The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-10-18
THE WEEK AT HOME.
GENERAL SUMMARY.

GENEhAL ST MMARG. ....,
The leading topic of press CON- .
ment during the past week, both In
point of Importance and in the /
amount of space devoted to it, is D..
the opinion delivered by Justice !,
Harlan, Of the United States supreme
court, at Chicago, and noted in the Il,
last issue of this paper defining as
far as 1t goes, the right of employees
to strike, either singly or in concert. !.
The press of the country is practi-
cally a unit in its Endorsement of
the position taken by Justice Harlan,
and in regarding this decision as in
the highest and best 8 nse an un-
qualified victory for labor, a clear,
forcible and sound statement of the
extent and limitations of the right
to strike under the laws now in
force. This decision by the United
States circuit court of appeals adds
another imp rtant and interesting
chapter to the history of the memor
able industrial struggles of the year
1894, a year that will stand out in
great prominence in the social and
industrial annals of the century.
1t is to be noted, moreover, in
connection with the newspaper
comment at this time that while the
labor leaders, the economic students
and Investigators, the press and
indeed the higher class of observers
generally are practically agreed as
to the right and duties Of the en-
ployors and employees under present
laws, the demand is almost universal
for additional legislation that will,
on the one hand, protect the public
from the incalculable loss, ,inconveni-
ence and distress inseparabe from a
great strike, and, on the other hand,
provide adequate and practicable
means for the adjustment of griev-
ances alleged by either employees or
employers. How to satisfy this
demand is one of the greatest prob
lens that the statesmen and eco
nomists of the century have been
called upon to face.
In the political field the chief
events of the week are the election
in Georgia and the removal of all
uncertainty as to the makeup of
the democratic state ticket in New
York. The democratic plurality in
Georgia was cut down about one
half, result that affords the popu-..
lists and republicans unalloyed satis
faction. Readers have noted the
fact that during the Georgia cam
paign Speaker Crisp and a consider
able number of democratic leaders
have vigorously advo Gated the free
coinage of silver at 16 to |, while
Secretary Hoke Smith and other
prominent Georgians have just as
vigorously combated that policy.
Now each faction is charging the
other with responsibility for the
heavy falling off in the democratic
vote. In New York Senator Hill and
Congressman Lockwood have form
ally accepted the nominations ten
dered them. and Judge c. F. Brown
has been substituted for Judge Gay
nor, who declined. The republicans
and democrats of Massachusetts
have held their state convention.
The obituary record of the week
includes no less than three distin-
guished Americans, Oliver Wendell
Holmes, Prof, David Swing and ex-
Governor Andrew q. Curtin; three
men who in their widely different
fields had won high place among the
literary, religious and political names
that will adorn the pages of Ameri-
can history for all time.