The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-19

teu states Is bound to enforce the laws
regulating the transmission OF Its malls
oVer'railway property OF any kind or
character whatsoever.
1t Is to be regretted that there is a
want OF action upon the part OF the To-
cal authorities and that the street rail-
way, company has been compelled to
appeal to the United States court to do
that which It was the duty OF the local
authorities to do. BE
In the administration OF the laws OF
the land, either federal. state or mu-
nicipal. sympathy is not to be consider
ed. The question OF legal right Is the
question that It is the duty OF the Off
GERS OF either OF those three branches OF
authority to consider and to enforce.
Strike Sympathy.
II have been told since my arrival In
the city, that the reason there seems to
be. no, desire upon the part OF the local
authorities to enforce the law in pro-
tectinS the property Of the street rail-
way company Is. that they sympathlze
with the strikers. l have also been in
formed that these men who have struck
for higher wages do not appear in the
front of this trouble. But they are be-
hind 1t and they lncIte and excite a
class OF the population OF the commu-
nifty who have small stakehold In It's
Interest and welfare. to present them
selves in the front to obstruct the oper-
atoms OF this street railway company
and thus. to some extent diminish the
value of the company's property.
Let me ask the strikers who have
left the service OF the company IL 1t
would not be more manly upon their
part to come forward and present them
selves In the breach, instead OF getting
lawles; and irresponsible element in
this community to stand in front as
bulwark to protect them against the
execution and enforcement Of the laws?
Is 1t manly TO Incite women, and
through them their children, to APP
pear upon the scene and try to OBJ
struct this street railway company In
running its cars over Its own property?
1T seems to me II there Is any man.
hood among those engaged In this strike
that they would come out themselves
and make their fight, and not ask these
poor. unfortunate. infatuated people
along the line Of this railway to boot
and hollow and excite a mob for the
purpose Of interfering with the running
OF the cars OF the company.
THE court is not here to sympathze
" iIo .lHC Ia" uIe IlOl
expected to sympathetic Their only
sympathy Is with justice and right un-
der the laws Of the land. That Is the
proper sympathy.
Il am told--just as It appeared before
me In the prosecution by the govern
ment OF the United States upon on In
formation filed In this court some six
gears ago. against parties who were
prosecuted for obstructing this same
railway-that children. and small chill
dren at that. are used In piling rocks
upon the track OF the railway company.
It appears from the evidence here that
rocks are piled on the track in the alb
sence OF the officers. and spikes have
been driven into the track to dcrail the
cars. Of course parties who do these
things are not going to take witnesses
with them, as 1t might result In their
arrest They do 1t at time when the
officers of the government who are
there FOR the protection of the property,
are absent.
HootinS and Yelling.
Every time crowd gathers along
this railway and boots and yells at the
officers Of the government In the exer
else OF their legitimate duties in en-
stS PiS'SS1Sa U. tIllS l., IL is
aiding and abetting this strike and
those who engage in It are Just as bad
as the principals who go and drive
spikes In the track or tear I'D the rails
to derail a car.
IL Is the iomentinN of 4 public SEN
timent that Is uahealthful-a sentiment
IN opposition TO the enforcement: of the
laws OF the land-that your people
VINO are under arrest day are engag-
ed In. Why do not all OF you think and
reflect about this matter? Why cannot
You remember that the welfare OF So
ciety Is Involved every time there Is an
effort upoE the part OF dissatisfied cltI
Gems IN regard to any matter they are
Interested In and they produce a strike?
ne society OF this country has many
grades and elements In. It. There is the
rich man: there Is the man who has a
comfortable livlEg: there Is the man
who Is struggling for existence. and
there Is the man who can never make
both ends meet" Now, whose faul, is
1t? This is free country. No man is
compelled to work except to save him.
SELF and his family from starvation.
Ihere is no law, except the law of the
AlMiehty, that compels man to w1rN.
By the sweat OF your brow you SHALL
earn What you possess. No railroad
company, no corporation or co-partner-
snip or any character and no citizen
can compel other people toy work for
them.
You who are engaged In obstructnC
the running OF cars on this railway are
destroying the rights OF the people who
constructed a road quite as much for
your convenience and benefit as for
their own profit. Without this railway
running through your streets from
bridgeport and Martins Ferry In Ohio.
10 Benwood in our own state, what in
convenience would you be subjected to?
Think moment, what a matter OF
public benefit this. stree. railway is to
YOU. Suppose ;he railroad should be
obliterated and you had nothing but
the trucks and express wagons that are
now passing over your streets, for the
accommodation of the public, what
would be the effect upon your city?
You would be retrogradng from the
condition OF an electric street railway
back 10 the old omnibus instead Of pro-
crossing from the omnibus and old horse
car line TO the electric railway, and
from the electric railway to the next
advanced means OF transperta ton that
may happen in the future.
None Compelled to Work.
This country Is n country of pro-
Eress; 1t Is country in which all ciu
zens enjoy equal rights: It is country
where every man has right to labor
for himself and be protected In the
ACQUISITIONS that result. from his labor.
Now. think Of that! No man Is com
PEELED to work. He may starve il he
chooses to. Neither Is any man COM
PEELED to work for Inadequate wages.
But In connection with that there Is an
other thing to consider: II you cannot
get what you think Is right and fair for
your services stop-Quit-and let your
neiNhbor come in who Is willing Ia WorI,