were not driven from their
position on the Railroad. At Pitts
burg on Saturday bloody collision
took place between the strikers and
the military, and several we're killed
and wounded. Arsenals and gun.
shops were Quilted, while frightful
slaughter still proceeded in the
streets and incendiarism added &c
She tcrrors of the situation. 1t i.
q lamentable state of affairs when
working men are driven TO such
violence for bread. The oppression
OF the monopolists must be great
indeed to goad men TO such despe
ration. We do not approve of theii
course. IL is the worst thing they
could have doEe; but still less dc
we approve the damnable tyranny
of the soulless capitalists and cor
porations of the land, which is con
tinually grinding the poor and weak
building up colossal fortunes 10y
their half paid labor. We subjoin
the comments Of the Courier Journ0
which we endorse:
In Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Vir
ginia and Maryland troops have
been ordered out to suppress VIC
lence and protect life and property
II attacked they will shoot and that
will be the severe end of the matter
The strikers will not hold out
against armed authority. The odds
are too great. Freight trains will
doubtless be running as usual in q
few days, and the misguided mer
who have sought TO forcibly contro
the property of others will be in O
far worse condition than that Of
working even ut starvation wages.
The mistake into which working
men are apt to fall, and for which
there is q certain excuse, is that
lawless violence cures any evil
The world has not yet witnessed ;
successful strike. In the end it il
always the poor man who is driver
to the wall Undoubtedly the cas-,
is often one-sided, and with tn,
working man, but his misfortune i.
his lack of both knowledge and re
sources He needs intelligent, no
excited, leadership, and this he rare
~ gets. IL is so hard to lead wisel,
SO easy TO mislead, and demagogue.
are plentiful This railroad bust
ness is unhappy for all concerned il
il. and its results will in too many
instances be deplorable. No right
feeling man can find it in his hear
not 10 pity the distress of the poo
work-people, yet no right thinking
man can approve the nature of tn
proceedings resOrted to. They ar,
really opposed 20 the interests o
the working man, as is everything
that is opposed to the public ordeI
and peace.
The widest orgie of the Pari.
Commune never wrought scenes
more terrible than were enacted al
through Saturday night at Pits
burgh. Communism at white hea'
is a proper description Of those ter
rible hours II was the triumph and
revel Of brute force, blind rage ant
the demon OF destruction The fir,
of the troops Saturday afternoon
determined the mob upon its course
The CITY was at its mercy. and th,