Smyrna times., 1892-07-13

The most exciting incident in the
past week was the bloody riot OF the
Carnagie Iron Mill, Homestead, near
Pittsburg, resulting in the death of -
men and the wounding of 100 more.
The workmen, because of lookout on
a slight disagreement on wages, had
taken possession of the mill and be-
tween 800 and 400 Pinkerton detec.
tives who had been brought to protect
the property for the owners were fred
upon, by the wOrkmen, who are mem.
bers of the Union of the Amalgamated
Association of Steel and Iron Workers.
and armed to the number of some 1000
to compel the Carnagie Company to
come to their terms or keep the mills
idle. The high handed measures
taken by the union wOrkmen with the
bloody work that followed, detailed in
the daily columns of the papers for a
week past, determined the managers
of the mill to make no more terms
with the Union, nor allow them in the
future to dictate whom they shall en-
ploy. Thus it it stood until Sunday
when Gov. Pattison ordered out the
National Guard of Pennsylvania
about 5000 men, to quell the riotous
conduct and compel them to restore
the property to its rightful owners.
In the matter of the Pinkerton de-
tectives, the workmen have the SYM
pathy of the people, but not in their
defiance of law and property rights.
The habit of employing these mer.
cenary agents when labor troubles or
other troubles occur affecting large
bodies has become so common that
many people suppose that they have
the sanction of law, while in fact, they
have none whatever, but in their
actions are entirely beyond the law,
except in so far as men can be EN-.
ployed to guard property as private
watehmen. They were in place when
they broke up the "Mollie Mcguire"
organization in the coal regions of
Pennsylvania, but they are not in
place when they usurp the functions
of sheriff comitatus and the regular
military of the State and nation. The
sooner this assumed power of Pinker-
ton detectives is ended the better will
it be for the peace and good govern
ment of the people.
The difficulty between the employers
and workmen is thus stated:
The employees of the Homestead
works had no rights which the owners
of that establishment did not fully res
pect. The owners made a new rate of
wages for 325 men out of $500. MANY
of the men to whom this new rate
applied were being paid over 800 a
month for work which they were
largely able to do because of new and
costly machinery furnished by the
owners. The matter of dispute is !
therefore not wages, but the TYRANNY |
Of the Amalgamated Association Of |
Iron and Steei Workers. The owners
could not discharge a man, even if he |
was drunken or worthless, without the |
consent OF this outside, irresponsible |
non-propeIty owning organization. To |
fld themselves of this meddlesOme and |
mischievOus organization is the whole |
purpose of the owners in dischargiug |
their men. For be it noted that any of |
the men thus discharged can return to |
workout they must return to work |
as individuals, and not as agents or /
members of the Amalgamated AssOeia- |
tion. This preserves the "rights" of |
the men-that is to say, the general |
moral right of every industrious man |
TO fair chance in the world, and |
nothing more and at the same time it /
preserves the rights of the owners to |
make any lawful use that they please
of their own property.
The Amalgated Association of Iron |
and Steel Workers, one of the most
powerful aud intelligent organizations |
OF labor, according TO custom proposed 4
scale of wages for the coming year. |
The association Of employers proposed |
a scale also, which involved some de- |
crease in wages paid per ton, claiming
that the greater production per hand /
by improved and costly machinery had |
really increased wages per month GO 1
per cent within a few years without
any change in rate paid per ton. The
men claimed that the reduction was
unjust and refused to assent.
Laying aside the wage question,
which, it seems ought to have been ad.
justed by arbitration on a just and
equable basis, the constitution and the
law rises supreme above all things
else, and the calling out the militia to
uphold the law and restore peace and
order. is assuring to all order loving
citizens. The defiant rioters say they
win not resist the military, and the
5000 troops will apparently haye little
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