The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-11-01
BRAZEN.

Lowry and YerkeS are Tun-
ing up their Sweat-harp
and Moping
The Juice Of Honest Toll from
their Lofty "Browse." 81
Some three weeks since the st. Paul
Dispatch published the report of the
American Street Railway Com
pany." This organization is a COM
binatiOn of all the leading street
railway companies in America. Over
a hundred delegates were present.
Within it's grip are over 20 million
people-all paying tribute to a gigan-
tic monopoly. This organization
makes business of protecting the
rObber franchises which are purchas-
ed from corrupt councils, and then
hiding their enormous profits under
the bonding machinery in use by the
railroads.
Now, we specify particularly that
the Dispatch published this report.
And the reason why we single out
that sheet is that it not only gives
the world none of the facts which
underly the monstrous iniquity but
it blazOns it's attack on the Knights
OF Labor with such headlines as
"Terrible Roasting" etc. And in it's
editorial column it takes no issue
with the falsehoods perpetrated in
that report.
We feel profound interest in this
wonderful warfare between Oppres-
sion backed by capital, and defense
backed by labor. And in order to
review the monstrous propositions
OF this gigantic pool of the richest
men on earth, we give the report ver-
datim. Read it carefully and we'll.
1t contains the intellectual sheet an
Choir of the capitalist, it's strongest
argument, and it's last weapon:
The association year now closed
has seen an almost total collapse of
the organization known as the
Knights of Labor, 50 far, at least, as
that portion is concerned which at
tempted to dominate street railway
companies. Starting in with the
manifest determination of making q
frightful example of one of the men,
bers OF this association, the Atlantic
Avenue Railway Company, of Brook
lyn, a strike was declared on all the
cOmpany's lines. Before it's cOnclu-
sion it was accompanied with riot.
bio Odshed and even murder. This
strike soon extended to New York,
taking in every line in the city over
which the Knights OF Labor had any
control, and thence westward took
it's way until it reached the city in
which we now are. The result OF
these strikes has plainly taught the
the lesson that foul means will not
accomplish what cannot be secured
by fair. When men become deceived
into thinking it necessary or even ex-
cusable in civilized community to
undertake to enforce their desires,
whatever they may be, by the COM
mission of misdemeanors or even fell
Ony, extending to the most heinOus
crimes-the taking of innocent hui
man life-many who engage in such
undertakings soon realize that their
cause is an unhOly one, while all find
defeat the inevitable result. The
death knell of the organization of the
Knights of Labor has been sounded,
because it has shown it's unworthi-
ness to live by reason of the crime
committed in it's name under the di-
rectiOn of it's leaders. In this free
land, freer than any other on the face
OF the earth, no one can long con-
fInna fO nj Il ,,k A1,r
strong hand of the law intervening.
Every man, therefore, can secure his
rights through the peaceful channel
OF the faw, and will, as he should
surely fail if he attempts to obtain
them by force. Our government
rests upon the principle of the equal
rights to all, the poor and rich
alike.
He who by industry, careful living,
correct habits and a determination
to succeed in life, becomes the pos
SCISSOR OF more of the worlds goods
than he who has been careless,
extravagant and without ambition
to get on in the world, has the same
right to protection of life and prop
erty as one who has nought but life
to protect. The self-respect of the
street railway manager has long and
often been compromised by the in
sulting bearing towards him of some
OF the leaders of this tyrannical or
ganizatiOn with whom he was forced
to come in contact. Self-respect in
it's integrity has again become his
sacred possession, and thus hence
forth be inviolate The lessons
which these strikes have taught have
been well learned, and not in this
generation at least will they be for
gotten. We do not rejoice today
simply because in the struggle be-
tween labor and capital the latter
has won, but because the right there
in has triumphed. When it becomes
question whether a man SHALL have
the control of that which by the
sweat of his brow has become his
own or given to another who for