The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-09-07
THE LABOR QUESTION.
Judge Black ON tho Proposed In
~ crease OF Regular Army.
Note Remedy but an Aggravatton Of
the Trouble.
YORK. Pa, September 8. 1877.

YORK, Pa, September 8, lSU.-
Pittsburgh Post.
lii quite out of the question, with my
present engagements, 10 write iully on
the labor question: or even to give rs re
ouesled the few thoughts which arse
from superficial look AT the situation.
/ have barely run over the article OF Col
Scott. which is characterized by his re-
markable ability as practical man ne
means business no doubt. l shonld Ike
much to hear from Mr.. Gowen. He has
all of Scots fidelity to the interests OF
the corporation he leads, is his equal IN
energy and force OF character, while no
looks through all human dealings with
q more learned spirit Besides, there are
other who ought TO enlighten the pubic
mind. Have you read the article entitled
"Fair Wages" Dy STRIKER, IN the last
number of the North american RerlGWE
He makes some suggestions that ought
to be considered and thought OF before
they are altogether rejected. vi course
have no conception who the writer Is,
but Judging him by his production eX
peet to see him power. we have
printed in the Post extracts from 'Strlk-
er's" paper in the North American he
uieac. indicating its tone and purpose
Ed
H. cannot be necessary to tell you or
snv ether sensible man, that this country
will never consent to be governed by a
standing army until the people make up
their minds TO abandon Republican IN
stitutions utterly, and submit without
murmurlng to an absolute despotlsm.
The enemies ofhberty on both sides OF
the water have offered many ex-
cuses for maintaining large armies In
time of peace, but never anything so
weak as that they set up now. Hundreds
of thousands of lsborers find themselves
unable to protect themselves and their
| families from starvation, anG they De-
come turbulent as every other people has
| done under the same Giro umstances. 10
maintain standing army for the pur-
pose OF keeping them IN order Is the
worst remedy that could be devised Tor
the evil. This reduces the Uorklngman
to state of mere slavery, where the
bullet and bayonet of the soldier comes
in place OF the overseer's lash. Ii they
submit, they will be tit instruments to
make slaves of us all. II they resist, civil
war will become the chronic condition Of
the country. The United States have no
right to intermeddle with this business
except in certain contingencies, well
defined and carefully provided for in the
Constitution. The old excuse that these
limits ought to be dlsregsrded because
they contine the powers of certain persons
within limits iaconveaiently narrow, Is
not one which ought to find acceptance
in the judgement of free people. But
| If the General Government must settle
the controversies between the railroad
corporations and their laborers, let It's
interference take any shape but that OF a
standing army; tor that would be not
only cruel and dangerous, but the
most expensive that could be adopted. L
believe none of these corporation, think
that less than hundred thousand men
would serve their purpo;e-and that is
| gross observation-disclosures three times the
number would hardly be sufficient. 1t
would be much better, easier and cheap
er to take out OF the Federal Treasury as
much money as will pay the railroad en-
ployes fair wages and let the corporators
| have the fruits of their labor rs clear
gain. OF course don't say that we
ought 10 be taxed to free the railroad
companies from the burden of paying
for the labor they employ, so that they
may increase their profits OF be saved
than from losses, but we had better do
that worse. Yours truly,
j. 5. BLACK.