Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-08-07
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 7, 1901
SHOOTING WITHOUT PALAvER.

commenting on the strike In the steel
industry gives utterance to the follow
ing FLOODED advice:
''Should the strikers begin the usual
mob violence, either to intimidate non
union men or to coerce citizens into as
sisting them by system of boycott,
the state militia and, if need be, the
regular army should be called out to
end the affair at once. There should
be no palaver and no use of blank
cartridges. If guns are needed at all,
they should be used with effect. The
sooner all men learn that property
and individual rights will be protected
in this country, even to the calling out
of the entire forces of the army and
navy, the sooner the country will en-
10Y quiet. A mob does not gain q
legal standing by reason of numbers
it is mob still, and if it's acts are
violent, the mob should be treated
with thoroughness that will make it
dangerous to be part of mob"
This utterance is typical Of the grow
ing feeling among the monied people
that the dollar is above the man. and
that in conflict between the two the
dollar must be protected, no matter
what becomes of the man. The pluto
cratic press has been laboring for
years to instil this sentiment into the
people. But it's efforts have generally
been more yelled. Being partly de-
pendent on the public for support,
these organs have not dared to openly
advocate shooting down the strikers
without palaver." It remained for
Jim Hills organ to make this bold
move. That paper is not dependent
on the people for support. Hill can
we'll afford to support it. If the burden
becomes heavy he has plenty of ways
of bleeding the people to make up
for it.
It has hitherto been considered
enough if the government guarded the
property of the company against vio-
lence. No sober-minded citizen would
criticise it for doing that. That is one
of the purposes for which government
is instituted. But there is a worldwide
difference between doing that and fol-
lowing the advice of the Globe. To
protect property it is seldom necessary
to resort to force. The simple mani
festation of power is generally sufii-
cient to do that. The Globe wants to
shoot down the strikers without talk
ing to them, in order to create an aw-
full example that would strike terror
into the hearts of other mobs. This is
the doctrine of brutal tyranny, and
has no place in a free government and
among enlightened people.
The article would deserve little notice
we're it not for the fact that one of the
master minds in the movement for
trust control of everything is be-
hind the paper. There is an irrepressi-
bic conflict on between organized CAPT.
tai and organized labor. The article,
coming from such source, serves
notice on the laborers that their lives
will be counted as nought if they come
in the way of the trust. Blinded by
it's own power and wealth the latter re-
sort to means that threaten it's own
to own existence. For just as surely
as this advice is acted on the mob will
become uncomfortable. Millions OF
laborers who in their normal condi-
ton deprecate mob violence as strong
ly as the plutocrats do would lose their
self-control in view of such brutal
murder, and there is no telling to what
extreme and desperate measures they
might resort. Violence 'begets vic.
lence. "He that takes to the sword
shall perish by the sword" If the
trusts know what is good for them
they will adopt more moderate means
than to "shoot without palaver.''.
ss,y