St. Paul daily globe., 1894-07-15
THEY plead GUILTY.


the counts i'll the indictment that Debs
and his associates have framed against
themselves. aere are the crimes of
which they stand self accused. the
words being their own. taken from their
latest communication to the railway
| managers:
:, The. strike. small and comparatively
'unimportant in its inception. has eX-
tended in every direction, until now it
involves or threatens, not only everv
public interest, but the peace, security
and prosperity of our common country.
The contest has waged fiercely. 1t has
extended far beyond the limits of inter-
ests originally involved, and has laid
hold of vast number Of industries and
enterprises in no wise responsible for
the differences and disagreementS that
led to the trouble. Factory. mill, mine
and shop nave been sIlenced. Wide
spread decentralization has sway. The
interests of multiplied thousands of in
nocent people are suffering The com
mon welfare is seriously menaced. The
public peace and tranquility are in peril.
Grave apprehension of the future pre-
walls.
These, then, are the conditions which
the criminals admit they have brought
about. Could confession be more COM
plete? Could evidence of deliberate in
tent and fiendish malice be more con-
vinciug? Look at the ruin we have
wrought" they eXclaim, in effect. 1--WE
have burned. we have destroyed, we
have murdered, and yet we are not
sated. Surrender yourselves into our
hands or the dire work will continue"
Audaeity, anarchy, treason could go
no farther than this. 1t is the declara-
ton of the supremacy of the mob lead
ers over all laws and governments. 1t
is threat that riot will be continued:
that property will be ruthlessly de-
stroyed whenever it shall suit the whim
or serve the purpose of the strikers;
that human life will be sacrificed if in
reference is attempted with any of
these desperate deeds; that rebellion
against their DEGREES by any class of cit
izens involves declaration of war
against all classes-a war in which pri-
vate rights are violated, private proper
ty devastated, and innocent men, women
and children made to suffer-
These leaders Of anarchy do not seem
to understand how their right to defy
the law can be questioned. They evil
IDENTIFY regard themselves as invested
with the divine right to govern-to
make and to abrogate laws at their own
option. Upon what meat do these. our
masters. feed, that they have grown so
great? Have they superseded the officials
charged by the constitution with the ex-
ecution of the laws? Have they been
charged with the responsibilities that
have heretofore devolved upon the
president of the United States ana con-
gress, the governors of the several
states and the legislatures thereof?
Has the authority of the courts been
IGabolished? 1t seems as if such were the
impression under which these men are
llaboring.
Fo But the public may rest safe in the
p consciousness that the law is not yet q
dead letter, and that the government at
GWashingten yet lives. The American
b flag has not yet become the emblem of
Banarchy, the insignia of lawlessness.
aThe impudent and reasonable assump-
\ tions of the enemies of law and
order will be fittingly rebuked, and the
national and state authority will be re-
inStated upon the throne from which
the mob mas sought TO depose them.
The American people are not prepared
tofollow the lead of men whose avowed
purpose is destruction-whoh have moth
ing to offer in exchange for govern.
ment, peace and tranquility bnt
reign of license, incendiarism and mur-
der.
Out of their own mouths are the lead
ers "f this rebellion against public order
condemned. They admit all that has
been charged to their account. Now
let them be suitably punished for their
crimes