Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-11

they did, but certainly in palliation.
1t Is published, know not with what
truth, that this water expedition coming up
the river fired upon one of the workmen in
q skiff whom they supposed had gone down
to watch and report their approach; and
that would be the first shot If there was
anything in that. Then came that most ter
rible battle, the like of which never before
disgraced our country.
In that, two remarkable things appeared.
| First, that the infuriated mob did not in
tend any harm to the property of the Car
negie Company, because they had full pos
session of it for "a hours.
They saw acquaintances and friends
| wounded and murdered by this armed in
vasion, but so far as I have seen they de-
| stroyed nothing. It is wonderful to me
| that they were under such control and not
disposed to be destructive; that they
Did Not Destroy tho Buildings
with those dynamite bombs which they
threw at the invaders.
Second, that the lives of the Pinkerton
men were saved only, and those that were
left Of them guarded to place of safety by
the individuals Of that organization which
had offered the Sheriff the assistance Of so
keeping the peace.
have been careful to give the facts as I
uuuSleedho tucuI, W WHICH L WISH W duU q
few thoughts that bear upon the occur
rences:
If the facts are as I have stated them, and
do not well see how can be mistaken,
such occurrences ought never to happen
again in this country, and the most strin-
gent laws, as we'll of the United States as
of the States, should be passed to pre-.
vent it. Pinkerton's body of cut-throats
should be disbanded by law if the
lesson the got at Homestead will not dis
band them. No railroads under an act
which Interstate commerce rights will pro-
tect, should be allowed to bring them from
one State to another under the seyerest
penalties. The existence of such an organi-
zation under any form or prete1t should be
made felonies in whomsoever taking part in
it. further, as q lawyer, believe fully
that those having charge of the Carnegie
Company and organizing this riotous in
vasion could be indicted and punished with
great severity under the present law for
conspiracy to break the peace and commit
murder, and nope they may be if there is
any law or justice in the State of Pennsyl
vania not overshadowed and controlled by
miserable political considerations
But the question may be put to me: "You
say the Carnegie company have right to
protect their property; how should they do
W. IL is easy 10 reply 10 tnat questlon Dy
stating how they should not do it. Not BY
organizing murderous bands to shoot their
workmen and fellow citizens indiscrimin-
ately; not by inciting their workmen and
fellow-citizens to commit breaches of the
peace; not by fortifying their works to
make them a scene of battle and slaughter
see it stated in some newspapers that the
port holes they put in their fences, and the
that were made were to
Throw Hot Water on the workmen.
think may be permitted to advise them
to use cold water.
But the answer to that branch of the
question: If the Carnegie Company lad
any such fears of an outbreak of their
and time to make such ex-
tensive preparations and build vessels 30
fortified for the purpose of warfare, they
could have gone to Governor Pattison and
him of that condition of things,
and it would have been his duty to put |
troops enough there. acting under the laws
Of the State, with proper officers, to pre-
has happened, or Of any other sort.
Governments of law do not prepare secret |
expeditions for fight with their citizens |
Their, duty is, by the exercise of their |
powers, to prevent all possible needs of con-
f1ict. From the reports they had evidently |
deceived the Governor, because he thought |
there was nothing there that could not be |
by the deputies or the Sheriff, or
else he was evidently remiss in not having
his troops on the ground to prevent the
wholesale slaughter There was time
enough in which to have done it.
1 speak advisedly because I carried to
Washington two regiments in about the |
'ame time at the outbreak of the war
If the Governor knew that these Pinker-
;on ruffians were to be brought there thus
armed for murder he ought to have sent his
roops and captured them and punished
hem fully for such an illegal expedition
nto the territory Of the State. 1t cannot
De possible that he would have permitted
Iuch body of hoodlums from New York,
Brooklyn and Chicago to have come into
he State with an armed expedition for any
purpose. If he would have done SO he
would pay poor compliment to the ability
# the State Of Pennsylvania, under his .ad-
to protect the property of its
itizens and the lives OF its people.