The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-29
VIOLENCE MUST NOT BE TOLER-
ATED.


1t is the boast and hope of president
Debs and his colleagues that the strike
against the Pullman company will prove
10 be one of the most extensive and dis
turbing in its influences that has occurred.
As yet IL is only in its incipiency. but it
has assumed serious proportions at Chi
the central Western States. If not. it will
be because of the failure or the plans and
expectations of its projectors. AT any
rate. their purpose has been fully de-
road business and the commercial and
domestic affairs of the country into con-
fusion and entail heavy losses, direct or
indirect. on the travelling public and on
all classes except the small number of
persons in whose interest the boycott is
ordered.
This movement, like all others of the
kind. is founded on force and cannot con-
tinue long without resort to violence. Ex-
perience has shown that in a great ma
jority of cases strikes tend rapidly and al
most inevitably in this direction In a
country where there is so much labor,
skilled and unskilled nonunion labor as
well union. it is almost impossible for
a strike to succeed without the use of
force and violence. There is no reason to.
believe that the one now beginning will
be an exception. The recent miners strike
began as peaceably as this one and with
firm protestations on the part Of the lead
largely a strike of sympathy. and most of
those engaged in it were not supposed to
be actuated by passionate motives But
it was scarcely well under way before
there was outbreak of lawlessness all
along the line. and it soon eliminated in
the reckless destruction of property and
in murder. That the anti-Pullman strike
embodes the same moral elements and
If permitted to continue will move in the
same direction and develop the same re-
suits, admits of no reasonable doubt Those
engaged In 1t will not stop with quitting
work themselves or with simply refusing
to handle Pullman They will try to
prevent other persons from taking their
places; they will uncouple. seize and side
track Pullman cars wherever found, and,
finally. if all other methods fail. they will
resort to obstructing tracks. throwing
switches, burning bridges ana using dy-
Mantle. The strikers cannot complain at
being thought capable of such acts; let
them cite any general strike in which such
acts have not occurred
In these circumstances it would seem
to be the imperative duty of the civil au-
thorities everywhere to make Immediate
preparations to meet this strike at the
threshold and to crush with a strong hand
the first demonstration of violence The
people do not want repetition of the
evidences of unpreparedness or of timidity
and weakness on the part OF civil authori-
ties that have disgraced the country dur
ing the last few months. They do not
want TO see the business Of the country,
nor any branch of it, throttIed and held
up week after week in open and fragrant
defiance of law. They demand that the
civil authorities everywhere Shall show
better organization and more promptness
and nerve in the enforcement of law than
those can show who have set about defy
ing it. Let us know once for all whether
We have government. except spasmod-
ically. Let us know whether law and or
| der exist only by the sufferance of or
ganized labor In short let this new strike
and all future ones be met at the threshold
with firm front of law, and let all en-
| gagged in it be made to feel that any in
| reference with the personal property
rights of others. whether corporations or
individuals will no al their noril