The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-23
A FREE TRADERS OPINION.

One of the strongest free trade advo-
Gates in the United States is George
William Curtis, editor of Harper's
Weekly. He is, also, one Of the warmest
supporters and greatest admirers OF
Grover Cleveland. When speaking on
free trade topics as connected with the
labor trouble his opinion should be given
careful consideration By those who are
opposed to a protective tariff. lnspeak-
ing of the labor troubles at Homestead,
in last weeks issue of his paper he has
the following:
Society and civilization are at bay in
an important town Of Pennsylvania, and
no one can foresee how far the future OF
the commonwealth will be determined
by the success of this government IN
meeting this crisis. An armed mob
has overthrown the rule of law, usurped
the possession and control of property,
superseded the guardian of peace, and
proclaimed its own law as supreme. 1t
has forbidden the owners OF land to oc-
cupy it, and their workmen TO enter on
it and work for wages, on pain OF death.
1t has defied the county and state, and
when men employed by the owners of
the buildings now held by tresspassers
have approached them for the purpose
Of entering the mob has shot down some,
forced the surrender of the rest under
pledge of safe conduct and then stabbed,
stoned, blinded, cudgelied and in var
ious ways manned its unarmed and re-
sistless captives with brutality rarely
heard of in our times. Yet the only Of
Tense charged against these victims of
the mob, was that they were supposed
to come in order to protect honest work
ing men in earning their wages. 10
this state of lawlessneSs and sovereignty
of an armed rebellion it appears that the
government of the country and that OF
the state acQuiesced for eight days with
scarcely a mild protest. At last on Sun
day the sheriff declared his helplessness
and the governor called the militia to
preserve order 1t will appear hereafter,
! when passion has cooled and the facts
are known, how far this delay had been
unavoidable, but its present effect Is
/ most unfortunate. The whole nation
! knew a week ago that strong mob had
! been organized and armed by determin-
ed leaders for the purpose of interfering
| with property rights and hinderlng the
peaceful employment OF labor, and had
| threatened death to any man who should
assert the rights which they wished &c
destroy.
In any other civilized land these act;
| constitute treason as well as rebellion and
are the highest crimes known to the
law. Their criminality is none the les:
that they are aimed at the sovereignty
of the republic and not of a king. Doubt
| less Pennsylvania had the moral and
physical force within reach to restore
! order and reinstate law. 1t Is probable
that simple declaration of a purpose K
exert this force would have sufiiced, but
it was not made, and the slaughter anc
cruelty were the natural results. 1t IS {
| disgrace to the nation that the public
discussion of the affair by the press ant
legislators has complicated and obscure(
the real question at issue. The spirit o
the demagogue who is afraid the voters
or readers may be made foes if he dar'
call murder and robbery by their RICH
names, has been made too manifest. The
journal or the public man that approves
the lawless mob of Homestead or 1t!
leaders, insults the working men of tbs
nation by assuming that they are a
heart robbers, and murderers, too.