The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-11
SHOT FOR WALKING IN ROAD
Governor Leedy's Indignation Over
the Affairs in Pen nsyIvania.

The officials at the state house are
discussing the killing of the striking
miners in Pennsylvania by the sheriff
and his deputies. The subject has been
discussed all day at the capitol and the
state officers, as well as the employees,
are very bitter in their denunciation OF
what they term cold -bIoodad murder -
1t is significant fact that none Of
affair to the sheriff. The entire blame
is placed upon the court under the or
der of which the injunction against the
men was being enforced when the con-
TT is a public outrage exclaimed
Governor Leedy. -'These workingnen
were shot down in cold blood while
marching along the public highway.
What manner of government is this? Is
it possible that in this boasted free
country of ours man is to be deprived
of the right to the public highway? 1t
is the most remarkable occurrence I
ever heard of. The order to keep off
the grass at Washington now pales in
to insignificance. Tt seems to have come
upon the marching miners without any
cause whatever. Why should judges
who know little, if any, law exercise the
right of injunction against men who
simply desire to walk or march, individ-
ually or in companies if they choose,
along the public highway?
The writ of injunction was originally
provided for Injunction in extraordin-
ary cases. 1t was an extraordinary
measure in itself. But what we have
seen during the past few years indi-
Gates that it is becoming commonplace.
1t is brought into play on every hand.
1t is applied, by ignorant judges, to al
most any kind of legal controversy.
The injunctiOnS are issued by men who
know no law and can assign no just
reason for such action. This, then. is
certainly unwarranted and unjust
infringement upon the rights of the peo-
pie.
II have attempted" continued the
governor, without prejudice in my
mind to discover some reason why these
injunctions about which we hear so
much should be granted. L have had
the aid of eminent men and they, too,
have failed to ascertain cause for the
proniScuous issuance of ipjunctiOns by
courts a any time and without reason
and without investigation. They simply
issue the mandate, and sometimes that
is the end of it, but today we are re-
fiecting over one of the greatest out
RACES ever perpetrated upon a people
Innocent and unarmed men have been
shot to death by a sheriff who was or
dered to do so by virtue of the injunc-
ton which was issued against these
strikers. The sheriff is not to blame,
but the responsibility for the murder of
these men rest upon the court.
1.-THE writ of injunction in the hands
of the ajority of these judges is like
a new knife in the hands of the small
boys-they cut themselves all to pieces
strument with which they are fooIing.
There is no telling what they will do
next"
The governor was about to make an
other statement as he looked out of the
window of his office towards Wichita
and as the image of a wei known federal
official sitting in judgment there today
passed through his mind, but he chang
ed his mind and said meditatively:
There are others"
w H. Morris. state auditor, said:
There is no law on earth. no court low
or high which has a right to deprive
men of the right TO walk or march in
the public highway. I read the re-
ports of that massacre in horror. 1t
is hard to realize that such a crime
has been perpetrated in the United
States 1t is appalling. Tt is mat
ter of regret to every citizen of this
country who looks at this affair from
an unprejudiced standpoint that this
slaughter of men took place.
THE killing of those men by the