New-York tribune., 1877-08-09
SNAIL WE HlJE ANOTHER STRIKE'

There are whispers III the ar 0f another ran
road strIke on a scale more comprehensive and
with preparations more complete than IN the
last. The whispers may be mere iGic rumor.
But can anybody tell why the cOnspiratolS
should not treat us to more strikes, ana
to more riots, too, If they wish We
hold il q duty to warn those who have
conduct of affairs in this country that they are
playing with fire. In no jest, Int III sad and
sober earnest; in 30 metaphor, but In grim
reality, those are playing with fire who give
countcnance to the spirit which lighted the
flames in Pittsburg. Have we learned moth
ing from the worlds experienced Is tins Re
public, heir of all the ages, in the foremost
Giles of time" none the wiser for all the
suiloiings that Communism ana its lir>t-born,
Anarchy. have brought TO other lands
Can lnwlcss violence be represscd without
punishment? Yet what do we see &! out OF
seventy-iiye or hundred who were arrested
in various places for active participation in
riots, two or three in either place. at
most, have been detained for trial TIE
rest 90 scot free; the formal excuse il
lack of evidence. Would evidence be
lacking. if the open and daring crime had been
committed by one man instead Of many! Or
are oar municipal authorities afraid to arraigu
many! Is there a growing feeling that the
mob Is potent III votes, and must bc treated
tendery by politician who wants office here
afterl Even in New-YOrk is il not expected
that Donahue chef of the Erie rioters, viii
be suffered 10 go free 10y consent OF counsel!
In PENNSYLVANIA there have been many arrests:
is there 4 chance that one man iii fifty viii be
punished for his crmel In Chicago the mob
ran when regular troops were in sight; they did
not fear policemen, and do not seem to have
reason 10 fear police justices. Ia st. Louis,
days were spent in queling a mob but not
hours in disInssing from the courts the per
sons who happened to be captured. What does
all this mean? Does it mean that republi-
can government is utterly impOtcnt to deal
with the greatest peril of modern societyg
Authorities directed from Washington are
not expected to hurry. But pray the Gov
ernmeut to remember that this particular dan
ger has never been successfully met, IN any
! land or under any form of government upon
earth, except 10y stern enforcement OF law.
The class of persons who are most dangerous
| in mob-msurrect0ns are those who cannot be
reached by any logic but that of force. Par
don would have been easy and safe it, at
| every scene of riot, some hundreds of rioters
! bad been left cOTpses. before the ire OF those
who uphold civil authority. But where have
| United States soldiers made insurgents TO feel
the power OF the Government Where have
State troops, even in single instance fired
| upon a mob without subsequent cOwardly dis
avOwal and apology by some authontyf Does
any sane man suppose that this thing can con-
tinue without peril2 What need to speak of
the shameful conduct of some Governors, and
many Mayors and Sherifis, who evidently mis-
| take the mob for the majority, and fear either
more than they care for duty
Official betrayal Of grave public trust nae
done quite enough TO disgrace this country,
| but the behavior of political conventions and
! leaders has done still more. When the
! Republican Convention OF Ohio passed its
resolution about the riots, was there not
single sober headed and decent man in the
| hail to suggest that men who defy the laws
/ cannot be lit objects OF sympathy for men
who uphold the laws7 Everywhere the sober
thought of men recognizes IN that resolution a
naked aud shameless bid for the votes of
those who have trmpled upon the law and
resisted the Government, and tho cat-iOOted
censuIe goes for nothing in view of the
impracticable and revolutionary measures pro-
posed for the satisfaction of rioters. Party
| wise. perhaps, IT may make little difference
that the Republicans of Ohio have thus
offended the order-loving and law-abiding
citizens Of the land, for, gross as their recent
offence Is, the Democratic party has been
guilty of many Others quite as gross. But
what will be the effect upon the minds of
ignorant and desperate meni
1t is time to know that self government can