Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-28

officers of the law, and assist them in |
maintaining the peace and order of society.
Action like this will tend to call halt In
the mad rush to the strike remedy The
commercial bodies constitute an influence
that acts directly upon industry, and
capital engaged in its promotion
When they speak, it is the equivalent
of protest that must be needed,
else stoppage of all great industries will
follow. With that comes suffering, and il
falls upon labor, not capital. The latter
always fees into retirement when opposed
by force. Force invoked by labor against
capital invariably reacts upon the
former with greatest severity There
is but one remedy for labor
outside of lawful procedure, and
that is the seizure Of the means of labor
and this is done whenever strike extends
to intimidation or violence, for such acts
themselves invoke the intervention and
penalty of the offended law. Those who
invite it must take the consequences
American citizens have lawful methods for
giving voice and effect to their will and
they will not hazard the existence of the
Republic and put free government at
stake, by sustaining resorts to unlawful
methods. The sentiment of the country
on this subject ought to be well understood
by this time. The true friends of the
laborers of the land will not advise them
to infringe upon lawful methods of right
ing themselves, nor will they council the
haste, now so manifest, to engage in
strikes, which rarely, indeed, accomplish
their purposes The very fact that en-
ployers are organizing at the East for mu-
tual protection against the striking mania,
is significant. 1t BODIES no good to the
country to see this array of forces. The
great public that must suffer by these acts,
will presently be heard from, and when it
speaks, 1t will be in favor of the laws and
their rigid enforcement and for the pun
ishment of any and all persons who bring
Ill upon the country by resort to unlawful
methods. The guarantees of human rights
will be maintained in this Republic. There
need be no fear on that head. The ma
tional heart is not stilled, and the law and
order loving spirit is not dead. Neither
do we believe that the forces under Mr..
Powderly will be arrayed against the law.
when they shall have had time to cool
from the heat of the present, that has led
some OF the branches of the organization
to extremes. We had looked upon the
formation of this force as the death-blow
to the socialist mobs of Chicago and
New York, and upon its declaration of
principles as conservative of the law and
the rights Of citizens under the charter of
their liberties, and we are not DISPOSED to
abandon that hope. If it counsels peace
full agitation and discountenancesa all other:
prefers arbitration to strikes, and holds
the resort to violence to be wholly uniusti
fable, it will be entitled to. and will gain
fair hearing before the tribunal of pub
lie opinion. But if it continues to permit
men and organizations in its name to in
timidate, to employ force and to seize
upon the arms of industry, it must expect
public Judgment to condemn it, and de-
mand the punishment of the offenders.
This is what the declaration of the Cham
Der of Commerce of the American me-
tropolis means