Omaha daily bee., 1890-08-17
PYNKERroN MERCENAR RIgS.

A dispatch from New Y ork states that
Pinlserton is still recruiting men to
guard the property OF the New York
Central road. According to the same
source of Information the recruits ''wcre
a tough looking lot and before depart
ing on their mission Bob PinkertOn is
quoted us saying to them that they we're
not sent out to kill people, "but if your
lives are in danger you know what to
do" Since the strike on the New York
Central begun the lines of that road
have been patrolled by these mercena-
ries, the large majority OF whom
are selected from the idle, ruflianly and
reckless classes, and all of whom are
armed with deadly weapons. They are
instructed to use these weapons if they
believe their lives to be in danger, and
there are instances enough since the
practice of employing these HesSians
came into vogue to show how ready and
willing they are to follow instructions
upon the slightest preteXt, or even with
out any pretext. Numerous murders, as
cold blooded as amy ever committed are
recorded against Pinkerton detectives
employed in the service of the corpora
tons to overawc the people.
The BEE has repeatedly denounced
the employment OF these armed bands of
irresponsible men, controlled and
directed by private parties, as a gross
outrage upon the public and most seri.
Gus menace to the rights and liberties OF
the people. The system is in all
respects inconsistent with republican
institutions and wholly indefensible. 1t
cannot be justified either upon grounds
of necessity or eXpediency. In every
state OF the union the laws are
ample for the protection OF private
property, and not only the whole
power of the state, but in case of en-
treme necessity the power of the general
government, can be invoked to enforce
the laws. Why should the New York
Central officers appeal to Pinkerton for
men to guard the property of that COM
pany when the sheriff of every county
through which the lines pass can be
called upon to do this and has full au.
thority to act according to his jud gment
| OF what the exigencies of the situation
require, and when, besides the state has
a large and well-equipped militia force
subject at all times to the command of
the governor? Can there be q
! doubt in the mind of any reasonable
man that the authorities of the state of
New York are fully competent and
| am ply able under the statutes to pro-
tect the property of any railroad in
the state? 1t is, moreover, their duty
to do SO whenever called upon, and the
| laws do not recognize the right of any
| others to perform that service. They
clearly specify who shall be the guard
ians of the lives and property OF the
| people, and they do not include armed
bodies of men recruited by Bob Pinker-
| ton or any other private Individual.
The truth is that the employment of
| these Pinkerton so-called detectives by
| the corporations means something more
| than the protection of property. Their
! service is more generally that of spies
and informers than of guardians, and in
the former capacity their opportunities
| W. NloliS anu OuuluSO iiIc SCcbJly CHI
larged. 1t is time that public sentiment
| were aroused to demand legislation,
national and state, for the suppression of
! this system It's tolcration en-
courages the growth of an evil
which is pregnant with danger
to the rights, liberties and welfare Of
the people, and the longer it is permit
! ted orcmain the more difficult it will be
to remove it. There is nothing like it
in any European country, and its exist
enco and federation in this republic is a
striking illustration of the indi ference
of our people to conditions which antag-
onize the essential principles of free
government. When it has become a
Il regular and most profitable business
to supply the great corporations with
bands of armed men, under private con
troll, to spy upon and overawo the peo-
pie, it issurely time that the people be-
gan to seriously consider what should be
done to guard their most sacred interests
against so grave an evil.
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piITpERJST IN