Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-07-16
AT HOMESTEAD.

There has been at least temporary
lull in the riot at Homestead, Penn,
this week, the result of Gov. Pattison
finally ordering troops to the scene OF
trouble. FIVE thousand soldiers are
now there and martial law prevails. The
strikers met the soldiers in good spirit,
and while an attempt has been made to
keep up the organization Of the advisory
committee, and also to keep away from
the town all non-union men, the mill
tary is really the ruling power at the
present time, and the Carnegie works
are no longer held by the men. The
company has announced the impossible
ity of its complying with the request of
the strikers, and will proceed to start
the mile with large force of new men.
This they will doubtless be able to do so
'ohs AZ Inc tiv0fy--- .i,ara h,t thav
must be removed sooner or later, and
the union men aver that when the sol
diers are gone, they will again raid the
mill and drive ont the workmen 1t is
thus readily seen that the difficulties
OF the situation are far from being ad-
justed, that there is still trouble ahead,
! perhaps more loss Of life, and great de-
struction of property. The democrats
who have been exerting themselves to
the utmost to make political capital ont
Of this terrible affair, which has already
| resulted in the death Of several men,
have simply given conclusive evidence
OF the hopelessness Of their position and
shown to what lengths they will 90 to
brace up their own tottering platform,
and injure, if possible, that Of their
political foemen. That there is no
foundation for the charges made by the
democracy in legislative halls on the
street corners, and In reluctant inter-
views" is evident to every intelligent
man, who has studied the causes which
led up to the riot at Homestead. At the
Carnegie works, the first of this month,
a reduction of the wages Of several hun
dred men was ordered, and if the Nc
Kinley bill, or any other republican
measure had anything to do with such
reduction, it simply warranted it, made
it actually necessary. The chief product
of the Carnegie works at Homestead is
steel rails, and the tariff on them is re-
duced over 335 per cent by the Nc
Kinley law. Therefore. as intimated
before, If the republican policy of pro-
lection is in any way responsible for
this trouble, the claim always advanced
by the party, that high tariff is better
for the laborer, than low one, is clearly
established. However, we believe that
the tariff laws have had little to do
with the real essence of the trouble.
The wrongs commenced after the re-
duction was made, after the men refused
to work for less than their old wages.
Disagreements between capital and
labor, and strikes on the part Of the
workmen, are not necessarily such ter
rible calamities, as this one has proven.
Organized labor has perfect right to
use all fair means to secure its Just dues
from organized capital, and many times
have such contests been carried on with
great advantages TO the former. But
in this instance both sides overstepped
their rights and the result was disa-
strous. Carnegie is business man with
immense capital invested with great in
terests at stake, and he is at liberty to
reduce the wages of his employees, if he
deems it necessary. The men have the
same right to refuse to do his work at
his price, if they see ft, but no law, no
principle of equity or justice gives them
the right to say to their fellows, you
shall not accept the position have
vacated" Carnegie, or any other mem
ber of the company would be hanged or
shot in an instant were he to attempt
by force or arms to compel these men
Dto go back to work And vet that would
be no more a violation of law, or an in
fringement of the sacred rights of
American citizenship than for one man
to interfere with another who was will
ing to work at the wages offered. The
strikers made mistake when they took
forcible possession of the mills, and
armed themselves to prevent other men
going to work. The company made an
equally serious mistake when it en-
ployed several hundred of the hated
Pinkerton's to eject the mob, and pro-
tect the property. A great responsible
ty rests upon both sides to this contest.
Neither can make amends for what is
past, but they can prevent repetition
ofthe scenes of ten days ago, and all
parties owe it to themselves, to their
country, and the laws which they have
violated, 10 make mutual concessions
and put an end to the trouble.