The herald., 1894-07-07

tlm5 Will uOb turn DtckWafu. lDmOf-
row may never come, and today. aud in
each day can only be done the work for
that day. In no day can the work OF
iormer day be done, without losing the
work of that day. Hence the 10 days
loss to the strikers in wages represent
not less than $l,5C0,000. A dead loss
Lost irreparably, lost forever; and the
original party, Pullman, and tine rail-
roads, secondarily, only postponed in
their receipts for delayed passengers and
freight.
Another class injured is the producers
of perishable freight. The innocent
fruit and vegetable producers who have
labored year to produce psrishsble
crop ars injured. Estimates OF their
loss for California are as high as $4,000
to $75, 900 per day which for the 10 days
strike is now $50U,000 to $3.50, ,000-a
dead loss to innocent, hard. working
people; loss that no one proposes to
pay them for.
Mr.. Roberts, president OF one OF the
striking orders, in San Francisco. the
Examiner reports, refuses to allow per
ishable goods or fruits to be moved, say
ing that the producers will have to stand
the loss 30 far as he lie concerned.
The railroad officials are reported to
have offered to move the perishab BILE
freight if allowed to do 80 on ordinary
freight trains.
The noticeable feature OF the business
aspect is that Mr.. Dsbs is damaging the
strikers by his orders to the smount Of
$l50, 200 per day; is damaging California
fruit producers $75, 900 per day, and is
not damaging Pullman, the alleged ag-
gressor and party to blame, to any mate
rial extent; is damaging the railroads to
q very limited extent, and Ia damaging
the innocent 65, ,000, 900 people to an un-
told extent.
WHAT IS THE LEGAL ASPECT?
In brief, Mr.. Debs has placed himself
and all officers and members of the
American Railway union under the laws
of the state and federal governments in
q conspiracy.
l believe that the members of the
order in this respect have been misled.
They are fundamentally law abiding,
but having joined the order for common
good, as they supposed at the time, and
feeling that they were in honor bound,
as they understand it, to obey the order
OF Debs, they have unwittingly been
placed in legal position that they
would not have Intentionally entered.
Many condemn the law of conspiracy,
and intimate that it was tricky, secret
enactment sprung on the laboring man.
Such is not the case.
The laws relating to conspiracy are
fundamentally the same for over 400
years.
Blackstone stated in his day that
conspiracy may be to injure public
trade, to affect public health, to violate
publio police, to insult public Justice, or
to 10 any act itself illegal" In fact. the
whole law OF conspiracies was in that
day vastly more strict than the above.
1t made all com binations to interfere be-
tween employer and employee in any
injurious manner to either side GRIM
inal offense. The frat statute OF Cali.
fornia made it a conspiracy ITO commit
any act injurious to trade or commerce,
or for the perversion or obstruction of
justice or due administration of thu
laws.'
The same are the substance of the
| United States laws from the foundation
Of the government. Mr. Debs by his
orders has placed himself and members
Of the order in violation OF these laws.
Now, the laws of the land must be en-
forced or we have an end OF government.
The whole power of the army and navy
and OF our police and militia force are
pledged to enforce the laws OF the land.
The question in the United States is not
now between Pullman and Debs or the
American Railway union. 1t is between
the military power of the United States
and persons plunged unwittincly into a
conspiracy. 1t is question whether
congress and the laws are the govern
menu or Dsbs and his orders are the gov
ernment. Whether the Lord ia God or
Israel is God, as Elisha OF old said on
Mt. Carmel.
Mr.. Dsbs has bluudered fearfullv
blundered, as a general in managing this
fight. In his use OF power he has evil
IDENTIFY lost his head and placed thou
sands OF peaceable, patriotic, law-abid-
ing citizens unwittingly in open hostility
to the civil and military power of the
nation. There can be only one outcome
to the contest as it is now waged. No
arbitration can occur between the United
States and hostile citizens.
Had Mr. Debs boycotted the Pullman
shops and never let another car come
out, and not interfered with those in
public use, he would have had the sup
port OF the public. But he has now
brought about a conflict between the
laws of the nation and himself.
Under the laws the arrest and convic.
tion OF Mr.. Debs and his officers is only
a question of time and process OF court,
The members of the American Rail-
way union are entitled to the benefit OF
the fact that they were honestly misled
and did not know the result of their
acts.
1 must say that the members of the
order in Los Angeles have shown rare
good sense and self-respect in the law
abiding manner in which they have
thus far acted. Some hot expressions
are certainly excussble under the cir
cumstancss. am personally acquaint- |
cd with large numbers of them, and be-
lieve they will abide by the laws OF the
land and orders OF the court in all cases
where they conflict with Mr.. Debs' or
derH.
The political aspect is brief. The
highest allegiance of each and all OF US
is to this government. No government
is or ever will be perfect, or satisfactory
to all. The Almighty could not make
such government. He tried it thou
sands of years age and the people were
not satisfied. and ran it themselves into
= fpe smsshup.
This 10 the best government up to
date on earth. If it goes down it will be
replaced with more centralized form,