Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-07-15
\ Menace.

The Democratic press and Democrats i'm
Congress evidently seek to manufacture
political capital out of the dcplorablc la
Dor troubles in Pennsylvania. The smoke
of the battle between Pinkerton' men and
the strikers had hardly cleared away when
it began to be proclaimed that the McKin-
ley tariff was the cause of the disturbance.
The authors of this Misrepresentation had
not many words of censure for the attempt
of the workmcn to burn the harges with
the Pinkertons on board, after the latter
had run up the white flag, nor of their
tiendish assaults upon the Pinkertons.
when, after their surrender, they were be
ing conducted through the streets, dsarm-
ed, to place of safety. All the blame is
laid to the tariff and the Pnkertons-
none to the real party in fault, the strikers.
The employment by the Carnegie COM
pany of private armed men was great
mistake and contrary to the spirit of our
government, though it is easy to under
stand how the company was led to adopt
this means in their efforts to possess
cedng all that is claimed on this point, the
tariff is about as blamablc for the strike as
it is for the spots on the sun.
1t only requires a little sense and rcfec-
ton to understand that the foundation.
growth and prosperity of the little city of
Homestead are due to the success of the
Carnegie company, which success is large
ly attributable to a protective tariff. As
fair-minded a man as GOV. Russell of Mas
sachusetts usually is, in his zeal for his
party said last week in public speech,
that Carnegie had reaped his enormous
wealth from the taxation of the people.
while his workmcn suffered the distress of
poverty In offset to this statement note
what the New York World says:
The town is about l3 years old 1t has been
built, not 10y the Caruegies, but the Caruegies
workmen Most Of the residences in Homestead
arr owned by their tenants There are mo- tcne.
ment houses, no flats and no novels Each houS'.
has its plot of ground in front and rear The
town has its opera house schools. churches
and halls for the various social organizations
10 which the young people belong II has eleC
tric light. good sidewalks. very fair streets
and, best Of all, intelligent progressive and
P'aceahle class Of citizens Most Of the men
work in the Carnegie mill They love their town
and are anxious to see il become great and pros
porous among the smaller cities of the state. \
system of sewerage is projected and plant for
the water works has been built "
Pains have been taken to ascertain what
wages these 1000 or 5000 distressed
workmen have been receiving. and il ap-
pears that they have earned on an average
between S15 and $50 week, while skilled
men have been paid all the way from So
81 to $500 day, and beaters' helpers and
beaters $40 and some as high as Sl4 day.
Such wages have enabled workmen to
build city, to own comfortable and hand
some houses and TO enjoy the comforts
and many of the luXuries of life.
The truth about the situation is this: On
account of the market prices of certain
products of the mills being lowered the
company lowered the scale of wages of 325
men-not tenth of the whole number en-
poyed. A general strike ensued which
was legally justitable, but which upon
every principle of honesty and good faith
was unjustiiable. Great bodies of men
have no moral right to quit their employ
ment suddenly and stop or embarrass their
employers works. Employees upon great
railroad trunk line may at any hour legal
ly refuse to work, and thus paralyze pub
lie traffic unless they have contracted to
work for a definite period; but in common
honesty they have no such right. Fair
dealing requires that they give reasonable
notice so that their places may be supplied
But the men at Homestead do not stop
with striking and refusing to work them
selves. They so one step further and an
nounce that the company shall not employ
other men in their places. They even take
possession of the companys mills with
armed men. They picket the town, defy
the sheriff and his posse and declare their
determination to shoot down any force of
men who attempt to put the company in
possession of their own property and start
their works with nOn-unon men.
This goes beyond the ordinary conflict
between capital and labor; it is a defiance
of law and order. 1t surpasses the pro
portions of a strike and becomes an insur-
rection, and the governor of PENNSYLVANIA
has done well to call out the entire militia
of the state to suppress it, for it is a men
ace to a Republican government.