The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-28
VAR EOR PE4CE SlKE.

The mayor of McKeesport. Pa. has tax
en- n somewhat remarkable position on
the subject Of the troub!e now exist 'rg
between the wo-kmen formerly emp, oyt d
by the steel interests Of that commun-
ity now on strike and their former en-
ployers. He declares his determ nat;cn
to preserve the peace of McKeespo.t If
he has to fight 10 do so. He will not al
low his local police to be occupied in
protecting the plant of the steel wo- ks.
nor viii he allow woIkmen to come
into the community who come with the
intention of doing the work which tie
strikers declare their unwilllngne SIS 10 do.
He has notified those conducting tae
steel works Of his viii and he has adj
vised steel workers thinking Of coming
to his community that re viii not per-
nit them to do so; that their presence viii
emily promote strife, and that f they r
sist in coming against his direction he
will have them arrested, and give I'm
the choice OF leaving the community y
going to the workhou-e.
Mayor Black-fcr teas is his nama-de-
clares that the armed guards which are
brought in to protect works in the stu
alton in which the MeKeesnort steel
works are now are usually gathered from
class Of men who have no visible
means Of support. They have no inter-
ests at stake. he declares, in the citil $
into which they come. and usually create
more trouble than they quell. He in
stances Homestead as showing the
truth Of his statement.
This city executive deserves approval
for his determination to preserve the
peace of his city. He mistakes his OBJ
legations, however, as is very plain from
the way in which he proposes to 50
about the enfor, emcnt Of peace and Or
der If he will net assign his police
force to TIE protection eff private prop
erty when he must he cCgn,zant of the
fact that it is almost certain to be as
sailed in the situation ext sting, he GER
tainly takes an extreme position when
he declares that neither viii he cons Mt
to its owners doing so. There can he
little Of peace or cr5e- where pu, lie at
thority refuses to extend its protection
to property which is so menacad.
The owners of the McKeesport steel
works are not outlaws. They have done
nothing which should place them ont
side the law. If they cannot get men
in McKeesport to do what it is the may
or's duty as city executive to do. they
surely ought not to be expected to leave
their property at the mercy of those who
may think proper to injure it, If they
cannot set men to Go their business in
McKeesport, surely they ought to have
the right to go elsewhere to provide
themselves. Mayor Black cannot beli=ve
that whereas the constitution secures the
right of every man to transport his prop
erty from one community to another and
from enc state to another, he can law
fully be denied the right to so TRANSPORT
himself. If a man or number of men
wish 10 go to McKeesport to earn their
living on terms satisfactory to them, is
Il understood that Mayor Black may say
hem nay?
There will be little disposition to d.s-
sent from Mayor Blacks view as to the
class of men who do guard duty in such
emergencies as the present They have
no great stakes in the communities they
come into, whatever they may have in
the communities they go out Of. Bat no
matter who or what they are, they have
right to come or go between any one
place and another when their mission
IS q lawful ore.
It looks now as if Mayor Black, of Nc
Kcespcrt, Pa. win kan some thing more
about the duties of city executives than
lie now knows if ever the situation at
present existing in his city should evolve
as at present it premises to evolve.