Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-13

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published remarkable letter from W. W
Scranton, manager of the Laokawana lrur
and Coal Company. Mr.. Scranton, it vii
he remembered, was conspicuous in putting
down the riot in Scranton, in July 1877, ant
on other occasions By his courage and rcSO
late conduct protected from violence tht
property and defended the rights of the
men in his cpmplnys service.
1t is refreshing, in this period Of awlcss.
ness and violence, to find man like Mr.
Scranton, possessed of high personal courage
and a conscience in the discharge of the
duties of his trust, moving forward fear
les>ly in support Of law and order, and
though ierociously assailed by press coz
trolled by man apparently beneath con
tempt, challenging review of the record Of
his life as his yindicatiCn, and resorting to
the courts to punish his libeller 1t may
add interest to the matter to add that Mr..
Scranton is a son-in-aw of Hon. Worthng-
ton C. Smith, Of St. AlbaGs.
MR.. sCRANToN's LETTER.
To hc Editor Of Tie Scranton Republican:
Ny attention has been called to a num-
Der OF articles IN the Scranton Times lateiy,
in which that paper, upon the silly supposi-
ton fit only for fools that have been trying
to control the Nc| County movement. Tor
my own purposes. has cndeayOred to make
hcadway against it, by appealing to the
| prejudlces which it plesumes to exist against
me among the workingmen of this valley.
A., however, beyond voting, | have never
in my life taken any part whatever in poll
ties, but, on the contrary, have devoted all
my time strictly and unrernttngly TO M
0wr business, it strikes me that the extraOy-
dinary manner in which am continually
aSsailcd in the Times, is as outrageous as it
is uncalled for. So far as lis statements go
connecting me in any way with the manage
ment Of this New County movement, | take
pleasure in saying that the editor Of the
Times is Of course, guilty Of conscious,
deliberate. impudent lie have had about
as mrch to 60 with the management Of the
New County movement as have with Mr..
Bennctt's expedition to the North Pole.
We're this the iirst occasion on which the
perhaps not he worth notcing, but the per-
sis;cncy with which it steadily endcavors to
stir up rancor and hatred against me for its
own ends, eonyinces me that some attention
should be paid to it.
Tie weightiest and most reiterated Of its
charges, directly and by implication, has
been that am murderer ''an ari>tocratic
bandit, who shoot innocent Irish and Welsh
men, etc, etc, all this based, Of course,
on my action in the various miners strikes
here Of late years Now desire to say,
once for all, that believe every man has
the right 10 get the. very bcs. Iay he can for
his work. conctdc in the fullest degree
the right Of men to combine for that end, To
strike Tor that purpose IL they see Int, and to
induce tlcir fellows TO loin them by every
lawful means in their power, argument,
persuasion, cOaIing, reasoning; but not by
threats, intimidation or violence. Conecd-
ing, therefore. fully the right Of every man
to quit me when dissatisfied, and 10 strike il
be sees fit, claim the corresponding right
TO hire whoever ! please, at whatever wages
We may agree apon, and to dismiss any one
who docs not give me satisfaction. say,
moreover, that when men have struck, be
cause dissatisfied, they have no just ground
e. ,,,,,l,;,. Loc,rsc I rcrnSn ,o rc-cmnloy
r., I,,, ,,, j., ,ho;- ,,lac.s ,,,bor mon Nh
,,.. e.,;-f,J u;,b wtat can afford IN offer
| say, also. that while every man has 4
right To strike if he sees fit, yet, when a
man is satisfied to work for certain wages
no other man has right TO stop
him, or to attempt TO stop him by intimI-
datlon or violence, that he is entitled
10 nrotcc,;on bv all the nowe, Of the State
a,d tho T,;,ed Sto,es ii necessary and if
,r,,cc,,o,, Nv, tho authorities docs NOT h,nncn
r. ho or.;IsbIe ,ba, be i cnti,Icd ~ his
- -. -, yaIr Joraroo ,, ub,,crcrc cx-
,a,,, e. ,ooos,ar,, ~ r,reI rinoncc II
III. !, ny. ND Ioc,-;nc ,bcr law i n sham
government an organized failure, and the
sooner human society returns to its original |
state the better 1t Will be ior all parties
In TINS, so lar as the miners go, lies the /
whole head anu front oil my Iuenulng' VIZ
lhat though dating from the commencement
oil sflKe' we were reauy 10 pay whatever
wages thc rallroau miners cohiu "fihs from
their employers, yet our men went back on
their written agreement To WORK that We
then hlleu their places with other men that
We reSolutely backed up these new men IN
thelr tSal rIsutS Win All the aoiii'' III our
power, and that we called upon the Sheriff
and "nVtrnor ior that ana when the law
compelled them 10 give. IL under these err
cnmStances my action, a' charged, has had
ITS influence on the miners oil other concerns
who have they TO thank lOr that but them
selves did not ask fht". TO WORK. W nat
they might or mISht not DO was no alidir oi
NINE % long as NY own miners work as
agreed outsiders may stay ont I'LL Inc crack
ni doom - lar as any interference on ms
part goes. ! attend 10 the IRON company
strictly ana solely lhe ,'hclaiS oi other
corporations here arc lnIly competent 10
manage 'heir own hahair@' anu uoh heeu any
assistance from me
Now, when have committed or attempt
ei 10 commit mHrder
Was 1t at the Rolling Mill mine in ISL,
when with McSsrs. Mckinney, Names,
Wolf and a few others. we stood with pistols
in the mouth Of the mine, in deicn.c OF the
poor miners below, against mob of several
hundred who had come there To drive them
'ut with brutal violence? We then and
there drew line, and stated we should
'hOot without mercy any one oil The mob
'rOysing 1t. Was that an attempt to mur-
Ter on my part!
The Mayor came, he read the riot act, he
lrtered the mob To dsrcrsc, he called upon
al good citizens to help hun.
Dad then and there do ANYTHING except
ny simple duty, both a. citizen and an
,mployer? our miners were satisfied with
heir pay, they were willing to work. and
we're at work. Had they 10 rights simply
because they happened To be in II minority?
to my mind the employer
yho has men willing to work for
lin in troubled times Is bound Us a
Gentleman by every honorable cOnsidcra-
ion to do all in his power To protect them
lgainst violence. II he docs not do it he is
. sneak and coward, unworthy to have
ncn under him.
Th, ,,l, common, ,,..,,.or,. nm ,h;, .g.iu
= ,h,t thc twn Ic,Icrs Of tho nnh nm ,h,,
,ccas;nn ,crc tr;eJ and convicted vLilo Tho