The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-07

the strike region. which the Ledger pub
fishes. Is such record as to bring shame
to every patriotic citizen Of that State
and to arouse iii law-abiding citizens to
| action. Here IL a question Of far greater
| importance than the question: Of coal,
for 1t involves the very life and liberty
OF the people. It Is not a. question as
TO whether or not the mine operators are
unwilling to recognize the labor union,
or whether the labor union is willing to
have its men work for the operators at
the old scale OF wages. It is not q ques-
uon AZ to which side Is right and which
side 70 wrong In the matter OF wages.
The great and over-Shadowing question
IN this crisis is the right Of property
| owner to have his property protected. the
right Of an individual to work, the right
of the government to maintain law and
order.
rnere can be no two opinions as to this.
| There must be no dickcring and no COM
promises so far as this great and essen
tta1 principle is involved. II tho situa-
ton in the strike region Is such as this
reputable and representative Newspaper
has proclaimed 1t to be. the nrst thing
TO be done is to restore order and to es-
tablish the rights of the property own
ars and the workmen Of the State OF
pennsylvania. and If the Governor OF
Pennsylvania cannot or will not DO TINS.
it is clearly the duty Of the President OF
the United States to act ana 70 act
promptly and effectuailv.
me rimes is very jealous Of the rights
OF a sovereign State and it does not be-
lieve IN calling out the military so long
as the civil authorities are able to cope
with any situation. It would be mon
s,rous and it would be revolutionary for
the president OF the United States to
send troops into Pennsylvania to force
the striking miners into accepting the
terms offered them by the mine owners,
to force them to work against their will.
and If he should do such a thing every
man of liberty in this country would u.
ready to go up to the support OF the
miners. even to the defiance of the Fed
eral powers But the right to work is
as much right and as much right to
he protected as the right not to work.
and when any man or any set OF men
undertake by intimidation or violence or
otherwise to prevent citizen OF the
state of pennsylvania or Of any other
state from exercising that right such
man must be reckoned with and the
right OF the worker must be enforced at
all hazards.
1hat is the question before the Ameri-
can people to-day and it remains to be
seen what the authorities are going to do
about it.
IL the American people are pleased with
the situation in Pennsylvania as describ-
ed by the Philadelphia Ledger; If they
are ready to say that a labor union may
terrorize and dominate those who wish
to work. and shut up enterprises that VII
not comply with their demands. let them
he frank and brave enough to say so anil
let them enact laws to that effect Then
nroperty owners and workme1l will know
what to expect and will govern them
selves accordingly. We can live under
such a lawless law and such a system OF
oppression as well as any. But so long
"a inc law IS otherwise We insist that it
shall be respected and enforced.