The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-05
,I1srAINEs OF D1oBocRAcY.


The press of the country are divided
somewhat in their views as to the armies
called industrial" which are massing
in different places and demanding food
bedding, clothing and transportation
Some regard them as tramps and bum
mers bent only on making the public
provide for them in idleness. Others
speak of them as the great unemployed
the victims of a vicious social system
and bent on a mission of reform.
The truth lies probably between these
two extremes. There are some of both
classes in the mobs that are marching
eastward. There are, no doubt. a great
many idle men who would not work if
they had ever so good an opportunity.
A few of them are of the criminal class.
Others would work if they could obtain
at what they consider fair
wages and a day of eight hours. And
quite a large number would willingly
work at small wages if they could only
find it to do. We believe there are a
great many of the latter class in the
company of men who started out from
this city.
But the mass Of them are imbued with
false notions, of which some of them
viii be cured before they finish this
marching experience. Among those err
rors are these:
That they are "the American people"
or have right to represent the Ameri-
can people.
That legislation is to be enacted on
the demand of mobs or bands of men
calling themselves an army.
That what Coxey has had formulated
into two bills will ever become law
while Senators and Representatives are
of sound mind.
that the constitutional right of as
sembly and petition includes the right
to violate the police regulations e the
District of Columbia or to disturb the
public peace.
That the voice of the majority of the
people through the ballot at the polls
lis to be superseded by the clamors of
any number of men who choose to call
for something else.
That it is possible to establish the free
coinage of silver as demanded by the
''industrials' of the west and at the
same time issue the paper money and
non-interest bearing bonds petitioned
for by the Coxeyites in the east.
That the government is in duty bound
to provide the unemployed with labor
Iand money.
That a hundred or a thousand mer
in a crowd have individually any more
rights than each. citizen singly and OF
himself
That the people who have property
can be compelled to divide with those
who have none.
That railroad corporations are under
obligations to convey bands of mer
from place to place because they are
out of work or are destitute.
That the peaceable people of this ma
ton viii not protect themselves against
tumult and disorder, when the threats
of mobs materialize into overt acts
against the general welfare.
That congregating at the seat of gov
eminent will have any force in com.
polling the passage of measures incon'
sistent with public policy.
That the menace of revolution" viii
intimidate the authorities of the states
or of the nation, and that those who
make it will help their cause by such
utterances.
That the sympathy which is felt fol
the unemployed and distressed will be
increased or maintained by clamors as
right for aid that can only be OBJ.
tanned by requests as favor.
These are a few of the mistakes thai
the people have fallen into who have
arisen to swell the movement which
can only end in failure and disappoint.
ment
For men who cannot obtain work
when they want it there is deep sym
pathy. That has been exhibited prac.
tically during the past hard winter fol-
the poor For men who want to &C
back whence they came in order tc
seek employment which they cannot
obtain in the West, there is a strong
feeling of commiseration coupled with
willingness to help them away. But
when such persons band together and
make impudent demands accompanied
by menaces and threats, the wish tc
aid them begins to turn into a determi,
nation to resist them, and this will
eliminate in force to meet force il
continued, until threatened ''revolu-
ton" is crushed out with the mighty
power Of law, backed by all that is
necessary to put an end to mobocracy
-s-<-
AS TO PROFIT SHARING.
Profit-sharine as an incantiva +c