Middletown transcript., 1895-01-26
THE BROOKLYN STRIKE


The Brooklyn Street Car Strike
furnishes bloody object lesson in
proof Of the vast scope of evil and its
endless train of ill consequences.
AN immense system Of Street Rail-
ways is reorganized; pursuant thereto,
a half dozen or so cold blooded con-
spirators in New York City, concoct
a thieving scheme by which, in the
recapitalization they create pretended
debt to the enormous amount of $780,
100000, represented by obligations
payable to themselves, and saddle it
upon the new corporation. To per-
feet the operation of this villany, the
system thus handicapped must be made
to produce revenue sufficient for
this big load and yet pay its actual
fixed charges. In prosperous times
the roads earned enough to do even
this and pay the men living wages;
but when the times became more
stringent they could not do this with
out robbing those overworked en-
ployees. Accordingly this coterie of
rapacious scamps, in order 10 feed
their lusurious extravaganza, pro-
ceed to pare away the very crust of
life from between the teeth of their
hapless workmen, It'll these, driven
to desperation at the remorseless
spoliation, blindly seek to redress their
wrongs by the means of that danger
Gus expedient, the "strike," which not
only entails endless loss and suffering
upon the public generally, but even
tually leads to riot and bloodshed.
Consequently we are now contem-
plating the spectacle of the civil arm
of the magistracy powerless in the face
of rioters, and an armed militia in a
time of peace biyouacked in the heart
of great city, while every industry is
paralyzed at sight of the grim Ogre of
War and Rapine!
In one of the many encounters one
of these militiamen loses his head and
a peaceful citizen is shot while engaged
in the pursuit of his lawful craft-a
victim laid whole burnt offering upon
the altar of the Moloch of Greed!
Aware of the official rascality which
lies at the bottom Of the whole trouble,
the exasperated public openly express
their sympathy with the strikers-nay,
countenance and aid them in their
violations of law; meanwhile the whole
of that big city with all its vast traffic,
infinite interlacings of commerce and
society, affecting more or less directly
hundreds of thousands, is in a state Of
paralysis and panic! Fortunate, in
deed, if the madness don't grow to the
pitch of an open and armed revolution
which may in the end overthrow ali
law and order.
In any event great loss and incon-
venience have already been caused to
the public, much property, and worst
of all, precious human life sacrificed.
And all for whatl To enrich small
gang of slick, kid gloved rogues, seek
ing by any means, no matter how vii
lanous or vile, to acquire the means
Of living ill idle luxury and sloth!
The facility with which these $780,
100000 pilferers can wreck banks,
plunder railroads, by juggling or "wa-
terin2" its stock, or form 'trusts" and
"corners" that levy tyrannous tri-
butte upon the very staples Of life that
feed millions, and yet 60 unwhipped Of
justice, is justly reproach to our civil
lization!
What mockery of justice to shoot
down the mis- guided wrttches who,ig-
norantly seek the repair of in
justice that grinds them under it's
heel, and let the calculating miscr eants
go scott free to enjoy the fruits Of their
villany.