New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-01
no IMMEDIATE DANGER.

VI
There is some ground for hope that the eighty
eight delegates who constitute the United Labor
Convention now in session AZ St Louis. Will
permit our present form OF government 10 con
tnue for the present. though they are free 10
admit that the temptation 10 do away Win IL
entirely and take a fresh start. with this con
ventiOn as nucleus. Is very great For inns
RESPITE everybody who has money in the bank
or steady employment at fair wages. ana wh"'
being thereby an opprcssor Of the poor. j. de-
srouS of maintaining existing inequa,ltles ana
wrongs. should be grateful. For. however well
assured these lightweight delegates may De
that government of Debs. Sovereign and Ratch-
ford y DcbS. Sovereign and Ratclhoro lor
Debs. Sovereign and Ratchford would be vast
Improvement upon our present system. II Is
probably true that large majority of citizens
would rather bear the Ills they have than take
the chances Of others that they know not OF
through sonc possible slipping of cogs IN the
DebS. Sovereign and Ratchford machinery
1t has long been known that DebS. Sovereign
and Ratchiord are very much dissatisfied Win
the workings of the present system. parucu-
larry with that feature of it which ntruSts Inc
Interpretation and enforcen ent OF the laws 10
courts which are almost invariably presided
over by judges who are disqualified for judicial
functions by having money in the bank n
der the tyrannical rulings of these prejudlced
plutocratS it has frequently happened mat pepS'
Sovereign and Ratchford have been hihdercd
in their diSncrested and philanlhroplc en-
beavers TO lift up the oppressed ana down
trodden DebS has been an especial sufferer IN
this regard having suffered Imprisonment SIM
ply because he was a succor To the dlstreSSed.
Not unnaurally they have grown tired OF Such
interference. and pretty mrch made up theif
minds to abolish the courts and break UP the
whole Government II was feared ny tlinhi
people that these eighty-eisht delegates would
abolish everything as soon as they got organ
ized and in working order. Fortunately, now
ever. the leaders manifest conservative tenn
per- and seem disposed to give the old Govern
ment one more chance.
Mr.. RatchfOrd, the president of the conVeh-
ton. led off with the advice that the acton To
he taken should be las conservative as the
nature of the case will permit. He would be
satisfaction the present. at leaSt-H the Tres
ident would Immediately convene congress 10
define the powers of the Federal courts ana
~iudges and secure the rights OF all citiZeiiS'
meaning thereby the right of Dcbs. Sovereign
and Ratchford TO prevent men from selling lhelr
own labor at their own price In the event oi
the Presidents refusal TO convene Congress I'M
mediately he proposed "a complete paralysis OF
industry" by sympathetic strike" Sovereign
said The deliberations of the convention would
.'be moderate in tone and result in n solution
"of the strike problem" but he added. with the
impressive eloQuence for which he is so justly
famous: "If this strike fails to give the coal
miners the scant justice they ask, then say
God help the peace Of this country Debs
proposed some time ago-and we presume he i
of the same mind nOw-that the President
sbouG issue a proclamation calling upon the
operators to meet and allow the miners living
"wages within forty eight hours under penalty
"of having their mines seized by the Govern
"ment and operated in the interest OF the peo-
.ple" Something has got to be done" he says,
and done quickly" If 1t isn't he will not an
swor for the consequences. Debs Is man
of very short processes and swift conclusions.
If he were President OF the United States he
would settle all questions and make everybody
rich. contented and happy by proclamation. But
he too is conservative. He doesn't propose "A
complete paralysis OF industry until the PrcSl-
dent has had a chance TO act upon his sug-
gestion. In fact Debs is not paralyzing indus
try lust now 81 much as he was few years
ago.
1t will not be definitely known, Of course nm
Ill the convention adjourns how long a respite
the eighty eight delegates will allow Us before
breaking I'D the Government but there is rea-
son to hope that they will let the old machine
run through the month Of September