The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-09-02

and from the mines. II is claimed that
the Governor made this promise to Presi-
dents Nichols. Duffy, and Fahy on the
occasion of their visit to Harrisburg in
May.
1t is distressing to The Times to read
reports of this nature. It cannot be but
that conservative men will interpret this
resolution as a declaration on the part OF
a labor union against law and order and
IN behalf Of, lawless strikers. It is
equivalent to saying that the troops which
have been sent into the strike regions of
Pennsylvania should permit strikers to
destroy property and even to destroy hui
nail life without using force to prevent,
the proper course being to try the Offend
ers in court after the offense has been
committed. Labor unions cannot afford
to take any such stand any more than
other organizations can afford to take it.
The safety OF society. demands that when
lawiess men start out to commit lawless
acts they must be prevented
Suppose the owners of the coal mines in
Pennsylvania had banded themselves to-
Ccther and employed a number of out
siders TO come in to their assistance; sup
pose such gaaG.1ead' gone out to make
war upon the peaccable workingmen of
the community. to destroy their property,
and their lives is it possible that any
sensible man would say that this mob
should be permitted to go ahead and carry
out its wicked and lawless designs. while
the troops stood idly by and waited only
to make arrests after the crime had been
committed?
When men defy the law they take their
lives into their own hands and put them
selves outside the protection Of the law.
1t is the great function OF government to
prevent crime from being committed. Un-
der our theory Of government men are
punished not in a spirit of revenge. but to
set an example, to deter others from COM
hitting crime. When a policeman sees a
man about to commit a breach of the
peace, it IS his business to intercept him,
and he would fall far short Of his duty
if he should stand quietly by and permit
the law to be violated, even though he
should after the fact arrest the offender
and carry him to Jail.
On Sunday last the Mayor of Ashland,
out OF abundant prccaution and with wise
and oommendabIe aforethought requested
the Governor TO send troops to that town.
At the time of his request there was no
actual disorder but he feared that there
would be a clash between the races. and
as an officer of the law he felt it his duty
TO prevent it The soldiers Were sent, and
they patrolled the streets during the
afternoon and night Had there been any
demonstration on either side it would
have been the duty of the soldiers to
stand between and at all hazard and with
out regard to consequences to use bayo-
net and shot in order to prevent the law
from, being violated It would have been
a travessty and a moclery indeed if, under
such circumstances, the soldiers had stood
by and let the riot proceed, only to ar
rest the survivors after the smoke of bat
tie had cleared away.
AS to the concluding paragraph in the
above dispatch, we should like to hear
from the Governor of Pennsylvania, be-
fore we pass comment But he should be
heard from. The law-abiding citizens Of
Pennsylvania should demand to know if
he did in fact make a promise that he
would not give protection to honest men
in the State of Pennsylvania who desired
to work, if perchance such men were not
members of the miners organization. If
he did make such a promise he is unfit
to be Governor of Pennsylvania. or of any
ether State. and he should be promptly
inpeached.