The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-09
WHO eovEEss THE cousrEr.

.Who Is Running This Country"
The people Of this country as every man
knows are living under written Federal
constitution: the coordinate branches Of
our government are president who ex-
ecutes the laws, a congress which makes
them and supreme court who construe
the laws. About two years ago the people
Of this country. by large majority, elected
Grover Cleveland president and congress
that is Democratic in both the house and
the senate. Intelligent men consider that
this is the responsible Federal government
of the United States. and every man who
does not need guardian knows that suf-
frnRe is almost universal in this country
and that the majority rule. In other
words. ever since the Federal constitution
was adopted in 1859 this country has been
ruled at the point Of the ballot, and we
have only had barely Federal bayonets
enough 10 man the government army
posts.
With 100000 of people, our standing
army is but Is 900 strong, scattered in
small detatchments all over the country.
Germany, in time OF peace. with but AZ ,0oO.-
coo people, has standing army OF nearly
500 COO men; France. with less than 40, 0o0-
600 of people. has a standing army of 500
600. In America We do not tax the people
to support non-productivs body of 500-
90 men. The state militia or National
Guard in forty-four states amounts to
about Joe. 900 men. We have preferred this
form OF free government to governing by
forest Of bayonets, as they practically do
in Europe. Under our form of government
We have treated the people with absolute
confidence. They elect their own leg
islature; their own sheriffs; their
own prosecuting attorneys; their
own. judges; make their own laws,
aud for this reason mob law in the
United States is very great outrage on
public policy and equity. Nevertheless
there seems Is be class of lawless Great
ures in this country who appear to think
that the government of the United States
is nothing but tag to the tail of the coat
OF the American Railway Union, the
knights of Labor or the American Con-
federation of Labor, despite the fact that
all the labor organizations in the United
States amount TO a membership of 1,000,-
600 strong out of total of working men of
nearly 20. 000, 900. Mr.. Debs, president of
the American Railway Union; Mr.. Com
pers. president of the Confederation of
Labor, and Mr.. Sovereign. general master
workman of the Knights of Labor, evidently
believe that they are the government of the
United States and they annually or semi
annually use their influence to persuade
the members of their various trades unions
to bulldoze the responsible government Of
the United States.
6ompers. who is foreigner, threw him.
self on the side of lawlessness and violence
during the Homestead strike OF 1892: his
speeches are always anarchistic to the last
degree, so are those of Sovereign, the
genaram master workman Of the
Knights of Labor. while Debs, the
chief of tho American Railway
Union, seems to have less brain and COM
mon sense. If possible, than the other two
labor demagogues. Com pers and Sovereign.
Debs Is a young man who some years ago
was a locomotive fireman. lie lives at
Terre Haute. and is president of a pub
fishing house in Chicago which prints
"labor literature. /" so called. Debs' lieuten-
ant is q. W. Howard, chief Of the Brother
hood of Railway Conductors and vice
president OF the American Railway Union,
whose organization was begun about
year ago. Every man who IS IN the en-
ploy OF n railroad. or who has ever been in
such employ is eligible TO membership.
except such as hold or have held places as
high as yardmasier, trainmaster, general
agent. and the like, or higher. The in
itiaiion fee is s.. 81 of which goes to the
support of the general union.
This union is reputed to have 10000
members. Dehs aud his lieutenant, How
ard. evidently consider that they are the
government Of the United states and are.
through that organization of 1000 men.
with sympathizers that may swell its
strength to l.OO0,ooo, running this country.
Debs is nothing but Martin Irons over
again; his manifestoes read like the proc
lamatiOns OF Martin Irons in the great
South western strike of iSS6. and he viii
meet the fate Of Irons.
And these fellows assume TO be the gov
eminent Of the United States. The Chi
cage Tribune in its just indignation SAYS:
'rhe frst order Of those antocrats. no
| have established an inpcriuHa "a fmfserio Is
| that all railroads hanling sleeping cars
| made 81 Pullman shall be tied IN though
these ears are owned by the roads chiefly
/ or IN some part. The new functionaries
/ Who have usurped the powers OF govern
nent have declared themselves as auto
| Gratis. and ordered thai al transportation
shall cease unless some twenty great rail-
/ roads dispense with the use 81 sleepsrs for
/ the accommodation Of travellers which
| mainly belong 90 them.
Nv ho elected Debs and Howard9 Who
( invested shem with autocFatic powers over
/ the people and their business affairs? Who
gave them authority 10 stop the transpor-
| tation 81 the Country Who authorized
another autocrat Sovereign TO paraIvFe
1 the business OF she stock yards and throw
/ = 900 men out OF work Wac gave stl.l
/ another l,tile despof. Mcbride, the right
/ 70 telegraph the head autocrat that IL the
railroads did not obey Nebs' orders he
/ woa!d call ont all his coal miners aud de-
/ prlve the people 81 fuel
"lsn't IL about time Tor the citizens 70
ind ont by what government they are
F ruled. and y 40 - IS thag gives them per-
4 mission % live. breathe. travel or do bush
ness. IL has been supposed they acre
/ living under the Declaration OF fnde-
| psndence. she Constitution Of the uailsd
/ States and the laws VI the nation. hat ID
/ noN appears this Is \ great mistake. Thev
4 have coup d'eta& fnoaArehs for ralers.
| They have nsw laws ard institutions.
I AWgngFA4s are FTsF5rUtmr nm like rsss1h