The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-20
IT must BE ATOSED FOR.

II is not often that The Richmond Times
and the New York Tribune agree about
anything. but the article from the Tri-
bune which we print below expresses
our sentiment with power and a pathos
that il not often exceeded. That dead
engineer with his hand on the throttle
and his face buried in ooze ought 10
put Debs 10 thinking when he looks at
his beautiful young wife with large dia-
monds in her ears and on her fingers, and
a gold watch in the belt around her
light waist, suspended by long double
gold chain of fine links around her
neck" Here is the Trbnne's article:
Pass~So, Debs it's over. Well. it's
sooner by few hours than We expected.
We counted too much on the permanence
of your cure Of neurastbenia 1t was
obvious several days ago that the back-
bone Of the strike was affected by neu-
rasthenia. but We did not look So soon
Tor the collapse of your own. The Ian
guage you We're engaged in throwing on
led great many persons unfamiliar with
the phenomena Of your ma.ady 10 believe
that your spinal column was the stlffest
thing on the continent. some of them,
we presume, are disappointed. They
were in hopes that you would continue
TO assert your superiority 10 the Gov
eminent OF the United States until you
compelled II to back down. They were
curious 10 see what you would do with
II when you once got II subjueatedi Whdt
limitations you would place upon il, or
whether you would abolish II altogether.
Their confidence In your spinal column
was increased when they observed that
you had been reinforced by Sovereign.
For they know Sovereign as a champion
Of labor who carries between his nose and
chin the capacity for keeping all the
Industries OF the country going, When
coal, steam, water power. and natural
gas fail. by simple wind. And now some
Of them are thinking that. instead OF
helping you with his wind. he blew your
backbone over.
But now that it is over, and you are
willing to let the Government of the
United States continue business at the
old stand for a while at least, the TTi-
bune would like To ask If. when you
calmly review your career, You think IT
was really worth whie2 You've been
very lucky. Debs. They hanged man
yesterday in Chicago for committing only
one murder. He knew less than YOU do
He snned against less light There's a
dead engineer. Debs lying under his
Locomotive in the OOze of a river bot
tom. away yOnder on the Pacific coast
who wouldn't have been there but for
yon. And he never did YOU harm. There
was nothing the matter with his back
bone. lie was trying TO do his duty as
IL
under threats. SO the men whom you
enlisted. whom you guided. and whose
willing obedience you commanded. steal
thtiy and murderously cntrapped him TO
his death. There's good deal Of signif-
icance as well as pathOs. Debs, in that
dead engineer lying there In the ooZe with
his hand on the throttle. Means a great
deal more. Debs. for the dignity of
labor: for its honor Tor the trust that
can be reposed in IL; FOR its knghtly
character and heroic cOurage-the dead
hand on the throttle zoe 30
sounding proclamations that have gone
cut under your hand during the last
fortnight
Others are lying dead over the whole
stretch of country on which your in
fiuence has burned its track who would
have been living but for you. Thousands
are idle who but for You would have
been reaping the fruits Of industry in
contentment. Thousands Of families are
in distress and misery. who fortnight
ago were comfortable and happy and
might have continued so had YOU not
ordered the bread-wnners TO throw down
their tools ana walk out into vagrancy
and vagabondage. Through your orders
business has been suspended, trade and
commerce brought to standstill. and
ali productive industry discontinued
through whole neighborhoOds and over a
wide extent of country. No man ever did
so much mischief, ever brewed such
trouble spread abroad such distress and
misery, ever caused sucn sacrifice of
life and made so many families wretch
ed with so little personal Inconvenience
or loss and so little personal peril For
through IL all your salary has gone
right on. Gone on just as though il
were not wrung from your victims.
And what have you got for ii, Debs?
Your picture has been printed In a great
many newspapers. Your proclamations
and pronunciamentos In a great many
more. You are known by name to-day
wherever the English language is spoken.
for fame. Debs. For II isn't. 1t IS an
unwholesome. nauseating notOriety. You
have had stomachful OF II. And now
that you are about TO pass out of il
into the obscurity from which you should
never have emerged, we ask you in all
candor. Was it worth while?
EDITORIAL COMMENTS