, 1877-07-29

THE PRESS.
TIE EXTENT OF THE MrScU1rF


II one could forget the immense mischief thai
mss been already done by the r1otcrs,-thc live;
lost, the property stolen and burned, the law
less spirit aroused, the humiliation Of complete
defeat Of the constituted authorities bF an angry
2ai reckless nob,--we shall not be able for .
long time to recover from the indirect evil:
which the disturbances Of the past few days will
bring upon the country. Turn in any direction
aad VIC see these erils looming up be-
fore us Prompt aud safe distribution
is prime necessity of commerce. II
has been and is interlercl with in a war
to rause grievous losses. The consequences OF
the interruption are quite beyond computation,
for it has affected not merely the goods stopped
En- route By the strikers and their allies, but it
has caused, to great degree. 4 cessation of
shipments and great disturbance III prices
Goods passing through our busy manufacturing
districts could only be insured at war rates.
And until the rc:ga OF order Is completely re-
storei tsaic can only proceed on turns which
remind one Of running the blockade OF port
III country at wa1. This causes positive loss
to the whole country. In oar times mote than
1fae whole profit OF 1. tradesl2an often depends
on the speedy delivery OF goods. Wherever
this is the case the balance will be on the wrong
side.
That the railroad companies will lose vast
sutns goes without saving. The strikers will
~ serves them right. But do they, Or does
anybody, seriously reflect upon what the sitnul-
tsneous weakening oi all the great trunk lires
really mems! It mealls to the stockholders
great Reduction or an entire stoppage of diyi-
ueuds. and there are feT railroads that have
heretofore paid dividends tha. arc not largely
owned By people who ran III afford to losc their
intome- It means new crop Of bankruptcies
among people who hare bern wcll-to~do. 1t
means 4 greater concentration Of railroad cap
Itai !n the hands OF speculators, aud more, in
stead OF less, personal systen. Of management,
Is is the ease With nearly all railroads that fall
into difficulties OF any sort
Does the general public gain anrthinga Moth
ing. 1he losses OF tue companies are to be made
up. ard TIC only way to dc that is by higher
charges The eager competition between the
COMPANIES led to excessively low rates on freight
aud Passenger business. To cover the losses
tie wages VI employees We're cut dowu. The re-
suit Of tie reduction was the strike. The great
managers are too slreWd not to see that, as
Their war amo6g themselves IVES the mau cause
Of the difficulty, they must guard against its
recurrence hy new policy. Combination and 3
close alliance must take the place of disunion
and hostility. Higher rates must be established
10 secure living profits and higher not only by
reason Of that necessity. but also to repair the
er1evous losses in the reign of terror Thus the
public is to pay, in higher transportation and
greater cost Of goods for consumption, for the
recent luxury Of too cheap treights and too eager
competition caused BY the building Of too many
roads.
do the strikers and their sympat1sizers fondly
suppose that they have bcttered their condition.
lhey have diminished by some millions the
capital that WAS available to pay them wages.
u hether their share OF it would have been large
or stnall4 1t would have been something. That
mas been lost The work they will get in repair
9ng the injury they themselves have done will
5l m
gets WAGES out Of the work, others will lose
more. property destroyed is wholly lost, and
must be repaced. The apparent prosperity of q
c1y recovering from a great disaster, like
9'. 99'w.eep'pc conaasration. is wholly fictitious.
p!! Maen attempt was made to STOP the fire al
fttsburG there Shuts OF '@Let her burn, bows:
i i VIII ciye us work. That was The falsest Of
latsc philosophy. The company had cut down
Wages because it was not prosperous 1t is alb
eord to think that it can restore wages to the
the strike
Ihc events Of the past week have discredited
u Us al orer the Eoliu. In our municipal and
otate dealings With the mob we have been
iahentablr weak. Nor has there been at anT
point as yet vigorous and successful attempt
W cTush ont the riot us it deserved to be
crushed The result must be q severe blow ut
ouf credit How can We hope to borrow money,
Rs We shall surely need to borrow it, for rail
Loao purposes. when We arc Power]ess agsinst
.4oo pen1 On ucstructlon! How can We expect
tnat money will be invested ip bonds dependent
loF the'r value on the stability Of our Govern
[aent, when VIC consent TO be oyerpowcrcd even
[of dav bya lawlcss band Of ruffians, who
aoally cease their ontrages only because there
: nothing left to destroys Thus We suffer as
< s,sommunity aud in detail. The consequence OF
.ae riot are wholly bac, with no compensation
y . good accomplished The national hu1nfiia-
q .1ou is worst Of all. 1t is shameful that We
mould not have been able to deal vigorously
= tah the rioters; it is still more so that there
sAooto have been found SO many men aud SO
y asny communities willing 10 bend to such
eck1ess cause.
TIRE USES OF THIS ADVERSELY.
6oston Journal.
sweet are the uses of adyersity," SAYS the
'oet, and it is evident that even this most de-
tructive aud disgraeeful crisis through which
lie country snow passing may have its com
'eusatons. It certainly ought to clear the afr
u some false notions that have prevailed, and
'h1ch were bound to work lis evil as nation
ooner or later. We now see, for instance, that
"strong Government" In the true sense OF
he term, is an absolute necessity for our lnsti-
ut1on,-that is. a Government not interfering
eedlessly in the concerns of the people, not
governing too much" in any direction, but
ne EtfnnE Anrrrh m urafecf fhe liberties. the !