The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-16
sAvAGERY LET LOOSE.

The events which have been In progress
in the city Of Albany during the past
forty-eight hours are more instructive
than disastrous. Plain savagery had con-
troll Of that community for an extended
period of time, and it defled public au-
thority. The savages were the executive
officers OF the street car lines and the
strikers on those lines and their sympa-
thizers. It is certainly an instructive
circumstance that such scenes can be en-
acted In this day and year in one of the
oldest cities in the United States. It
would be more instructive still to a great
er proportion of persons were 1t not that
so many of our own people now not only
regard such events as possible but look
upon them as inevitable in the existing
order of affairs.
The appearance of the state militia on
the scene in the face Of the confessed
failure of local authorfsy to preserve
peace seems to be looked upon as an
entirely fitting event. None seems to
bother about the significance which in
every well-ordered condition of society
should be bestowed on the failure of the
police and peace officers generally to
bring peace to the community.
1t is worthy of note in passing upon
this remarkable riot that the press dis
patches Show the representatives Of the
Pinkerton Detective Agency to have been
acting in conjunction with the local po-
lice. The combined resources were mad
equate to meet the occasion. Men were
stoned and beaten into insensi'bility; but
the street car corporation having agreed
to pay the men SO beaten their wages,
the injuries they received appear in the
estimation Of the officers of the corpora
ton to be mere insignificant incidents
in the affair. Indeed the chief officer
Of the street car concerns speaks to the
press representatives about the purpose
of the company to appeal to the state
militia with an air OF preprietorshtp Of
the national guard which would be sur
prising were observers not familiar with
this tendency on the part OF such bodies
for some years past.
1--WE intend TO run cars" says the gen
eral manager of the Albany street car
concern, 'if it takes the entire national
guard of New York state to protect US"
The name of this beIligerent person, it is
perhaps worth while mentioning, is Nc
Namara.. What does it matter to Nc
Namara what expense the state may
be put to, or what injury may result
to property other than his? He claims
the right to run ears just as he would
the right to tear up his tracks. if it were
necessary to the purposes of his concern;
not because the public has to be served,
but because it is McNamara's concern,
and Mcnamara and his concern are, in
his own estimation. the only interest in
volved.
aggressive interests involved in this case.
The strikers and their sympathizers are
pure and simple outlaws. Every man,
woman and child taking part in the dis
turhance IN their behalf should be Sc
verely punished. If the state militia
should feel called on to blow a number
of them into eternity they themselves
would alone be to blame But that does
not relieve the other side to the con-
troversy of its obligations. When a fire.
brand. like the man Mcnamara In this
case, comes into control, he is able TO
do more to bring injury and popular i'll
will upon everything and everybody he
represents thar the most unfounded ex-
actions might
There is a state board OF arbitration in
New York. That concern is supposed to
have some function to perform in a case
of this kind. But it really has not. be-
cause savagery pure and simple, is the
only agency to which disputants in such
cases feel themselves called on to ap-
peal, since in all such cases it is only
a question which shall get the upper
hand of the other. and what the commu-
nifty needs or wishes is of no moment
whatever.
The billion dollar trusts of Morgan ct
al. the gigantic railroad combinations
and the steamship lines OF which we
hear so much are all subservient to Mr.
TnI II <oIro