The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-07-14
THE LABOR RIOTS.

VANCE WILL Oe found a very COM
plete resume of the sad occurrences
at Homestead, near Pittsburgh, in
which several lives were lost, and
quite number of persons were
wounded. The loss of life is to be
deplored, and the bereaved have
tho sympathy of all good citizens.
But the suffering incidental to the
battle between the Pinkerton mon
and the strikers is by no means the
greater part of the calamity.
The results following this out
break Will extend into hundreds of
homes, and over years of coming
time. Employers and employed,
once friends, and mutually helpful
in their relations to each other are
now enemies. Whatever may be the
ending of this fray, many will suf-
fer loss of employment, which they
can i'll afford to bear.
But the greatest calamity is the
outbreak of vile and mischievous
opinions, uttered in professed SYM
pathy with the workingmen, but
tending to social anarchy, and des-
tructive to the interests of both the
capitalist and the laborer.
Our meaning as to the sort of
calamity that threatens our future
will be better understood after the
careful study of the following Ut
terancc of a Chicago labor union:
"lsrsolved, That we affirm that labor
creates al wealth; that wealth belongs
TO It's producers, and that therefore
the mills and other property in the pos
session of the Carnegie company is the
rightful property of the workingmen
OF Pennsylvania who produced it."
This is very much as if they had
declared that after a man has fur
nished the material for building,
and paid laborers and mechanics
for constructing it, that the struc-
ture and the land on which it stood,
belonged to the workmen who had
built it. Such doctrine controlled
the murderous element of the ter
rible French Revolution.
Then We have the doctrine prac-
tically asserted that manufactur'
ing establishments can only be
run on terms dictated by combina
tions of the operatives.
The day will be an evil one when
combines Of any sort shall be per
mitted to interfere with or control
the property of other men.
The riot is justified by some be-
cause the Pinkerton forces were
employed to protect the Carnegie
property. But if the State troops
had been called upon at first woult
there not have been the same out
cry against them? The Pinkerton'
were simply private citizens en-
ployed to protect property belong
ing to the corporation. The corpo
ton was able and willing to pa,
them. The State of Pennsylvani
is now paying out of its treasur,
about $25,O00 per day to allow tn
corporation to run it's own proper
ty. Easy enough for the Carnegi
estate. But isn't it just a littl
rough on the tax payers of the oil
commonwealth? Would they no
prefer that corporations should pa,
their own police expenses?
Objection is made that the Pink
erton force is specially odious. W
have no doubt that is 50. But thi
is not a question OF taste. A legio
of heavens angels, notwithstand
ing the superiority of their more
character over that of the Pinke1
ton men coming on the same erran
at the same time would have me
with no better reception at thu
time. It is said that the dectec
ives of that force have been I'll
means of convicting innocent mel
In such cases we hope their ev
may be made to appear. But tt
detective branch of the Pinkerto
force was not on those ill fate
barges. Perhaps some of the
were at Homestead that day, but
they were, they we're in the ran]
of the rioters taking notes whi<
may appear in court some day. II
men assaulted as they landed we
not skilled detectives, but men er
ployed to guard property. VIII
other or better work are the Sta
militia doing? The rioters pr
fessed great joy at their comm
and proposed to meet them wi
bands and banners )! May the
love for them continue.
Riot and bloodshed are not la
full methods of adjusting cont1
versies about wages. It is not
American method, but men n
American in principle or charact
oro fani1;o r;a;ncr no with thoir h