St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-26
lay GOuLD,S PLAN.

JAY GOULD is nothing if not original in
his methods. The most original of his
many ideas is the announcement of his in
tention to sue every Knight of Labor for
damages sustained by the strike on his line.
Mr.. GOULD thinks that he has law to sus-
tain him IN this course, and it is possible
that he is right about it, but it is more
probable that he will find by the time he
gets through the supreme court of the United
States that his law will not hold
good. A case very similar to
the one that JAY GOULD proposes
to make has already been before the
supreme court of the United States, and
although the points were stronger in favor
of the plaintiffs than they are in Mr..
GoULD's favor, they were not sustained.
1t was q case, or series of cases rather,
growing out of the late war, and known
as the West Virginia trespass cases. Some
loyal citizens whose property had been
carried away by rebel soldiers during the
war were advised by eminent counsel. Just
as Mr.. GOULD has been, that the Rebellion
being an unlawful combination or conspiracy
of evil-dispOsed persons that each member of
the conspiracy was liable for all damages
that were inflicted by the combination.
and accordingly suits were instituted
against individuals who owned property
and were connected with the rebellion,
but who had no part directly in nficting
the damages. A long and tedious litigation
resulted, and yet the plaintiffs are out in
the cold without receiving damages. 1t
MI hoI
with JAY GoULD's litigation and it is not
altogether probable that he is assured of it.
AZ the same time he expects to make this
kind Of litigation the means of bulldozing the
Knights of Labor into submission. A great
many members of the labor organization
have accumulated a property-many of
them own their homes and not few of
them have made profitable investments in
realty and other valuable property. Mr..
GoULD's idea is that rather than to be sub
1ected to the wrong and expense of endless
litigation these property holders will drop
out OF the labor organization and thus he
will accomplish long step in the direction
of dissolving the labor unions. If it
was absolutely sure that his scheme
would work it would be evidence
of the long-headedness for which
JAY GOULD has been celebrated. But in
view of the fact that it is almost absolutely
certain not to work, it is singular that
man whose vast possessions ought to make
him conservative would embark in a
scheme so utterly radical and dangerous as
the one he proposes. This country is now
going through the most critical stage of adj
1ustlnent of the permanent relations which
are to exist between labor and capital. 1t
requires wisdom and conservatism on
both sides to bring about this adj
justment without endangering the public
peace or disturbing business. This is no
time for bulldozng methods or provoking
conduct. In fact, it is not a time when
men of JAY GoULD's temperament and
reputation ought to be prominent on either
side. Men who command public confidence
are the ones to deal with the perplexing
problems which are presenting themselves
IN rapid succession in this crisis 1t re-
qulres moderate men of unblemlshed char
acter to deal successfully with these troub-
les at this time.
Suppose that JAY GOULD succeeded in
driving out the property holders from the
labor unions it would only be removing the
dams which are checking the tide of social
ism and anarchy. Every element of con-
servatism would be gone, and with the Or
CARNATIONS under the absolute control of an
element wholly irresponsible there could be
no hope of longer smothering the socialistic
fires which are now burning. If
JAY GOULD succeeds in driving
the property owners from the labor orpani-
cations he will have done the worst thing
for capital that could be done. If GOULD
wants to do what is right he will at once
proceed to st. Louis, and in manly spirit
invite the Knights of Labor to bring their
grievances and lay them before him. When