The Jersey City news., 1901-07-18
THURSDAY. JULY Is, 1901.
This paper is Democratic in principles
and is Independent in its riews on all t0cdt
questions.
Pitney's Fatal Blunder.

The excessively foolish character OF
vsce-C Chancellor Pitney's action regarding
the Paterson strikers is being illustrated
more and more as the days roll on. All
the victims of his penalties are now first
class heroes and heroines, while ne Is
himself cursed and condemned in every
quarter of New Jersey.
These people are not really heroic IN
any sense. They richly deserve the per-
alties inflicted IN the regular way, after
indictment and trial by jury. But the
fact that they have been dealt with in ar
bitrary fashion. in gross evasion OF the
constitutional. methods provided in such
cases, gives them an artificial status pe'
fore the public. Indeed the situation Is
such that not the turbulent alone are on
their side but all really law abiding per-
sons. Indeed. the more respect one has
for law and order. the more one must De
against vice-Chancellor Pitney and in
favor of his victims.
unconscious of the wrongs of the Pater-
son mill hands. They are undoubtedly
treated with heartless cruelty. But we
have no sympathy with violence or He
gality of any sort. They have the righe
to strike; they have the right to use al
sorts OF arguments and persuasions TO
prevent others from taking their places,
They have right to boycott socially and
otherwise scab labor. But they have no
right to resort to any form of violence
TO hoot, mob. stone. beat or in any other
way forcibly attempt to coeree any otner
persons. When they do so the police and
the Sheriff and his officers should DIS
perse them and arrest them They should
be indicted, prosecuted in the regular
way and severely punished. Their illegai-
ity, however. should not be met with an
other form of illegality. one calculated to
create general hatred and contempt OF
the law. the courts and the State. If Pas
sale county is so rotten that the criminal
law has become dead letter there, the
rowers of the higher courts should be in
voked against its derelict officials. The
prosecution Of the Sheriff. under hrs
bond, for failure to do his duty, and man
damus proceedings directing the Mayor
ana Chief of Police of Paterson to pre-
serve order would be the proper REM
edies.
No doubt anti-Iabor fanatics will say
that yice-Chancellor Pitney may disre-
gard The execration of his fellow citizens.
winch he has incurred in doing his
dutv.o If he had been doing his duty we
would cordially endorse this sentiment.
What he has been doing is using the pow
ers eonfided To him for certain well un-
derstood purposes to supersede the COM
mon law and to evade the constitutional
rights guaranteed to all persons accused
Of criminal offences This is not mis- duty
1t ;s a gross abuse of his functions as
vice-Chancellor. 1t is an outrage on the
people. and.-what is still worse-it is a
supreme folly.
This liz the sort Of thing that gives pa
pers like the New York journal their
baleful influence. This is the sort of
thing that gives demagogues their oppor-
tunity. This is the sort of thing that may
yet make William Jennings Bryan Presi-
dent, with all that such an occurrence
would mean.