The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-06-14
The Mob VS.. Tho Law.

Thoughtful people arc doing n good
deal OF close thinking or tho mob VIC.
lence which has accompanied tho strike
Of tbs coal minorl. 1hcy realize that
il the men OF one industry Gun triumph
over tho law tho same cur DO done by
another body Of determined, reckless
men. In n well advised article on this
subject the Pittsburgh Dispatch says:
ProclamatlonS commanding moss to dIspere
Rre u~SGlCss-unlcsS means h'G taken 10 make
rioters respect the law. T.fyinG 70 maintain the
law by scattering forces OF deputies IS only in-
Wiling further defiance. \ force must DO put
into the field that will oYgrawe tho rioters, sup
press the nuarchy md restore piece TO this lanu-
The aliens who have been crQWdiIB INTO me
United States during pR't years In search ollAbor
need To BE- instructed thnt this country Is ruled
by civilized Law. II must DO administered
promptly and sharply II the nation Is u be ~
deemed from the disgrace OF being ruled by the
iyrany OF Ignorant and criminal lnobs.
Mobs do not care for proclamations.
To hold them in check or to disperse
them there must be Il display OF force
known to be ready for effective work.
10 confront IN armed, intlamed crowd
OF la%w.breakers with n proclamation is
to oppose words to bullets and excite
the mob's contempt
Nor ia there any reason why there
ahall be days or weeks Of temporiziug
through q handful OF ahorif's deputies,
when experience teaches that in the
end the national guard OF tho state will
lave TO take the field. Tho military is
as much n part OF tho machinery o.
government rs tho shcriH's posse and is
no moro obnoxious 10 good citizens.
The law.abiding never make it neces.
sary TO call out the possco or the mill
tary. In riot times it is tho lawless
with whom tho military has to deal,
and the officers OF the law should not
permit the MOB to triumph for L min.
ute il that can be prevented.
Since the West Virginia troops have
been called out somo peraons have chal-
lengcd the wisdom OF that course, de-
claring that it was not necessary to put
them in the field. This o(.hand opin-
ion overlookg tho situation at the time
tho governor ordered out the troops.
Organized lawlessncss was in tho field,
and 10 the extent that it was having its
way with no power present to atop it.
organized Iawiessncss had organized 60
ciety by the throat.
Was tho governor Of West Virginia to
DO blind and deaf to this intolerablo
situation? Fortunately he has shown
himself to be q very different kind OF
man. There Is no room to doubt that
the presence OF tho troops. and that
alone, has restored the degree of order
which exists to-day.
Traffic is resumed and tho public
peace maintained because tho rioters
know that the force is at hand to deal
with them if they start to resume the
old business ut the old stand. The same
is true OF tho situation'in Ohio, where
there is another governor who is doing
his duty to society and will do it to tho
end without fear or favor.
The whole question is whether the
mob or the law shall be supreme,
whether tho,e shall be ono authority &c
restrain and protect everybody OF
whether every man shall be 4 law unto
himself. It's choice between civiliza-
ton and ba,barism.