Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-10-20
Praise Where Praise is Due.

CafQlnal UlDDOnS sermon mere
few Sundays ago and judge Harlan's
decision next day cover substantially
the same ground.
In other words, the highest authority
in the Catholic hierarchy in this
country, and an eminent member of
the supreme judicial body in America
unite in saying that men may quit
work individually or in a body, but
that they cannot compel other men to
quit or prevent others from going to
work.
That this view, taken from religious,
moral and legal grounds, is correct,
is beyond controversy.
The matter is alluded to now be-
cause the following paragraph, taken
from Cumberland letter to the Balt-
more Nevs, calls it up:
There is one factor in the Alegany county
campaign that the Wellington leaders are try
ing to relegate as far to the rear as possible,
and that is the recent strike. States Attorney
Sloan and Sheriff King, who are at the head
and front of the Wellington movement, are
far from popular men with the mining pop.
ulation. They are the men who are re-
sponslbe for the calling out of the military
in June. Even the better class of the strikers
who deprecated violence are bitter against
these two men, for they feel that the proper
civil precautions were not taken before the
troops were demanded.
THE better class of the strikers"
know better. They may say what they
please, but outside of all strikers"
SO out of 100 people can make affidavit
to the best of their knowledge, belief,
judgment and conviction, that it was
absolutely necessary to call out the
military to restore to the men who
wanted to work the right to work.
They know almost to certainty,
too. that the military was 1.-The ounce
of prevention which saved pound of
cure"
However much, therefore, Messrs.
Sloan and King may be blamed for
their action. they did "the right thing"
Done day earlier, it would have
been 1.-The right thing at the right
time"
At time like that, when, in ad-
dition to our own malcontents, horde
of ugly faces from Pennsylvania and
West Virginia were here scowling on
peaceable people, and threatening
those who wanted to work, no such
thing as proper civil precautions"
were adequate to the demands of the
occasion.
The claim of "the better class of
strikers" therefore, is exactly the
claim of the worst class.
The invaders from Pennsylvania
and West Virginia hold the same view.
Meanwhile, Messrs. Sloan and King
are conscious of two undeniable facts
|. That no stain of blood, follow
ing neglect of similar duty elsewhere,
dishonors their official skirts, and
., That in all probability some of
the men who condemn them for per-
forming a duty, undoubtedly unpleas-
ant at best, would be in their graves
to-day had that duty been neglected.
The JOURNAL hardly has patience
enough to discuss such lame, sense
less proposal as that set up by ''the
better class of strikers"
proper civil precautions" how
ever, means posse comit0tus numerical
ly strong enough to protect rights,
property and life. But if "the better
class of strikers" had looked at the
matter then as they apparently do
now, the sheriff, with the law behind
him, would not have needed to call
out single citizen to assist him-far
less the military.
If he could have depended upon "the
better class of strikers" to aid him in
protecting the men who wanted to
work, the military would never have
been called, nor even one deputy
sheriff
The honest duty of ''the better class
of strikers" at this juncture, therefore,
is to go slow in adopting an excuse
which only the worst class can assert.