St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-04
THE FORT WORTH TRAGEDY.

If the Fort Worth tragedy had occurred
elsewhere than in Texas it would have
been taken as an alarming indication of
the yirulence of the outbreak against law
and order and would have created appre-
henSiOn that the country might be on the
eve Of a sociallstic uprising. But occurring
as it did, in a section where lawlessness is
almost the normal condition of society, and
where blood flows on the slightest prOvoca-
ton it has no mole significance
than did the disturbance a few years ago
when band of lawless Texans undertook
to clean out JOHN RoBINsoN's circus COM
pany and a number of lives were lost in the
riot In fact the episode at Fort Worth
yesterday was nothing more than the usual
Texas mode of adjusting difficulties. That
is all there was in the incident itself, and if
all the people of the country could be in
duced to look at it in its true light there
would be no serious results to follow from it.
But right here is the danger-there are
two classes who will eagerly seize upon the
Fort Worth riot as lever to force still
further collisions and to widen the breach
between the railways and the employees.
One class is the sOcialiStic element in the
labor organization which would rejoice to
bring about a condition of affairs that
would give them an opportunity to begin
work of general destruction. This element,
which is dangerous one at all times, will
adopt MARC ANTHoNY's style of oratory
in stirring up mutiny, and will point to the
wounds OF the strikers who fell in yester-
days fray. and utilize these gaping
orators to incite the laboring men into
revolt against capital. The other class who
Will be active in utilizing the incident for
their purposes will be the stock spectators
of the JAY GOULD type in whose estimation
a dollar possesses more value than human
life, and who under pretense that the occa-
salon must be used to crush out the labor
organizations. will seek to restore themselves
to the position of imperial power they once
occupied when they regarded human labor
as a commodity to be dealt in just as they
would deal in stocks or horses or cattle, and
thus again enable themselves to bull and
bear the markets as they did on
that notable black Friday. 1t is be-
tween these two dangerous elements that
the great mass of the people, who are act u
ated alone by a spirit of conservatism, must
interpose themselves and protect the coun-
try from its dangerous environments The
Fort Worth episode may at least serve a
good purpose in arouSing the country to the
necessity of prompt and active organization
to protect itself from the dangers which
menace. When the two radical extremes
of society, the socialists and the JAY
GoULDITES, once understand that the pa
triotic citizens of the country are banded
tOgether-the man of wealth and the
brawny son of toll standing shoulder
to shoulder-for the purpose of
protecting our institutions and of preserv-
ing the peace and dignity of the nation
order will soon be restored. If, however,
the public is indifferent, and the scenes at
Fort Worth yesterday are to be re-enacted
at other places, then there is no telling what
the consequences are to be. a disorderly
spirit is infectious aid spreads with great
rapidity. The sight of blood arouses the
brutal instincts of human nature quicker
than anything else. If the work commenced
at Fort Worth is to go on until it spreads
from town to town and from city to city,
then we will be involved in the horrors of a
reign of terror worse than befel France be-
fore we are aware of it. Therefore the
strong arm of the government cannot be in
voked too speedily to quell all similar dis
turbanceS, and when once invoked and
backed up by a strong public sentiment
there is no doubt of a speedy solution of
the whole trouble