Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-20
IMPERIUM IN IMPERIO.

An Able Pen Takes up the Argument
From tho Farmers Standpoint and Dis
cusses the Rights Of Citizenship. A Paper
Deserving Careful Perusal.
To the Editor oftts Register
Of the vast unconsidered multitude who
are neither employers nor employees, who
work constantly and make no noise about
it, a few are beginning to feel some inter
est Just now, TO know whether the liber
ties of the people OF this country are about
to be given away in the process OF adjust
ing the relations between a set of mOnOpO-
lists who call themselves Capital and
another set OF mOnOpOlistS who have sue
ceeded in apprOpriating to themselves the
name of Labor"
We have some interest in the ultimate
possibilities, and some Of us are disposed
To take a hand bv way of anticipation.
We can not stand by and allow the OdiOus
doctrine to he established that there is a
power in this country that can interpOSe
between one citizen desiring to employ
another and that other desiring to enter
into the employment, and say that these
two citizens shall not make and execute
such lawful contracts ~ shall be agreeable
To themselves. Ii such power exists,
then there is no longer any freedom left
in this country valuable to any body. Such
a doctrine is hit only for slaves.
Il L. ~, 81,
that for the old regime OF status, it has
given us the regime OF contract under which
the relations which shall subSist amongst
meh shall be freely entered into by each
individual for himself But have we reach
ed this goal only to be met by 4 new and
strange and insOlent power which demands
| that all iudividualiSm shall surrender to it
without conditions, and which aSSails
with clubs and stones, and with the cry
of ''scabs' and rats, all men who shall
presume to select for themselves and de-
! termine by contract the relations which
they shall occupy in respect to their fell
lOw-men?
True some OF you have recently made a
stand agaiSt this most inSoleut and inta
nous and enslaving doctrine, but you do
not seem to realize how much is implied in
/ the position YOU have taken, and you
make concessions to this latter day tyranny
which are inconsistent and incompatible
with the maintenance of that position.
! You do not seem to realize that when
I You cOnceds arbitration" Won concede
/ the whole case. You give up everything
| You Weld the whole controversy. There
/ is an end of the liberty of contracting
/ There is a base concession To force, which
may suit the people who conGregate in
cities and who are ready for any comprO-
mise, however SlaviSh, that will permit
| them TO make money; but it is a cOnces-
sion which the great body of the people Of
/ this country, who speak last, will not en-
dure. Nor do You seem to realize the
! logical tendency and necessary outcome of
! the position and pretenSiOnS OF the man
! Powderly, Nobody questions his legal
right 10 organize and consolidate into one
body any number of labOrers or idlers, or
both, that may he willing to
cooperate with him. Nobody
questions his legal right
| to command and induce them all TO quit
work if he eau show that such action is
not conspiracy to destroy or injure 9th
erS, but movement for the benefit OF
those who engage in it. Nobody questions
| the legal right of the whole body OF the
| Knights of Labor 10 obey Mr.. POwdcrly
and quit work when he points up his
thumb, ii they are foolish and Slavish
enough TO submit to such inSolenCe But
when Mr.. Powderly's people, carrying
their principles To their logical results,
proceed To club ahd stone all men who
want to get a living by their labor without
regard to Mr. Powderly's laws" and
/ when they 90 about the streets command
ing the suspension of business relations
not approved by them, there is something
more involved than the mere financial
ruin of indefinite numbers of citizens.
This eNcreSeenee of tyranny growing
upon the body polite becomes greater
than the State itself. Mr.. POwderly in
Philadelphia commands 25.OOO men in
Chicago TO return to work. They 20 like
the wretched vaSSalS of the feudal times.
each man with collar about his neck
marked X. of l.. True they 90 murumur-
ing like the quarry slave ut night,
scOurged to his dungeon" hut they 60;
and they go under q command which ins-
plies the power to issue counter order
under which they must all retire again
into tht realm Of idleneSs and starvation
until Mr.. POwderly shall again point up
his thumb.
Why the man Powderly tells the Chicago
strikers that thev have gone out, and that
they are demanding eight hours in ''yio-
lation of law" What "law?' Have we
an imperium an iapcrioS 1t was suggest
ed by the Knights, believe, in Richmond
that they would maintain a Congress at
Washington, and establish diplomatic re-
lations with the United States. At least
this was the effect Another Committee
of Congress would no doubt wait upon
them 20 ascertain how much of the eonsti-
tuition of the United States is adapted to