The record-union., 1894-07-11
THE TRoBLE OF THE HOUR-wORDs
OF REASON.


the lines of railway from San Francisco
to the Missouri River. These roads, un-
der the compact by which they were con-
structed, were by the Government given
the character Of post and military roads
whenever it choose 30 to use theEn, and 1t
always has so used them when it needed.
It will be recalled that when the over
land railways were projected the one
chief and great argument in favor OF
them was their high value for military
transportation and for economic and
swift mail carriage.
Besides this the transcontinental roads
traverse several States. The Federal
Government is bound by the Constitution
to see that interstate commerce is main
tanned and kept unobstructed. 1t is the
is wise provision of the Constitution
that it is so, for without this regulator
in the form of Federal authority the
States would be liable to constant fric-
ton, the laws of one prohibiting the
bringing into the State what the laws Of
another Iegalizes for export, etc., as in
the Iowa and other Western liquor cases.
Regardless of the causes of the present
trouble, the Government of this republic
finds itself confronted by condition at
our DOORS; that is, an obstructed post and
military road, checked interstate COM
merce, armed bodies of men defying its
authority. It resolves, as is the duty OF
its administrators, to remove these OBJ
structions. and the only force its Execu-
tive can employ to that end is the Federal
army, for the owners of these roads cam
not operate them because of the obstruc-
tions in the nature of menace to the pub
lie peace, to human life, and physical OBJ
stacles to the movement of trains that
only force can remove.
The duty and power of the Federal
Government then is clear. It is the only
power that can open the roads. or be sp-
pealed to to do so. The several States
cannot operate beyond their borders, nor
work in desired harmony for that
very reason.
Some men. heaven forgive the men and
save their souls from responsibility for a
single human life lost, have been advising
the striking railway men that the Federal
s-cx,o-,,,,,ov,4 =, an,rlovino ito r1ol;oa
which is the army and the navy and the
Marshals of the courts, to open the ways
for interstate commerce, and for passage
of the mails, exceeds its duty and usurps
power not constitutionally vested in it.
Some of the striking men tell US this, and
we believe them, for we have never
known them to misrepresent.
Right here and now, therefore. we wish
to say to these citizen, and all others mis-
led, that they are, if so advised, grossly
deceived. We cannot believe that any
lawyer has so advised them. They have
been told by others that lawyers have
said SO, and they have drawn the conclu-
sion that therefore they may resist what
they hold to be illegal force.
But if all be. granted that in these
premises they believe. false. pitiable
and lamentable as it is, it remains that
the arm of the greatest republic of earth.
the fairest, best government of time, the
last, highest and only hope of oppressed
humanity is now extended. and no citizen
can remain true, loyal, law-abiding and
honorable who opposes force to it.
1t is the flag, the uniform, the scepter.
the emblem of the power and the au-
thority of 5000, 900 of sovereign people.
and it must be obeysd.
fit errs there is way to correct it or
derly. peaceably, severely. and no human
being can be harmed by it who is law
abiding.
The discretion TO determine when the
conditions justify the executive in using
the military of the nation in enforcing the
laws and maintaining the guarantees OF
the Constitution. is lodged in the Chief
Magistrate of the republic. When he ak
ercises that discretion It's final, and there
is no review Of it to be made except at the
ballot-box. Every presumption is, and
must be. that he acts in such matter
from the highest motives, and with an
eye single TO duty and the best interests
of the people.
There may be those who so far disoredit
their loyalty to free institutions as to
charge that in the exercise of the discre-
ton given him. the President truckles
to capitalized interests. But the history
of the exercise of the supreme executive
power, the actual conditions of obstruc-
ton, the plain mandate of the Constitu-
ton and the laws emphatically give the
lie to the suggestion that the President OF
the United States has acted with preju-
dice or insincerity;; the people who see
ARMED resistance to the Law arraysd