The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-28
LESSONS PROM rHE PAST.
The Pittsburg striks Riots Of ls55-The Cost
OF Tracking 70 Striker.

TIE Ptttsburg Strike -Riets Of Is55-Ths Cost
OF Tracking 10 strikers.
To THE EDITOR OF hi SUN-Sir: To one
accust to observe closely the dramatic
unfolding OF current events It seems marvellous
that the lessons OF contemporaneous and recent
history should seemingly be so utterly lost upon
many men whom We see clothed with a little
brief authority. Whether it be ignorance, In
difference or connivance on the part OF the
Governor Of Missouri and eome OF the city and
county officials of st. Louis that lies at the root
OF their co~ndnct-conduct which. az We see. Is
resulting In the development OF a most danger
Gus form Of mob violence and iawieSsness- 1t
may truthfullv be- said that the history OF this
country il not without warnings OF the conse-
ouencss Of such trifiing. trucking or secret
encouragement as has been exhibited by some
OF these men in authority.
Twenty-three years il not 80 long a period as
70 warrant the Ignoring by these functionaries
OF the costly lesson OF the railroad riots OF 1877
at Pittsburg. Pa. In the latter city there was
the same palterinR. cowsrdly exhibition Of the
civil authorities. y like band Of incomrctents
20 encourage a c~ontemptuous disregard Of the
rights OF others. and the same faltering coward
ice 10 smbolden and invite the torch-bearing
anarchist to come from the shadow Of his Turk
ing place 20 the work Of Wholesale destruction
in the broad glare Of MONDAY.
Perhaps no ore Of the present time will ever
fully realize the height and depth OF that carni-
val Of wanton Dissertation and destruction OF
which the civil efYeminacy of that period and
locality was the immediate cause and precursor.
But certainly no one who went through that
most extraordinary epoch In the history OF this
land and preserved his faith In the persistence
OF republican institutions can ever thereafter
mistake IN. conditions and the Official incite-
h''''"N. NV -" '"' NV 80.
ments that are the prelude TO an outbreak OF
thu meanest of civil wars: such a war as might
easily be developed out Of the conditions los
If Theses disorders he stnyed without a recog-
milton of The principle that when a man quits
his employment II Is his duty to leave It without
let interference or hindrancr 10 his e,lccc. sor.
and that he Possesses no moral, legal or political
RICH, TO stand guard with q bludeeon or a gun
over his abandoned plscN. ready TO MAIN or
murder not oniv those who take NO his aban-
doned dutie. hut the hubble as we'll. who are
paving the cost OF snch INSTRUMENTATION we
NAV be sure that tho GERMS OF future trouble
have been multiplcd manifold and the settle
ment will uroye 10 IN. worse than the opening Of
Pandora s box.
troubis NAV be, We are bound to recognize the
all-prcynilins fact thar. whatever the hardships
of any man or body of employed men may be,
he bsrSsh,ns ~ t6oss Who have no employ,
mrnt Al all are almost infinitely greater, and
the American public will never tolerate the
forcible deprivation OF such men of the oppor-
foirty hefors th.n ""'
W,nv an unemrIpved man suffers long rather
than iske an active part in crowding others OFT
~ ,onro n,, ~ n,ade for him. Int when the
h.rdonn.n ~ ernnioyment Nv others affords
nm nnmnrtunitr for hin 10 honorably occupy a
deserted post, he is entitled to the utmost con-
An aTnio,., rho would dpliherotely make N
sefttlemept inyoIvins he sacri0ce of those who
rendered him faithful service in a trying time
e suru W,n n,itIed 90 the name and The GUS
tomsrv demand on the pnrt of the strikers for
the discharge Of ali who, hay. been rendering
men he chs, sdrift is an all-suficient exhibit OF
the moral and eihicaI dey.lopment or want OF
dsyslppms9, Of these men r. .rmn,,,v ., -.
most .ympaIhetic and cools the imt ulses of the
warm hearted to do something tangible TO i'm
prove The condition Of those whose lot needs
AMI observation md many veor. of contact
with man CONVINCE me that tho.e-be they
work,ngmen or not hearts are callous
md hard toward those whose iot IL evidently 40
unu - than tbsir avn are NOT tba tr,Ie
renre,entaiiyes of American character.
Mnlti'Ides OF m,n m ana T9menn ,@shew WIZ ,ba
tepdersst feeiing toward The suffering and The
s,rnsgling ones about them. The very poorest
thwsipiIa ast pIoa To nf Tread With ths mnempioved
Who hava mo-, sven , ernst VIZ
"Jba rad nnionist Mo forhids the child of
HE own fellow wnrtpsn N learn his fathers
trade Leaf there he loo many in the business.
who scnbs his unemnioyed brother because he
has not the funds TO pay dues to the union. and
who conspires 10 keep him out of work entirely,
Indifferent whether he or his atarye or 90 TO the
potter's Field win the river. the poison cup or
the rope. is The real savage of modern times
The Iin.aI, unreconetrncted descendant OF his
troglodvtic forebears who cracked the bones OF
their victims and waxed fat on their marrow.
I think IL /. high time for the millions of de-
cent. self-respecting but yoicefess work people
Of This land 10 rise IN and Sneak for themselves.
Too long have n handful of half-baked, hard
hearted agi,ators piled their miserable trade Of
fo,nentinr tronhle betyeen EMPLOYERS and en-
ppicious doctrine OF war between capital" and
'labor" Too long has their banefnl influence
been on the side Of creating and perpetuntinC a
sharply denned crystnllized class Of workers.
technicallv designated rs '1abor"-iust "a
though ali who are aiming and striving 10 ac-
co,npIsh valuable results in The service of soci-
oty were NOT In borers' and inst as il there was
service of avery Kind were moi governed by the
amount OF mentality that il mingled with the
service,
Though I am still far from old. nv experience
goes hack to a time when there we're no trade
unions in this country and no savings banks; |
when factory work men left their savings al in
terest with their employers, such cCum,ila
lions in instnncc, Under INV observation
amounting ,o enough N hing in nm interest in
come ~ 1, nor dav IN the "laborer And
in that time anieCcdent 10 trade unions
theirs was no such thing as and no talk OF A
confict be,y een "capitalh and labor En-
Mover and emnloved we're even members ~
he same church and met there without a /