Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-09-22
No eREAT sTANpINe AnmY.
This Country VIII Never be Gov.
crned by Military Power.
Judge Blacks letter TO the Editor of the
Pittsburgh Post.

crned by Military Power.
Judge Blacks letter 10 the Editor OF thel
Pittsburgh Post.
YORK, PA, Sept. 23, 1S77.-Jamesl
p. Barr, Esq.-My dear Sir: IL id
quite out of the question, with my|
present engagements, To write fullyl
on the labor question, or even ID
give, as requested, q few thoughts
which arise from a superficial look
at the situation. / have barely runI
over the article of Col. Scott, which,
is characterized by his remarkable
ability. as a practical man. IIeI
means business, no doubt. / shOuldI
! like much to hear from Mr.. Gowen
! lie has all Of Scottis fidelity TO theI
/ interests of the corporation he leads.
is his equal in energy and force of
character, while he looks through
all human dealings with more
learned spirit. Besides, there are
Others who ought to enlighten the
public mind. Have YOU read the
article entitled Fair Wages" by a
Striker" i'm the last number OF the I
North American Review? HeI
makes some suggestions that ought /
to be considered and thought of be-
fore they are altogether rejected. OfI
course | have no conception who
the writer is, but judging him by
his production | expect TO see him a
power.
1t cannot be necessary TO tell you
or any other sensible man that this .
country will never consent 10 be-
governed by standing army until
the people make up their minds to
abandon republican Institutions ut
terly, and submit murmuring to an
absolute despotism.' The enemies
of liberty on both sides of the water
have offered many excuses for main
tanning large armies I'm time of peace,
but never anything so weak as that
they set up now. Hundreds of thou
sands of labOrers find themselves
unable to protect themselves and
their families from starvation, and
they become turbulent, as every
other people has done under the
same circumstances. To maintain
a standing army for the purpose of
keeping them I'm order Is the worst
remedy that could be devised for the
evil. This reduces the workingman
to state OF mere slavery, where
the bullet and the bayonet of the
soldier come in place Of the over
seer's lash. IL they submit, they
will be fit instruments TO make
slaves of us all. III they resist, civil
war will become the chronic condi-
tiOn of the country. The United
States have no right to intermeddle
with this business except i'm conting-
encies, well defined and carefully
provided for in the Constitution.
The old excuse that these limits
ought to be disregarded because
they cOnfine the powers of certain
persons within limits incOnVenicnt.
ly narrow, Is not one which ought
to find acceptance I'm the Judgment
of free people. But If the general
must settle the cOntrO-
versies between the railroad corpOr-
atiOns and their laborers, let its in
reference take any shape but that
of standing army; for that would
be not only cruel and dangerous, but
the most expensive that could DO
adopted. / believe none of these
think that less than a
thousand men would serve
their purpose and that is n gross
for three times the
would hardly be sufficient.
1t would be much better, easier, and
cheaper to take out of the Federal
Treasury as much money as will
pay the railroad employees fair
wages and let the corporations have
the fruits of their labor as clear gain.
or course, don'tsay that we ought
to be taxed TO free the railroad com
panies from the burden Of paying
for the labor they employ, 50 that
they may increase their profits or be
saved from losses, but we had bet
ter do that than worse.
Yours truly, j. $. BLACK.