The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-09
IL MuST BE MEL,

There can scarcely be two opinions
IS to the character OF the indiScretion,
to use a mild term, committed by those
who were responsible for the importa-
tion, into Monroe county. Of the ignor-
ant and vicious clsss of southern work
ingmen who hswsd the wood aud drew
the water in the construction Of the
new railway line that was lately pro-
jected through this region. This i'm
portation condemned itself in the first
place through the slight that 1t imposed
on the abundant labor resident in this
state-labor which. although possibly
more expensive, because bstter skilled
and better educated, has nevertheless =
prior claim upon the consideration OF
the railroads contractor. Even though
the experiment had not been attended
by scenes OF violence. accident and dis
order, the giving of precedence to
southerners could not have b5Sn de-
Tended on any plea Of business equity
and fairness
But the experiment, in all its conss-
quences, has not proved successful, On
the contrary, it proved commercially
undesirable to the importers, and most
disastrous to the security and the
morals of the community through
which the road penetrated. 1t left a
direct trail of blooiShed aud accident
never before known ia the history OF
eastern railway construction; and it
has been the indirect means of foisting
upon the people of Monroe county a
collection of vicious VaSrants and uu-
restrained evil-dosrs whose crimes are
of almost daily Occurrences. The afro
city Of many OF these crimes, the az
gravated character Of the frequent as
saults and of the kindred ebullitions Of
lawleSsness directed toward peaceful
rssidents of sparssly settled country
districts where the machinery of police
protection is almost unknown, are
monuments to the folly Of this cheap
labor policy amounting, in the aggre-
gate, to a crying public evil.
The brutal murder of Christian Ehl-
ers BY an otfshoot band Of those strand.
ed southera desperadoes is merely Que
conspicuous instance Of the kind Of
work that they have been engaged in,
from the moment of their arrival until
now Many Of their misdssds have
never been reported in print. The
minutia of their midnight prowlings,
t.l g.. nj tiv,r1 ,1 tareAriZ
ton of women and children form alto.
gether one of the blackest pages in the
history Of Pennsylvania crime. That
the perpetrators themselves are psnni-
less, and must resort to violence as
the only alternative from starvation is
striking commantlry upon the con-
scieuceless cruelty Of tho contractors
who deliberately brought them to this
sorry plight and then left thsm to get
out of it as best they might.
While, therefore, the providers them
selves are less guilty, in morals, than
the intelligent and cold blooded agents
OF their entlcement into this critical
condition; and while the law ought,
in justice, to msto out to the real cul =
prits the punishment which is obvi.
ously their due, it cannot be believed
that the good people of Monroe county
must sit complacent under such jeop.
ardy and provocation as now surround
them. The srming of the villagers
of Tannersville the other day, and their
decent upon a camp Of tramps which
had been a prolonged source Of dis
turbancs is the kind Of the action
which must seemingly be taken in
many similar communities unless some
speedy solution to the problem may bs
devised which will obviate the neces-
sity Of recourse to mob justice