Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-05-11
TUESDAY EVENING. MAY II. 1886



times of excitement, seeks t" identify the
honest workmgmrn "t America with hlulliS'N
and anarchists j. an inr"ndIary. The
KNIGHTS of labor and all the lah"r-oTgani-
zationS of this country have constantly and
consistently dlscaimed any utilization with
these. enemies Of civilization. and have en-
pharicaIly drmuuncrd their doctrines ami
practices.
Th.. man fit Ia run newspaper or in
Slirt. the running ut a newspaper in an M
t,.lligpnt American community Is bound I"
know this fact lis bound Ia br aware that
he i maliciuHSly miSrepreSenting his fellow
citizens when he, either directly or
by Implication. charges those who belong 1"
or favor labor-organiLatiuns with helng So
cialiStS. communists, dynamiterN, advocates
of pillage and hlnod>hed. such man Is a
dangerous dangerous To himself and
dangerous To the peace and good order OF
The. sncietv that he outrageS by claiming 10
represent il.
We de- not know Of a communist. or
nihili>t. or an anarchist. or faNorrr "t the
fnrribe division or destruction of property
in the city of Springfield. We doubt if one
such can be- found here. II is a city of order
and obedience Ia law The great body Of
our work mgmen. many of whom We're born
here. are a. honest. moral. Intelligent CitI-
zrnS aS the town holds, and are the peers "t
the best in every quality that goes /" make
up mamh"od.
Mana. ,f those mon are members of
trad,.S-uninnS and of the order ot til"
Knights of Labor. Ii is their right. These
organizations are a. legitimate as the It
publican party or Christian church. Their
objects are lawful. their purposes. a. officially
announced by them. are praisrw"rthy. Or
gauized labor i one of the great facts. a. il
i Ia be- one of the great factors, of modern
civilization. All Intelligent men recognize
this: and none but a malignant ignuramn>
would think nf charging the w"rkIngInan
who Joins 4 union or an order OF his fellows
with being communist OF murderUu>
conSpirator against the rights OF property
We know that We speak for the lahormg
men Of Springfield when we say that they
have never for one moment. contemplated
an act Of violence or a movement nt dis
order. There has been no strike by them:
and we dc not believe that any strike was
ever intended by them. They have com
mitted no aggression whatever; and thO>"
of them who were discharged. t"r ~" "thcr
Urp,rcT rcuSun than that they bci"ng I"
LlI,ur-DrIGuizdri,n~. have submitted I"
the misrepresentation and abuse of them
selves and their SympathlZeT> a. ComInun-
lists and nihiIiSts without any other retalla-
tion than the dignifed resentment which
any honest man has. right to feel when
he has been lied about.
But why should these lies be published
and whangdondled all over the United
States against the workngmen of Springfield
and against those who feel a sympathy with
them in their privation and trouble? II Is
IA bolster up bad cause. Ii is Ia defend
AN act that every newspaper in the jnIted
States that mentioned il condemned-t" de
frud il by TRYING Ia convey abroad the I'M
preston that il was an act Of SelfdrteltSe
against communism. nihiliStic bombs, and
diabulical conspiracy among the honest
workingIaen of the good town Of Spring
field These bluffing and buiSterouS falSi-
ficationS of the Springfield workingmen'>
side. of the case are put forth ON the
lawyerly theory (and prartcel that, when
the defendants ease is weak. the only way
a. strengthen it is to break down the plain
tiff-S witnesses.
But We take leave tO protest against this
cruel Misrepresentation Of the town and its
people There has been no strike in Spring
field. There has been no boycott i'll Spring
field There has been no conspiracy or vie
lrnce against life or property i'll Springfield.
There is no socialism, communism. nihllism.
anarchism. or any such diSorderly deviltry
in Springfield at all. All has been quiet
here. all is quiet here, all is going 10 continue
quiet here unless these foolish talSeho"ds,
both limited and hall"nt-d. about Springfield
people and Springfield institutions shall at
last provoke a breach OF the peace to the
extent Of ducking somebody in a horsepond:
a form of resentment that We should greatly
drpr,4.atr. not bt.cauSr il would not have
c,nling and Soothing effect, but brcau>t- we.
in common with all the w"rkingmem "t this
town. are opposed to every form Of violence.
In fact We write this article 10 assure the
workiugmen, a. we'll a. all the other Citi-
zens of Springfield, that these feeble mis-
repr.SrutationS of them and their town have
already done all tn" harm they can do
abroad. whil, their malicious motive and
utiful weakness have made them always
r.rfertIv harmless at home. Ii is folly t"
rae, against a had "dnr while it i in pro
,,.s. of ryapuratimg int" the atmosphere;
and the. Springfield p'"ple will peacefully
grin and patiently bear 1t, as they have
done hitherto.