Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-11
BEN BUTLER'S VIEWS
On the Legal Aspect of the Home
stead Trouble Given in Full.
PINKERTONS NOT IN THE RIGHT
In Making an Armed Invasion of the State
of Pennsylvania.
THE DUTY OF GOVERNOR PATTIsON

| OI 1cnnSylV6nl8.
THE DUTY OF GOVERNOR PATTISOl
| BOSTON, July 10.-Extracts from Genera
Benjamin F. Buffers statement on tn
trouble at Homestead, at the complete in
| terview, are now given for the first time, a.
| follows:
The reporter-General Butler, have yol
any objection to stating your views of th'
occurrences that have taken place at Home
stead, Pa, which resulted in riot?
General Butler-I ought not to have any
objections, because have very pronounced
views on the matter, which are the result
of very considerable thought
Let me premise: Mr.. Carnegie, as every
body else, has the right to protect his prop
erty from violence or destruction. The
working men have the right to refuse to
work for him except upon terms to which
they agree. Neither ought to pursue these
rights except by due process OF law.
I have right to defend my property, but
in doing SO have no right to incite or COM
NIT breaches of the public peace
I may be wrong in nv facts, because
nothing can be known fully about them
without an official investigation, which
should be conducted under the law with
full powers TO reach the bottom of the
affair.
As I learn the Carnegie Company has
been preparing for armed resistance to any
action against them. The company erected
Jnr -
holes and other means of offensive and de-
fensive warfare.
The company had submitted q schedule
of wages for the acceptance Of their work.
men, and gave them three days in which to
come to determination to accept or reject
it. On the first day, however, some ill
advised persons hanged Mr.. Frick, the man
ager of the company, in effgy. That was
no breach of the peace.
AT Most It Was Libel Only,
and a irm-minded, well-disposed gentleman
should have taken not the slightest notice
of it. But the company Immediately shut
down its mills and locked out the workmen.
Such q performance would Of course breed
very bad blood That was accompanied
with the fortifcation of their premises,
which was likely to provoke riot.
But who prepared the first riot? Assum-
ing that the Pinkerton men were acting for
the Carnegie Company, that company pre-
pared for bloody riot simply; nothing that
they did being under the sanction of the
law. They built at great expense, it seems,
barges to contain a large force known as
the Pinkerton detectives, which barges
being very heavily built and lined with
steel plates, thoroughly supplied with arms
and ammunition, with hunks for a large
number of men and prepared for warfare,
were to be used to make landing in the
borough of Homestead of an armed force
Now, who are the Pinkerton detectives?
They are and have been for several years
an organization of armed, irresponsible men
ready to commence warfare whenever Or
dered by their officers-a conspiracy of men
more harmful to the public peace than any
other ever in this country, and more danger
Gus to the liberty ard welfare of our citi-
zens than can otherwise be conceived.
What was done? An armed water expe-
less, were brought from New York, Brook
lyn and Chicago, supplied with murderous
weapons which they were to use and did use
to effect a landing.
There has been some talk in the news
papers as to who fired the first shot. I
think that was entirely useless in consider. !
ing the situation, because whoever organ
lied this mercenary and murderous force
got ready riot on their part, and up to the
time of their attempting to land. ! hear of
no riot at Notwithstanding approach
ing an outbreak, but only preparations to
meet this incursion. No property had been
destroyed, and nobody had been interfered
with by the laboring men, so far as have
learned.
Tho Action OF Any Such Force
was a riot of ITSELF No armed expedition
for the purpose of violence in State can be
permitted to go from one State to another
without the assent of the public authorities,
and, so far as know, no such assent was
given.
The company had called for deputies of |
The sheriff to protect their property, and he |
,ame on to the ground at the outset He |
was met in a peaceable and orderly manner |
Committee of the Amalgamated workmen, |
which I understand to be an organization of |
Ill the iron workmen in the country. That |
committee informed him that in their opin-
on there would be no breach of the public
,eace in the borough, that they would do
Ill they could to prevent it, and |
hev desired him to give them the
egal right to do what they could |
" appointing them his deputies, which
le refused to do. They offered to give him
,onds in large sums for the perform ance of |
heir duty as such officers, but he declined.
After consultation they then informed him |
hat as their organization would have no
,ower to interfere with anything that mighty
lappen they had determined to disband the
and they asked him to attend
It their rooms when formal disbandment
# the organization was made, their records
,urned and their badges of office discarded.
From their action they seem to have been
very clear-headed, and properly, we'll dis
'osed body of men.
The Sheriff then sent down ten of his dep
tiles to keep the peace in so great an emer-
ency. When those deputies came there
nd got information of the state of affairs
hey declined to do anything, and went
ome, and the Sheriff went to bed, having
informed the people that t(he would be at his
fice at 8 o'clock the next morning.
All this performance ON the part of the
sheriff and the company seems to have been
imply a "blind, and my reasons for so
elieving are these:
If there was any danger ten deputy sher-
ifs from another part of the county we're
nown to be utterly Intellectual tor any
ood. and that was known by the company,
ecause they had long before prepared this
rmed and fortified
Expedition Of Pinkerton Men,
'hich they were to have landed at their
orks at 8 o'clock the next morning; and,
D far as appears they had not Informed
he Sheriff Of that determination. If they
ad done so, then the Sheriff's action was
of O nonspi rdcv instead nf f;,,,;d ;no.. |