New-York tribune., 1899-07-20
NOT STRIKE, But CRIME.

"If the led striker call ii strickland ap-
parently the led striker is the only striker in
New-York at this timc-there is no law to en-
Join him from doing so. After the incidents Of
yesterday however, men who are not led by
what the official head of the striking organiza
tions calls clique Of stock jobbing poll
ticians," but who think for themselves, will
call II by somewhat different name. Since
1:0s o'clock yesterday morning the movement
in Brooklyn has not been strike. 1t has been
and is crime. And 1t is a crime of so alb
horrent a character that no one whose mind
IS not yelled with ignorance or warped by
prejudice should be for one moment in doubt
concerning 1t, oil concerning the attitude to be
taken promptly and maintained inexoraby
toward It,
Minor msdemeanors and felonies have hither-
to been recorded and commented upon-the OBJ
structon Of tracks, the cutting Of wires, the
stoning and wrecking of cars, and the assault
ing with deadly intent Of honest workingmen.
These were bad enough. But the climax was
reached in a deliberate attempt at train wreck
ing and wholesale murder by the use of dyna-
mite. That is crime universally recognized
as one Of the most atrocous and detestabe
known TO the law, and as worthy of the Sc
verest penalty. On this occasion it had not
even the miserable excuse put forward In
futile paation Of other offences that II was
directed against the men who had taken the
places of strikers, against the officers of the
corporation against which the strike is made,
or yet against the property actually involved
in the strike. 1t was, on the contrary COM
mitted against a road on which there has been
no attempt at strike. against workingmen
who have not taken and could not take the
places Of the strikers, aud, above ALL against
the general public, men. women and children,
who are in no respect connected with the strike
or the corporation. Had it been successful, a
few Of its victims would have been employees
of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company but
the great majority would have been citizens Of
this city, whose only interest in the company
was to get from 1t the transportation for which
they had paid. 1t did not succeed in its main
purpose. 1t did succeed in destroying valuable
property and in endangering the lives of dis
interested citizens. But It's evident purpose Is
what is to be considered in judging it, The
fiynamiters doubtless wanted TO wreck one Of
the crowded trains Of the Fifth Avenue Ele-
waited Railroad. That was why they chose one
Of the loftiest spots on the whole line of that
structure, so that the fall Of the train would
be as disastrous and destructive as possible.
They meant to XIII and MAIN hundred or
more people. That would deter everybody else
from patronizing the road, and institute a
seritable reign Of terror. That Is what this
90 called strike was made TO aim at
There is no longer any room for talk about
grievances. or arbitration or any such thing,
80 far as the situation in Brooklyn is con
rerned The sole duty Of the hour is TO sup
press crime. and to suppress a peculiarly abom-
Unable form Of crime with inexorable frmness
The bomb throwing Of the Chicago Anarchists
was no worse than this, save in that ii was
more successful Its possibilities Of evil were
not nearly so great Who did the dastardly
deed we do not at this writing pretend TO know.
We should be glad TO be assured that no strik-
Ing workman had part in IT. Unfortunately,
there Is at hand sworn statement TO the ef-
feet that some of the strikers have hitherto
suggested and threatened the use OF dynamite