The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-07-19
THE GREAT STRIKE,
Isl TOBE WAR TO THE KNIFE?
No one Knows What the End Will be
---ArbitratiOn Being Refused the
Struggle May be Prolonged and
Desperate---TO Suppress Violence
is Not Tyaranny---Obedience to Law
the First Consideration.
Wilmington Messenger. !

Is N0L lydraDny---ODeOlen TO Law
the First Considerations.
Wilmington Messenger
Arbitration being refused, it is now
to be war to the knife. That is the
signal thrown out for the comfort of
the American people who favor peace,
plenty and prosperity. If a general
strike follows, as is threatened, it will
bring about an appalling state of
things, and millions of people who
are not involved in the troubles will be
made to suffer.
Whether Debs, the despot, is a dyp-
somaniac reformed by Kelley, or no,
is of no particular consequence now.
He has precipitated vast disturbance
that may end in stupendous conflict
long protracted. Who knows to-day !?
An industrial cataclysm-the greatest
known in history-is impending. Will
it come? Who can say? Many
operatives are said not to be in
sympathy with Debs, and will not fol-
low his lead. But if Debs, Sovereign
& Co., order all to strike, we suppose
they will be generally obeyed, and
then what
In the letter to the President, Debs
and Sovereign make some strange
statements. They charge the Presi-
dent with purpose to substitute ga
military despotism" for a Republic
This looks like crazy notion rather
than sound judgment. If the rioters
and wreckers will disperse and let
business return to its usual channels
the army will be withdrawn and peace
will be restored, and hope and con-
fdence with it. There is no aggression
designed on the laboring people by
the President. Read his proclamation
and you will see this. If there is to
be any "despotism," at this time in
American history, it will be one of a
wild mob, armed and furious, bent on
deviltry and destruction. This is the
huge spectre that looms against the
threatening sky.
Why, not long since, the Great
Northern Railroad had to make terms
with strikers, and when the President
Of the road held that it was not bound
to re-instate " in its employ men who
were found guilty Of any criminal
offence against the United States, who
had mallciously injured the company's
property, or who had placed the lives
of passengers or the property of the
company in danger by abandoning
trains, the question was submitted to
the arbilrators, who decided that the
agreement bound the road to re -instate
and pay men then under arrest and
awaiting trial on the charge of malicious
destruction of property, men who had
interfered with the running Of trains
and men who had abandoned trains in
inaccessible places" as we learn from
the New York Evening Post After
this arbitration seems Of doubtful
justice and expediency TO railroad
men in the West and no wonder.
Their natural rights disappear, it
seems, under such an arrangement
AS we tried to show yesterday, both
sides have rights that need to be OBJ
served and treated fairly. When
either labor wars upon capital or
capital wars upon labor, there is great
calamity to follow and evil will be
wrought. Either can destroy the
other. If labor never works then
capital shrinks up. If capital shuts
down and refuses to employ, then
labor must 60 at something else
dig, beg, starve, die or take. Bishop
Moorman, of England, in a recen,
address, said in that country that the
claim was set up that wages shall be
determined rather by the wants OF the
worker than by the gain OF the trader, -
and that earnings really depended upon
conditions-upon the productiveness
of land for the laborer, and competi-
ton of other countries for the artisan.
All the men who stand for anarchy
in any shape are the enemies of the
country-of the poor as we'll as the
rich. 1t is not despotism nor wrong
doing to enforce the laws OF this
country, because upon their enforce
ment depend life, liberty, property.
ali that makes this life bearable OF
desirable. The President means peace
for all we'll disposed citizens. He
| means war for those who shall con
tinue to destroy, to molest, to resist
constituted authority. AS we said the
other day, the boycott, like Anarchy
is imported, and is un-American, and
is wrong and ought not to be tolerated
in this " land of the free," and Of men
enjoying the rights and privileges o.
freemen.
Some of the men in the lead seem
to regard the enforcement Of the law
and order a strike at labor. The
truth is that burning buildings, stop
ping trains, boycotting people, setting
in motion angry mohs-these are
really to strike at labor and its hes
interests. 1t is no attack on labor tc
stop rioting, to prevent killing, to pu'
down tyranny, to see to it that tht
business of 67,ooo,ooo people is mol
completely stopped, wrecked. The
Fuenjng Post says, in commenting
upon the letter of Mr.. Griffin Of tht
Chicago Typographical union;
This would be queer country if th'
doctrine should prevail that ever,
little group and handful of men VIII.
fancied themselves wronged could seiz,
trains of cars, or wagons. or ox-teams
or bicycles on the public highway, ant
make bonires Of them. That is wha
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