New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-22
AGAINST THE DETECTIVES.
DEMANDS FOR A LAW AGAINST EMPLOYING
PINKERTON'S MEN.
INABILITY OF THE POLICE TO KEEP ORDER AND
DEFEND PRoPpRTY-A PLAN FOR MAX

ING USE OF TIRE NATIONAL GUARD.
vnoM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRiBrNh
Albany, Sept. 2O.-Now that the great railway
strike has been officially declared or by the
heads of the Knights of Labor there is Sood
deal of agitation among voters in respect 10
proposed legislation next winter by the Legislature
of this State regarding the use Of PLnker'oh ne
tectives to protect the property OF the railways
OH which q strike has taken place.
It is clear that a large num'rr OF bills VIII IN
presented TO the Legislature problbltIig 'h' ca"
ployment Of any guards like those conh!An"ca
by Pinkerton. The labor organizations ai~auS
are framing a series of questions 10 Dc aoui'sS
70 candidates for the Assembly intended 10 ciici'
their views respecting the anti-fnkcr'on ol,io
and IN commit them in their favor. In the ia
Assembly District of Albany County two oil l'e
leaders Of the strike, Thomas j. bowling anu
James MCGOWAN. are said to ne attcn'p'ihs "
persuade the knights. Of Labor TO run them io'
AsscmblymaN Upon this alleged isS"e'
cu,ious incident which happened upon Labor
Day At Olean indicates that UoNerhor iii, "
milling some wires in the same direction. The
speaker Of the day was I" be >'aieS ~ "''u'
one Of the State Assessors When the WORKING
NV met however. at their hall Mr.. Wood did
NOT appear. The chairman of the convention
th.r.unon soid: Mr. Wood has been summoned
IN Albany by Governor Hill to confer with HIM
and draw No with him a bill against the employ
,n.rt NJ Pinkerton detectives" 1t is prohabie
therefore. that the Governor not only Will recon-
,ocnd some such measure. but VIII sHlS ara"
I'm such bill and have it presented TO the LesiS
lature. .;.,
But IL the Pinkerton detectives are to ne WIFI
drawn, what lforce of men will protect railway
property or other property that may e ehoahsei'"
by the acts of reckless men. sympathlzlhs VIZ"
strikers? Speaking on this topic to-day e""-
inc citizen of Albany said 1T is high time LOT
tbe legislature and the Governor to recognize
that the period of our history has passed when
4 sherid's hasty levy Of citizens with sho.-suhS
and smooth bore muskctS can he mace, Wisely loi
the purpose Of guarding great railway eho',
mously valuable railway depots. car WORKS. rouno
houses, repair shops, etc, from inc |ioien'' "a
strikers, and that we must SUBSTITUTE Io' S"'
/ Falstaa's guard the soldiers OF the National
Guard. Policemen cannot do this work. anu INC
public will not countcnance longer the sleo'"'i'
Of armed men from other states picheu"e '''
khoroughfares and standing at the CROSSROADS ou'
in the country, demanding the reason lrou e'ei'
man why he is passing that way
"Consder the situation III this county ana 'hc
rountv of Rensselaer, upon the east bank OF the
central crossing the river by two bridges ana
chen running northwestcry through the city, Out
,rtn the country and finally over the hills to
kcbenectady Where the road starts Ill East
ALBANY. Rensselaer, County, there are rounu houses
md A large population of railway swi'chnien'
srainmen and conductors. There IS a small force
nj local policemen in East Albany. but the piace
is out OF the jurisdiction OF the oi'icers Vi inns
county of Albany and under that OF TIC sheiih
,f Rensselaer, County. Then the road runs through
pur city; where, Of course, II can Dc P'"'eo't"
by our city police But soon the ROAD leaves 'hc
citv and reaches West Albany, with its enormous
railroad repair shops. There are hundTe's oi
railroad men employed at West Albany. When,
however. YOU reach West Albany you are ONT
hide of the limits of the city OF Albany ana
within the township OF Wa,ervlct. ~hrr" tn"
nolice force is nntesimal. The sheriff OF Albany
County Of course has jurisdiction al Nesl Ai'"iiS
Ind he must levy posse colnltatus loi te pro-
Section of property there. II IL Is eh1ah2c'c"'
sJere YOU have, therefore, three different
points, at East Albany IN ALBANY N~ei''
md at West Albany; and only i'll
Albany itself are there sufficient policemen 10
protect railroad property in case of d strike. Nor
sboud the police OF that city be employed at this
work. even in this city. The Police Department
was not organized Tor such purpose Its NUM-
hers are small; barely sufficient for the protection
of the CITY in which they work. There are only
115 patrolmcc, ) captains and Is serscanie at
,achcd To our Police Department, or total force
Of only 49, men. Included in this number arr
tie men ordinarily employed as police court OH
Gals. as detectives and us park police ms II
"a small force when you consider that there Wer'
j 500 men Oh strike at West Albany alone, an'
that every workingman about IN the city VIZ
sympathizing with the strike, and oil the arm!
of unemployed. Great risks were taken By th'
Doicc officials of the city during the strike. They
stripped the city of its police IN tile daytime aii'
massed their men along the railroads. ana Il
nighttime they left the railroads unprotected
and guarded the citizens Neither ought 10 !"
done: the city ought not 10 ne lei' unprotected
in the daytime nor the railways At night,
What ought to be done by the State
1t ought to authorize tnc local "u'h"ti.e
30 call out the National Guard Ia prevent rio'
M we'll as TO suppress then after they nave st-r%
The National Guard ought To 40 tie work Whir
was done durnS tie late strihe ny inc AIDA.
police and tho PmkertOn detectives. In my oplhin
when Governor Hill declined To call oat III
National Guard 10 protect the property OF "a
New-iorll Central Railway here III Albany ohn'
lie COMPELLED the oiciaIs OF the road Z" lire u
Pinkerton detectives. The detective, we're hialiil
used outside the city limits and the police w,'h.
!he city; But how much better i, w"mi" ,n ma !,
guard the railroad both Mi'ln the cl'H ana ou,si.
Of IT, Another point: The police could not hay
continued that work many days-thry w0nl
have become exhausted. No body OF men
small in number can at once guard "a RAJ
road and guard his city. IL is 10
often forgotten also that The police had 10 guar
Two railroads which had strikes at the same Inn
namely. the Delaware aud Hudson, running mort
and south. and the New-York Central, runniil
across the city northwest and southeast. INN
any one who will walk along the tracks OF u
Central and OF the Delaware ana Hudson wi'hl
the city limits, and notice how close the hous'
and back yards are 10 the tracks, VIII wohd'
that the Albany police were able n give the pr
lection TO the roads that tines did give
You said YOU would increase the power OF III
officers of n county to call out the soldiers p
Il would Where the police are He'd out II
DAYS to protect prOHrty-that is such in tinc
veHcy as 10 demand the calling ont of the "
fional l:uard. IL is not pretty spectacle, IN
sight of strangers from other States armed VII
Winchesters, pacing UP and down and protector
The nrOpertN VI our citiztnS. Far Dctter WOu