The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-27
HOUSE OF DEtLG4TEs,
n, L, WHITAKER,
GEORGE L, MUM,
WILLIAM S, MEEK,
EDWARD N. ATKINSON.
ALnhor conrl Of stnr Chnmbor.

II the ba1barous boycott could be es'
tablished in Wheeling there Is nothing 60
inexpedient, nothing so unjust, moth
Ing 90 monsupps, nothing so IN
lawful that could not be accom-
pllshed by this hideous instrumentastsy'
The actual lsCts in the case OF the
Wheeling newspapers arc better than any
case that can be supposed. The printers
made demand which come Of them vol
upteered TO Esy was unjust, The pro.
prietoru made respectful answer, setting
firth why they could not grant the in.
crease In wages A conference followed,
though the printer gave notice that the
question Of the price OF piece work was
not to be considered, notwithstanding this
was the real question at issue. The men
went out, and 10 cave their lives the noWs-
y ,pers we're forced to accept the services
o men who would work for them.
The union printers appealed to other
l,bor organizations as represented in tie
Ttadea Assembly. twas given out thtt
committee Of that body had been H.
structed 10 make en- investigation and re-
port. No investigation has ever been
made. So far as the authority Of the
Trades Assembly could 80, the news.
papers were tried, condemned and SEN
fenced to death. There ia no American
citizen who will endorse the proceedings
Of the EOgliuh Court Of Star Chamber,
which tried British snbjeCts in this way,
and condemned them to the aCatIold and
the forfeiture Of their cntates. Yet there
ara American citizens who have consented
to sit as q Court Of Star Chamber,and who
have genterced tho Wheeling newspapers
10 determination.
1t is not necessary to consider whether
the newspaper can BIO extermin-
atsd in this way. The
attempt is being made to
execute. tho sentence, and II it fails 1t will
only be for lack OF power. II any Of the
boycottors were tried in the same way,
aud sentenced in tho same way, and sent
TO tho penitentiary for ton years without
being heard In their deiense, the whole
proceeding would be regarded as mon
BtrouB. And 60 1t would DO monstrous
and indefensible, however much they de.
serve the penitentiary. 1t Is not leFs
monstrous or less deiensible to try and
condemn American citizens in the Star
Chamber Of the Trades Assembly or Of
any body Of organized labor.
II organized hbor is to preserve the
public respect 1t must be governed by the
principles and the rules which govern
men associated in civilized 1oCiety. Surely
nobody is so reckless as to suppose civil.
iSsd state, in which the nHai-s OF life, COM
mercial, professional, social and political,
can be conducted on the basis Of tho boy
colt. This foreign mode Of government Is
the overriding OF all Law, and it is the be-
ginning Of anarchy. 1t dissolves all obi.
cations, spurns every consideration Of
honor and turns Justice iace.downwards.
Men may so live together in barbarian, a
state in which force 10 the only rule, but
civilized society cannot tolerate 1t, for it
cannot exist under 1t.
Is possible that every member Of the
Trades Assembly ia willing to declare
himself IN unfair mana man who cares
nothing for justice, who Is ready to con.
denim, without hearing, and to help to
execute the sentenCo2 Ia it possible that
citizens out of the Trades Assembly will
permit themselves to DO parties to a
wrong which tho law Of the United States
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