Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-19

erton men have . bad record In pennsyl-
vaaia and they are not generally regarded ~
being desirable neighbors. but the Law has not
yet made any distinction between thom and
other residents of the United States. Their
night to peaceably assemble il guaranteed
BY tho Constitution and there IL no
seatnte that impedes their movements.
either singly or In . body. 30 long they are
without uniforms and unarmed. In this wsy
'hey entered The state. The news Of their
coming aroused She population of Homestead.
and when the bargcs appeared in sight men on
shore hred at them for twenty-five minutes be-
fore the works were reached; this has been
made plain in testimony given before the
coroner. After awhile the riukerton meu re-
turned the fire. for when they embarked they
found arms and ammunition and uniforms on
the barges. Then followed the battle Of Home
stead.
Mr. Frick was not present during the con-
hict, nor 90 far as I can learn Was any Of the
Others for whom warrants will be asked Mr.
Frick is undoubtedly responsible for bringing
In the mon who were attacked by the rioters,
but unless there are some important facts con-
cealoh his legal responsibility ends there. The
murder charge may have in IL some moral force.
but the law cannot take serious cognizance Of
it.
TIE TREASON cHARaE
The treason Is said 20 consist Of bringing an
armed force into the state. All the evidence
up to this point shows that the men were not
armed until they were ared upon.
Then they opened the boxes Of rifles and am.
munition and prepared to defend themselves in
their attempt to land upon the property Of the
person who had engaged them. The attempt
TO land was defeated by an armed force Of
workingmen, who committed trcspass in their
eagerness to keep out the watchmen engaged by
the Carnegie company. In the struggle which
ensuod men were killed and men were wounded
Il Was a riot for which the strikers alone we're
responsible
The watchmen had ieeai right 10 land on
the Carnegie property; they were not invading
any home nor were thy interfering with the
legal rights Of any man. The workmeu had no
business within the fence even IL thev had
every reason to bolicve hat the handing of the
watchmen would be followed by the entrance Of
non-union workers.
The foregoing is plain statement of facts.
devoid of prejudice and uninhuenced by any
considerations other than those which control
all law-ahiding citizens.
PARTICIPATION IN rHE RIOT
For participation in the riot a large number
of the people who opposed the landing of the
watchmen viii be arrested and tried. Under
the law Of Pennsylvania any one who aided OF
abetted in the disturbance can be tried for
murder in the first degree even although but
one man had died. That comprehensive
ruling is enough TO make quite a number Of
Homcsteaders uneasy, hut how Chairman Frick
ct al. are going to be held cannot see.
HOPE THAT BAIL WILL NOT BE TAKEN.
At Amalgamation headquarters today there is
expression Of general hope that bail will not
be accepted in the case Of strikers arrested
This feeling springs from desire TO have Mr..
Frick in the same situation as soon as he il ar
rested, if he is. I'D cheerfully stay in jail two
days to his one. said one Of the leaders
Should the authorities refuse 20 issue war
rants for the company's officials or should they
accept bail after refusing it to the strikers there
would be tremendous howl MIR.
Frick has been brutal in his coldness
throughout this entire trouble. He has
declined all appeals to arbitrate and has treated
the workmen with shameful indifference He
has set himself out to destroy the Amaigamated
Association of Iron and Steel Workers as he
did the coke workers association a year
ago, and be will do all that money
can do to accomplish his purpose, but
that he has committed any act which can
legally be termed murder or treason is highly
improbable. He ordered the importation Of
watchmen whose very name smells into heaven,
and he may have foreseen the awful fight which
made Homestead a household word, but when
the law has had its say Chairman Frick will
hardly have reason to feel depressed. statuts
law and moral law are 20 different. @. H.H