The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-07-19


the Dayonet. Well, there don't seem much
nonsense in a threat like that. T~enthous-
and armed men Is a considerable sized
menace, take it as you may, aud IS the
sort Of argument that bat few persons are
/ prepared TO resist.
Nothing is said about the law in this
case. which these 10000 armed workmen
had q voice in making and which is the
real safeguard Of their notwithstanding
whatever. They simply say that II Car
negIe's company don't come mp to the
scratch and yield obedience 10 their de-
mands. that 10. 900 armed workmen are to
know the reason Why. After that. alter
| Carnegie & Co. hare yielded apeaeefui
submission. or fought the thing out to the
bitter end, the time may come TO try con-
illusions With the laB-that is, We assume,
if the 1900 armed men see proper. The
point these men wish to emphasize. and
ask the innocent public 20 please make q
note Of, is that they are running the ma
chiae;'' after them the people may meekly
make suggestions.
But why such a round about way as all
this to success? Why not go az once to
the vaults Of the nearest bank aud say, "if
yon don't give us what money we wish we
will batter down your old doors about
your ears" It xonId be 4 wonderful
bank indeed that could successfully OPP
pose 10, 600 armed men. Why not go to
II Il. u1,.r.I Isa+riosu NlHrQ
conspiracy and other cases are being tried
against workmen, and show your contempt
for court by knocking the whole business
into kingdom come? There would be some
points about that tbat even the most " indy
lawyers and punctilious judge couldn't
easily get around. Why not take 10000
armed me to our State capitol, and in the
name Of General Powderly and Master
Workman Coffey thunds, out your terms
Of capitulation TO the astounded legisla-
tors, with or without previous warning!
| Why not go to Washington, even, that
great sink of political iniquity where
everything is done in the interest of the
capitalist and bloated ~bondholder, march
your 10, 900 up the rotunda Of the capital
building, capture the baby Mckee and
~inaugurate Il new era of American indie
pendenee2
To be sure it costs something and is some
trouble to move 1000 armed men, and the
farther they are moved the more trouble
and cost. And the world is full Of foolish
people too, some Of whom might take it
into their heads to make it unpleasant for
these 10, 600, by foolishly opposing their
march, and other little difficulties Of one
kind and another that might present, but
clearly it isn't the duty OF the iaboring man
to think at these times, when he has 50
many ready to think for him at 50 much
per diem, but 60 right ahead regardless Of
consequences.
But seriously what are these men, the
workmen, thinking Of? Are they mad Or
insane, which? What do they suppose TO-
900, or thrice 1000, 0 T 1000 times 10000
armed men would amount to in opposing
the organized power Of the commonwealth,
as that is what an armed conspiracy to in
terfere with the peacable administration OF
Law would mean? Something like that
WAS tried in 1861, ABA and 4 and didn't pan.
Or even allowing the improbable suppo-
sition that the conspiracy be successful
and force Carnegie 81 Co. to surrender the
rights guaranteed them under the law,
what then? How long would it be before
another army Of 10, 900 armed men, maybe
this time merchants, or mechanics or any
other branch of organized, or unorganized
labor, would be making similar demands?
this time possibly on the miners them
selves, and then what's to happen? Ger
tainly no n party or organization should
have a monopoly of the 10, 900 men armed
business, and if one set adopt it why not
another?
What would happen then would surely
be the complete humiliation of all such
lawlcss combinations, or a condition Of an
archy worse than the worse despotism, and
the former, we are sure, is infinitely more
to be desired by the intelligent workmen
than the latter. OF all other men the
workman should be the most tenacious Of
the s~trictest observance of law. The rich
and privileged class can afford a loose con-
struction of law but the poor cannot A
little break in the wool though which the
laborer can scarce thrust his hand is gener-
ally sufficient for the rich to drive a coach
and four, and then again all history proves
at just such epochs as this, the marching
of 10000, or any other number, Of armed
men to subvert the peaceful operation of
law, to be the supreme opportunity of the
usurper and dictator, and then good bye to
the liberties of the workmen, even to have
a voice in the administration of their own
affairs, much less hose of the government.
The intelligent workman, we are sure,
see this and deprecate any such move as
that ~purposed in the 10000 armed men
programme, and the other class, the miners
who really don't know better, we can sug-
gest no shorter remedy han the vigorous
application Of more school master.
washington Letter.
tFrom our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, ID. c., July -, 1899.
II it has dom nothing else, the civil SER