The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-07-27
TIE niILlT1A AND LApon.

Tho Advice to working,nen to Join tho
National Guard-whn. tho E1cct Would
De.
Warrington S,a.
National Guardsmen and mauy Of
the purely civilian element Interested
In the citizen.soldicr torccs OF tho couu.
try have boon much disturbed Of late
by tho publication in tho official organ
OF tho Knights OF Labor OF tho follow
ing fragment OF opinion:
"IIcretofore tho advice to working.
men has boon to keep out Of tho militia
TT should DO changed.
EVERY workingman should join the
militia, thus getting the arms and dis
cipline necessary TO defend tho country
and tho people from tho anarchistlc
railroad managers, their trust attorneys
and the murderous deputie9 and Pink
ertons whom they employ"
Many seem to have found additional
cause for alarm In the language OF Gen.
oral Secretary Hayes Of tho knights OF
Labor, who Is quoted as saying:
II am glad 10 note that the organized
workers are forming themselves into
militia companies. The policy horeso.
fore has been to keep organized labor
out OF tho militia, bu. experience has
proved that 1t is wrong, and hereafter
we shall advise and encourage tho for.
nation Of labor military companies
everywhere"
II this comment by Secretary Hayes
means TINT tho order iorbidding knights
from joining tho National Guard has
been revoked, then there ia cause for
general congra.ulHtion. There Is not,
nor was there ever any reason why
American citizons who happen to DO
Knights OF Labor. should not also be
National Guardsnon; service In tho
guards Is one OF tho privileges Of which
every physically capable young Atneri.
can should DO periodically proud. But
II membership in the guard is to be
achieved by anybody with Lraitorous
ond in view, that is. with purpose
which subordinates allegiance TO state
or nation to loyalty to any other person
or organization whatever, THEN no con.
domination Of such treachery can
DO too strong. 1t should, how
ever, DO borne In mind that
the Knights OF Labor are, as a
rule, citizens OF tho United States,
either by birth or by naturalization,
and that, for tho most part, they arc in
telligent, they arc net, therefore, tho
material out OF which criminals or
sncaking conspirators nro made-and
thoy would mood 10 combine these and
other extremely undesirable character.
issics before they could carry into exc.
cution tho plans outlined by sono oil
their so.callcd leaders, who aeom bent
on arousIng popular antagonts,n by de-
clariug that their intent in tho near fu-
trro is nothing loss than armed rebel.
lion. Buteven surprising that any con.
siderable number OF the knights could
DO persuaded to conspire tsea.
sonably and to combine deliber-
ately for tho defeat Of law, would
their progress DO unobstructedH Under
no circumstances would II DO posi-
bio to procure the enlistment OF n
number OF mcmhers sufficient to seri.
ously affect tho efficiency OF the Nation.
al Guard. There might be few in
each company. but thoso tOw would
moroly imperil their own lives II they
refuse TO do duty at critical time: few
officers III to woar shouldor-Straps would
iuil to meet such misconduct promptly
and effectively. We're any person to
publicly accuao tho knights OF die.
Loyalty Indignant denial would DO made
BY thousands, and It Is these from
whom denial would spring who con-
stituto tho backbone OF the order; they
would not for a momont countenanCe
the suggested traitcrOus dupltcIty.
There Is no good reason why the
Knights OF Labor or any labor
organization should antagonlze tho
National Guard, for tho Nation
al Gunrd Ia nothing morn than
reserve police forco and Is nover
used for any other purpose than
the upholding OF law. Had thcre boon
no rioters at Chicago there would not
have been any visible troops, but as
thuro wero several very disordcrly mobs,
and rs those mobs did much damage
and promised TO do IN 70, four thousand
peace-lovlng citizens wero almost in.
stantly Transformed into four Thousand
soldIers-and tho mob was soon thing
OIL tuU pdSls 4uH AtdCOAISHLSN hMeTs
lean has Ills weapon-the ballot; that
no may uso as no pleases. But
no must not attempt to forclbly
subvort statutes to which he
objects; he must not interfere
with tho lie or liberty OF him who,
differently constituted and differently
situated, has no sympathy with his
grievances; no must not destroy tho
property OF employers with whom no
disagreos; and, il no johns tho tnilitia,
ho must do 80 Rs soldier OF tho state
and nation, and not as tho soldier and
snv OF q Dcbs or Sovereign. The
Knlghts OF Labor moved up several
pegs in the popular estimation when
thoy refused to DO manipulated by Sow.
ereign in tho utterly collapsed SYM
pathy strike; il is Uncomfortable that
they eau DO moved to reasonable Con-
spifncy by disCredIted disciples OF an
archy.
Two Lives Saved.
Mrs. PhDbe Thomas, OF Junction City,
Ill. was told by her doctors Shc had