The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-09
THE NEW ORLEANS DEMooRAT THURSDAY MAY Q. 1878

States, which 1t Is the duty OF the Federal
government to protect, the bill goes on to
make any stoppage, obstruction, delay or In
terruptiOn OF a train high crime against
the United States; any persons who strike or
conspire to strike, and thus cause the stop
page OF q train, or who desert the train at
any depot and leave it on the track, or who
conspire to do SO, are guilty of this high
crime, and liable to fine not exceeding
$4,000 and imprisonment Ia the penitentiary
not exceeding ten years.
All offenses against this law are to be tried
by the Federal courts. 1t Is also specially
provided that military officers of the United
States are to render their assistance at the
request and under the direction of the said
courts. The bill, especially In the section de-
claring what acts shall be considered high
crimes against the United States is very
broad and practically sends any striker, how
ever quiet, peaceable and orderly he may be
to the penitentiary; 1t makes striking crime.
Such is the law which the Western railroads
want enforced in this country; the Western
papers seem equally pleased with it, and
think that with an efficient Judge to enforce
it and half a dozen regiments of Federal
troops to back it up that strikes can be easily
put down this summer.
The delusion that the Federal troops are q
sort of general police of the country seems
stronger new than ever. Nowhere is the
idea of organizing a State militia for the
protection OF property and the preservation
of peace even suggested. The universal idea
seems to be to place this expense OF putting
down strikes on the United States, to secure
a regiment or two of Federal troops for every
purely local difficulty, in return for which
the people are willing to surrender the very
last vestiges of States rights.
It is scarcely likely that the railroads alone
will appeal to Congress for prote 3tion against
the strikers; the various manufacturers will
probably propose in a few days some bill sim
liar to this giving the Federal government
the right to interfere in all troubles between
them and their employees, on some pretext
or other; mine owners will undoubtedly claim
the same right, and all other branches of
business will find without trouble, some ex-
cuse for calling in the Federal troops to settle
their private affairs
AS the present army is scarcely large
enough to fully police the whole country, it is
more than likely that Congress will be asked
to create a few more regiments for special po-
lice duty. There are not few Democrats In
Congress who declare that they would vote
for an increase of the army for just such pur-
poses.
1t is painful to see how rapidly this idea Of
calling for Federal interference in home trou-
bles is growing, Since the labor troubles of
last summer, not single Western or North
ern State has thought it worth while to re-
organize its militia. 4 few militia com
panies were organized in st. Louis and
Indiana during the strike, but, with
this exception. probably not a dozen
militia companies have been organized since
last fall outside of Louisiana, where although
there is no trouble anticipated, as in the
West, wel-organized militia has been
formed. The other States do not think it
worth while. apparently, to have militia
they count confidently on Federal troops
What was complained of In Grant; what he
was finally compelled to cease-FederaI inter
ference in State affairs the people, or rather
the corporations and manufacturers, are to-
day inviting and demanding