New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-05
4 UORD NTH DEBS.

that we may have word with yOu. YOu are
doubtless aware. if you have had time during
the last week to look yourself over IN your re-
latlons to the hundreds Of thousands Of men.
women ana children over whose sources 81
comfort and means Of subsistence yon have
absolute control. that YOU are The most cXtraor
binary person of this or any other period. Your
rise has been more sudden, your flight higher
and your power more absolute than that OF any
one man since the beginning of history. No
martial order no royal cdlct no imperial re-
script Of commander King or Car ever com
mandcd such unqucstlOninc obedience, over 80
vast an extent OF territory and 50 dense pop
ulation, as have the kilograms clicked ont over
your signature during the last five or six days
commanding the business Of the country 10
stand still You must be a wonder 10 yourself.
If You are not now You VIII be later. Wh"n-ln
the enforced retirement from public duties
which is a. sure 10 follow the bostcrous activity
of the present moment as the rocket IS to drop
the stick-you have leisure for reflection ana
occasion for determination. AT this moment
Dcbs. you are under the gaze Of several millions
If men. women and children, in whose lives ana
fortunes YOU have become all AT once an impor-
tant factor. \ considerable number OF these
look upon you with admiration. The largo ana
increasing class Of professional pedestrians
known rs walking Delegates take this view.
They may be found In considerable numbers IN
all the large cities with elbow on the bar work
Ing I'm your behalf 10 it, fullest capacity the
organ upon whose exercise their living depends.
They say that you are by all odds tho greatest
man the century has produced. And we our
selves rather think you are greatest In som"
respects, IL this or any other century. There
are Others Dcbs, who think YOU have reached
the pinnacle Of human greatness. And we are
not disposed 10 dispute that view, either. Dld
YOU ever think Debs. of the direction In which
a man must make progress after he has reached
any sort II pinnacle Its downhill on all
sides Dcbs Then there are a very large mum
Der of people whom you have found IL necessary
during the last week 10 stop short and subject
- great Inconvenience. loss. distress misery
suffering and disaster Non are not popular
with them. Dcbs. They consider you more high
waymnn than phanthropist, aud when they
say Debs II Is preceded IN print by blank
which II filed would BE- alllteratye.
Have you ever read history much. Dchsf Your
contention, in which you are supported by 'Ihe
New-York World" that the American Hallway
Union Is independent Of the Government ~ The
United States and that there is no power under
the Constitution 10 restrain It's members from
taking forciblc possession OF all the railroads In
the country which Is the obvious effect Of your
orders reminds Us Of II similar position taken
by a considerable body Of citizens little more
than thlrty-hrcc years ago. question be
tween capital and labor WAS involved then. as
now; only the contention then WAS that labor
had 10 rights while yours * that capital has
none. They also were peaccaby disposed rs an
organized body just as you say the Railway
Union Is: but individuals In the COnfcdcracy-
they called themselves a COnfrdcracy- OCCASION
ally tarred and fcathcrcd, rode on a rail,
mObbcd. maltrcated and sometimes hanged those
who disagreed with them. The COnfcdrracy
mndc the same distinction between the unau-
thorlzcd acts Of these individuals aud It's own
formal proceedings that you do between acts
Of violence on the part ~ individual strikers
and the official action OF the hallway Union.
The Confedcrates said, too, very much "a you
have been saying that they were peaccably dis
posed; that they intended simply TO put stop
10 the collection Of revenues by the United States
Government wherever they could do so; That
they did not recognize the authority of the GOV
crnmcnt 10 interrupt them; that II would he
'H'cdcral cncroachmcnt" aud violation Of the
Constitution 10 attempt IT,; that all they wanted
was 10 De let alone. and that they were willing
lust as YOU are IOw-tO submit the whole mat
Ter 10 arbitration. There was just such an Adj
mInisration when that difficulty began as there
IS nOw-same party in power ana Democratic
newspapers took the same position that "Ihc
World" does now: that 10 proceed against these
persons who only asked 10 be let alone would
be unconstitutional and a "Fcdcral cncrOach-
ment" vastly more dangerous TO free instiiu-
tlons and civil liberty than the establishment
in pcrlnancncc Of the principle that Capital
should not only control Labor but own the
laborcr. The people who thought differently
endured great Inconvenience and distress for
some time In patience, but presently concluded
that they would keep The Government Of the
United States in operation ana not submit any
question about II 10 arbitration. II you will
read mp n little on your history. Dcbs. you will
learn how the controversy came ont. That was
the last attempt 10 supcrsolc and subvcrt the
Government MP TO the advent Of Yourself and
the Railway Union. But you may have better
luck than jefferson Davis. Who knows?
Did YOU ever have the nightmare DcbS? Ever
during the growing period Of your youth. when
your growth WAS too rapid for yonr health. AMI
It seemed as though You never cOuld get trousers
large enough for You on account of thr daily
Increase in your glrih and staiure-cvcr have
dreams? Ever go TO bed just like any ordinary
boy and. after tossing about awhile in trou-
blcd sleep. feel that You have suddenly dcvcl-
Opcd wings; that your feet are of the ground,
and You are skmmng along In. the air with
the lightncss Of bird over the tops Of tie tall
est trees and highest mountains; and that IN
your superiority to the law Of gravity and your