The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-12-19
The nehhs Decision

Now that Debbs and his confederates have
been judicially condemned and sentenced
for contempt of Court in furthering the con-
tinuance of the Chicago strike, and the maj
esty of the law is to be upheld by their
physical incarceration, it is we'll to call at
tention once more to the grave necessity of
dealing intelligently but firmly with the
other side of the railroad question. 1t is not
disputed by any reasonable citizen that law
must in every instance prevail and open an
archy be suppressed at any cost, and no one
will, we think, after serious reflection, be
disposed to criticise the naked, unqualified
action of Judge Woods in declaring the de-
PENDANTS technically guilty of the charges
preferred against them in the present in
stance, and in imposing a penalty against
them for Noncompliance with legal man
dates. But when it is so we'll known that an
outrageous and inhuman policy prevailed
and still prevails on the part of the soulless
Pullman Company, by which its employees
are treated asilabor commodity to be bought
and sold as any other article of consumption;
and when it is equally well known that the
Pullman Companyis is a ia ir representative of
the large majority of the great labor en-
ploying establishments of the country in this
respect it is the part of wisdom and common
prudence to survey the entire field of indus
trial agitation and ascertain if the fault lie
wholly on the one side or the other, or
whether there may not be evils of threatent
ing magnitude on the part of each elemen-
concerned.
ctrn of th0 10 uchn
out for the protection of the PEOPLE. But
leaving the Pallman Co. entirely out of the
affair, it is a proposition increasingly urged,
particularly in the case of great railroad
strikes, that the public has rights in the
premises which are of paramount import
ance to those of the strikers. Quite true,
but is it not equally true that that same pub
lie has rights that are paramountto any pos
sessed by the owners of railroads. Suppose
great Common Carrier system to be tied
up by strike on the part of its employees,
who simply refuse to work under the condi-
tions dictated to them by the owners of the
line. Neither side will yield, and the COM
pany is thereby unable to properly man and
equip its road, but nevertheless undertakes
to operate its train with an inefficient, in
competent pick up" service. Is it not plain
that the commonest rights of safety of the
people are being criminally triied with by
the company? If it is criminal for strikers to
abandon trains while in transitu, is it not
equally criminal for railroad companies to
hinder commerce, impede travel and jeop-
ardize public life and limb by arbitrarily
saying to their employees edo thus and so
or quit?" 1t is urged, and rightly too, tina
railroads are quasi public corporations. As
such it is declared to be criminal for their
employees to strike in such way as 10 hinder
or stop trains in transitu. 1t should also be
declared criminal for railroad companies to
discharge any considerable number of its
employees, merely because it wishes to do SO,
for certainly the government and the public
suffer equally in either case. Both invite
destruction of life and property, and rioting
and general lawlessness on the part of the
evil disposed. There should be a national
Commission to inquire into all troubles be-
tween railroad companies and their employees
and until the government is satisfied that the
company is unable to serve the public with
at least as much safety and conve nience as
before, no discharge of men should be per-
mitted. If the law compels a railroad en-
ploye to work day or an hour beyond what
he wishes to, for the sake of the public SER
vice, it should also compel the Company to
retain in its service any or all Of its employees
even against its wishes, until the rights and
safety of the publicare properlyprovidedfo for,
A discriminating law is one of the greatest
curses of inequitable or corrupt legislation,
and no free institutions can permanently en-
dure under them.