The times., 1899-07-26
shoot n Hole in the strike.

. Mayor Farley talks better than he acts
. in the shameful proceedings at Cleveland.
which are now disgraeing and humiliating
the nation. This is no time for any cheap
political plays" the mayor is quoted as
exelaiming Indignantly. The situation in
Clerelaili is too serious for a joke. The
people have gone crazy. / don't know what
the cause OF insanity is, but We have
got to put an end to it quickly. ] am OF
the opinion that some Of the cheap plays
for uotoTiety made by eouncilmen are par
italy RESPONSIBLE for existing conditions"
This is a serious Indictment, and yet it
has the earmarks Of sober truth. II is
probable, tco. that it contains only half
truth. The mayor must be quite as deep in
the mud as the councilmen are in the mire,
or he long ago would have put stop 10
the fooiishness which has provoked riot,
murder and anarchy. Back of the whole
deplorable situation is the miserable sys-
TEN of bossism in politics which has at
tanned a stronger growth in Ohio, ire
spectiTe Of party. than in any other part
Of the country. not even excepting New
York and Pennsylvania The Law invests
the mayors of our cities with abundant
power to maintain order under all circum-
stances II the mayor Of Cleveland had
exercised this power in a Straightforward
manner from the incipiency Of the trouble
he would have kept the difficulty 50 well
in hand that dynamite plots could not have
been executed. and the insane element Of
the community could not have asserted it
10
infiction Of injury upon his own or some
body else's political organization by rigid
course and he let Il dare not wait upon
dare" until the arrogance Of the lawless
class grew on what he fed it upon.
And it appears ths; the so-caIled State
Board of Arbitration of Ohio considers
itself quite as helpless as Mayor Farley
has acted. We are informed that the board
has practically given up the job of trying
TO settle the strike and has about con-
cluded either TO abandon all efforts toward
settlement or order public investiga-
ton" These are the tactics Of time-serv-
ing politicians waiting upon the will of
their bosses to act. 1t is fair TO presume
that not until directions reach them from
Columbus will the members dare to take a
stand Il cannot be doubted that govern
ment is becoming too badly enmeshed in
political bossism when such a situation
as this can paralyze its energies.
The Cleveland strike is no longer local
matter. 1t is q national affair. The spirit
and the letter of the law are being inso-
lently dehed by the strikers. They are
dynamiting and shooting into public con-
Feyances. If they are permitted to persist
in these methods the lawless elements ali
over the country viii soon become infected
with their spirit. They ought TO be shot
down by the police and military, even
though a group OF big or little political
bosses may think such course would bt
damaging to their party or to this or thai
oficeseekeris future. Anarchy must bt
suppressed with the iron hand. Shoot {
hcle in the strike first and then arbitrat,
the differences afterward. The mayor ha;
the power to do this. If he need assist
ance he can demEnd full measure at Co
lumbus. If the resources at the Ohio cap.
ital are inadequate those at the Nationa
Capital are not.