Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-09-27
THE MARTTN's FERRY BATTLE.

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THE MARTINS FERRY BATTLE.
Great interest has been manifested IN
Wheeling over the unfortunate state OF az
fairs ct the LaughHn mill, near Martins
Ferry. The people had hoped that the diff
feulties would be satisfactorily adjusted,
that the men would al soon resume work
either at The 81 cent card or the
best wages possible, and that riot and
bloodshed would never be seriously thought
OF, much less participated in. But the news
from Martins Ferry shows the most deplor-
able condition that could come to p Es',
dissppoints the hopes Of tia people,
makes them stand aghast with
horror at the bloody dse ds
ofthe rioters, and causes a reaction Of pub
lie sentiment The sympathy Of the great
body Of the people has sll along, till this un-
fortunate occurrence, been with the strikers.
The people dislike to see the wages Of the
laboring men reduced; they ike to see
them have fair play, get the best wages the
condition of trade win possibly allow, and
they froRn down upon every person or cor
poratiou that seeks to bring about differ
ent state of things But while this is the
case, the people recognize that there is
q right way and q wrong way
of seeking to adjust all these difficulties.
This is free country. One American citi-
zen has the same God.given right to enjoy
Its freedom snd its benefits "a another. 1t
is . country where people believe in abiding
10y the law and trusting to the law to give
sthem the redress of whatever grievances
they may have. True, Law may some
times be an improper one, but the people
have made ii, and If they are dissatisfied
with it 81 they need to do is to unmaks
It and enact q better. The proper
way for men to gain q redress Of
grievances in this country is not to engage
in the destruction Of the property and lives
Of their fellow citizens, but to 60 to the
courts, or rouse public sentiment in their
favor and triumph at the polls. The riot
ers at LAUeHLIS's mill had gained a strong
held upon public sympathy and if they had
proceeded in the right manner, the people
would have stood BY them till every one Of
their grievances had been heard and re-
dressed, but in this rash and law
less action they have bid defiance
to the courts, the law and the people and
have DESTROYED in an hour the good opin-
ions and the good results that have be n
2 satz5I ~ months A lesson ought to be
learned from the influence such action has
had on the people from riots that hsve'pre-
viously occurred in this country. Every
riotOus and lawless way OF proceeding has
reused public indignation aud lost the riot
ers whatever sympathy the mass of the pso-
pie lad shown then.
Such riotous action besides causing the
severe disspprOvAl Of the public and defeat
ing the purpose for which it may have been
intended, works great evil Every one who
engages in it makes himself subject to the
seyerest penalties of the Law. Fine, impris-
onment or hanging nay be inflicted, de-
pending upon the nature Of the ofense. Of
course where such misfortuues occur, the
families Of the men must be sufferers more
or less from their action.
Then, too, instead of making times better
and wages higher it has the opposite effect.
Where sueh scenes are often prevalent it is
butittle better than anarchy. Not only many
lives and much property may be destroyed,
but ell branches Of trade may be paralyzsd.
Men are deprived of their rights as citizens;
manufactures End it difficult to procure
men who viii incur the risk of laboring in
them; the people al over the coun-
try loose confidence in such q
place and business interests are always kept
uncertain. We regard the working man as
the bone and sineW of the land and wish
him God-speed in all his noble endeavors,
. and hope that every difficulty that now may
stand in the way of his prosperity may soon
be satisfactorily adjusted. But neither can
we, nor the great mass Of the working men,
approve of any AWless means of settling
difficulties Only the proper way can sue
areed; only the proper way can be permit
,ed. We repeat again srssolu.iou adopted
the working men at their grand celsbrs-
On at Chicago Q abort time ago;
~ While they know their rights and dare
Anaintain I. em at all hazards, they pre-
Esr the ballot to the bullet, reason to ruf-
!, = 1nisn, and united intelligent action TO
z eaningless violence IS the means best ca
d calased TO remove the evils Of which they
complain and means which may be iusti6a-
bic in the despotism Of the old world are un-
warranted and out of place in free repu5-
he where the franchise is the inalienabls
right Of every American citizen, irrespee-
tive Of color and nationality, and they are
unwilling to aid in the destruction Of the
institutions Of country the hope Of the
oppressed of every cline, which yaloc and
patriotism have secured.
'-rs'rhS-----imenss can not be repeated too
snaxl nd e1-. As 70 these principles does
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