Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-07-20

company tndt cIipioycu Ine L lhheI-
ton army of 800 men at Homestead,
that the object was a perfectly law
full one, to protect property. It
will be said further that the 800
Pinkertons were not only protectors
of property, but officers of the law
under deputy sheriff, on their way
to take charge of the company's
works. And it will be asked: Have
not manufacturing company a
right to defend their property? And
if their own power is inadequate,
have they not a right to hire others
to help them? And, above all, has
not IA sheriff the right, nay, is it not
his duty, to summon a posse of 800,
or 5000 men, if need be, and send
them in charge of deputy to a
scene of disorder to protect build
ings and machinery and resist the
mob that threatens to destroy them ?
There is but one answer to be
given to these questions. Yes.
Protecting ones property is strict
ly lawful business, and amost praise
worthy act besides; and resisting
mobs is strictly lawful business,
and a most praiseworthy act also;
and when disorder, attended by
danger of violence, prevails
in a certain locality, and the Sheriff
is appealed to for protection, he has
no choice but to do his duty and
put down the law-breakers, or make
his best effort to do so.
But there is a question behind all
this, and it is not local or personal.
1t is not confined to the town of
Homestead nor to the State of Penn
sylvania. 1t is as wide as the coun-
try. The 800 men whom Captain
Held" took with him to the Carne-
gle works were not posse summon
ed openly from the inhabitants of
the vicinage; they were not even
citizens of Allegheny county nor of
the State of Pennsylvania. They
were hirelings picked up" as Rob-
ert Pinkerton says, in New York
and Chicago, and offered as train :
ed and disciplined army to whoever
wanted to hire them. They were
sent to their work, secretly, and at
night, armed with Winchester rifles
and revolvers. They expected and
were prepared for it. They went
to kill; that is the chief part of the
Pinkerton standing army's business,
and when we hear from the scene
of labor strike that a force of Pin
kerton detectives" has made its APP
pearance we look for bloodshed.
A few years ago the Pinkertons
were what they called themselves,
detectives. But they have grown
into a standing army for the de-
Tense of the property of rich corpor-
ations. There is no limit to their
numbers. There may be as many
of them as there is money to hire
them, 900 or 100000. They are
drawn from the streets and slums
of great cities, and the supply is
practically inexhaustible.
There are many things that are
lawful but that were better never
done. 1t may be strictly lawful fol-
the Pinkertons to keep armies on
hand to be hired out to rich corpor-
ations, and it may be strictly lawful
| for rich corporations to hire these
armies to protect their property
from their own locked out employees
Nevertheless, if this strictly lawful
business is permitted to go OH al
the rate we have seen, it will mol
be long before we shall witness the
large industrial establishments in
every manufacturing center leagued
together in an alliance offensive
and defensive, with Pinkerton
army behind them, every unpopular
, millionaire employer attended by 6
bodyguard of braves and uniform.
ed Pinkertons as thick OH our street,
as soldiers of the Imperial German
Army are in the parks and beer
saloons of the German capital.
Republican rule is fast bringing
the American people into two class.
es, employers and employees, with 4
bristling line Of antagonisms be-
tween them; the employers grow
: ing fewer and fewer every day ant
the employees more and more mum
erons every day. What wonder
then, that the few. with limitless
money at their command, should
maintain Pinkerton garrisons in thu
) large cities to protect their propert,
against the ever-increasing number
, Of those whom they have come t.
treat as enemies.-St. Louis Repub
lie.