Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-09-05
JONESBORO TENNESSEE, WEDNESDAY SEPE 5. l89l

leaders have inflicted upon the Ameri.
can people the last month with revo-
luton.
In bringing about the conditions that
have made this crisis possible capital,
corporations and employers are by no
means blameless. They have contrib
uted their full share to precipitate the
catastrophe, The coal mine owners
and railroad builders and other great
contractors are largely responsible for
the presence Of the Hungarians, Poles
and Italians. who have been imported
by the cargo like beasts of burden, and
employed at wages that no reputable
artisan or laborUr could accept, in or
der TO increase profits already exces
sive. Then the pusillanimity and dem
agogy of our public men has strength
ened and encouraged the destructive
forces by convincing them that they
have the sympathy or can compel the
support of politicians of both parties
in their crusade for the spoliation OF
society.
Gov. Altgeld, by pardoning the an
archists and assailing the tribunals by
which they were justly condemned, by
denouncing national authority and as
serting the supremacy of the State, an
nounced so far as lay in his power
that murder, incendiarism and treason
were safe in Illinois.
Undoubtedly solution will sooner
or later be found for the difficulties
and dangers that now threaten our
social and industrial system. The
American people have given too many
proofs of their capacity for self govern
ment and their attachment to Republi-
can institutions to render the issue
doubtful. They have found remedies
for other evils. They will find one for
this.
The relation between capital and la
bor will ultimately be adjusted upon a
more equitable basis. Probably a
tribunal of concliation will be estab
lished by Congress, to which all
questions of wages and schedules will
be referred for settlement, whose decis-
ions will be binding upon all parties
submitting their claims, like the de-
crees OF courts of arbitration.
If this is not done the movement to-
ward national ownership or control of
railroads, telegraphs and other public
agencies will be accelerated. My i'm
preston is that this is the predominant
purpose of those who are most active
now in labor organizations, but it is
among the possibilities. The idea has
grown recently very largely in import
ance and is receiving much considera-
tion among thoughtful men.
The feeling is growing that business
convenience, property, life, liberty and
happiness of the great mass of the peo-
pie, who neither own railroads nor are
employed by railroads, can not be sub,
jected indefinitely to the determent and
loss occasioned by these perpetual
duels. The people are the real parties
in interest. They are, the real victims
and sufferers, and they are innocent.
They want to travel, to send their pro-
ducts to market, to bring back the ex.
changes, and they are willing to pay
for the service, They are deprived of
their inalienalle rights by strikes and
boycots for which they are not re
sponsible, and if the Government docs
not protect them they will find some
way to protect themselves.
They are patient and long suffering
slow to anger and abundant in mercy.
They prefer statutes and charters, but
they are not afraid of the sword. Theil
liberties were won and have been main
tanned by the sword. If these are
threatened by implacable and incor
rigible enemies, incompatible with
safety and too strong for peaceful sub
jugation, freedom will be preserved by
the sword.