Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-01-30

article that is real, for he faces the
president of the United States with de
fiance. His strenuosity is vented upon
the leader of the greatest nation on
earth.
Imagine the reception that Mr.. BaeI
would have received from Thomas JEFF
ferson, Andrew Jackson or Abraham
Lincoln. for one citizen feel that the
majesty Of the nation suffered when
its president humbly swallowed the de-
fiance Of this property owner.
The president stated truly that the
three parties to the situation were the
operators the miners and the general
public. The operators had Mr.. Baer and
the miners Mr.. Mitchell, both stanch
champions. How pitiable was the de-
fense of the general public!
Here again the fine adjustment of the
feudal system is In evidence; it does
not operate against the lord. The presi-
dent of the United States has at his
of the department of justice. An at
torney general is the law officer of the
government, with subordinates and
marshals in every district. The two
state governors who were involved in
this contest had similar powers and like
made in any court. We find, however,
that in the case of the United States
versus Haggerty, in which his "lud-
ship" spoke as above quoted, Reese
Blizzard, United States district attor-
ney, appeared in favor of rule for
contempt against the defendants. 1t
was the same in the Debs case at Chi
cago-the attorney general and his dis
trlct attorneys rushed troops and
judges against the strikers, but none
appeared in their favor.
1t is true that Mr. Morgan finally took
alarm at public sentiment and vouch-
safed to the/president the appointment
of tribunal Of arbitration. But 1t Is
pitiable that the whole machinery Of
government stood still while public in
dignation beat against Mr.. Morgan.
If the president had instructed the at
torney general to proceed for the relief
of the public by asking the courts to
appoint receivers to operate the mines,
the very act would have forced the i'm
pudent operators, not to arbitrate, but
to settle with their miners. If the pres
ident had summoned congress In ex-
traordinary session and demanded i'm
mediate action, his mere summons
would have solved the difficulty.
A congressional committee found and
reported in 1898 that the miners were
under monopolistic control. No fact Is
more notorious. The arrest of Mr.. Baer
and his associates for violation of the
statutes of the United States QS93,
chapter 60 against unlawful monopo-
lies would have restored some conf
dence that the law applies to the strong
as well as the weak. Governors Stone
and Odell had like powers, but appar-
emily the machinery of justice has been
thrown out of gear by Mr.. Baer's and
Mr.. Morgan's touch.
The Boston Herald lapsed one day
into this explanation: "Whie equity
proceedings have been resorted to in de-
fense of the interests of the public
when labor is involved, there is decided
hesitancy to apply the same remedy
when treating of evils due to corporate
or capitalistic disregard of public
rights" 1t was this same hesitancy
that afflicted President Roosevelt and
his attorney general. 1t was as effective
as a refusal.
Mr.. Baer, railroad president, faces
section 5, article II of the constitution
of Pennsylvania, which forbids COM
mon carriers from engaging directly or
Indirectly in mining. The state has the
right of eminent domain to take the
mines and may cancel the charters Of
the railroads and mining companies by
an act of the legislature. But Governor
Stone had only troops with which to
meet the problem.
The real masters Of the governments
and people have been disclosed in this
affair, and in the light of the revela-
tions it is not strange that Mr.. Baer
was bold, the president humble and the
people were dependent upon Mr.. Nor
gan's caution.
1t is not to be wondered at that the
present arbitration commission appears
to be sitting at the trial Of miners and
of trade unionism rather than vindi-
eating in advance the right Of labor to
organize for its own defense.
Some day we may hope for public off,
GERS who will "restore the majesty Of
the law" by enforcing 1t for the weak
as well as the powerful. But so long as
the feudal defiance finds the imple-
ments of justice without hands we
shall have these woeful struggles be-
tween monopoly and labor with the
chances always in favor of the former.
George Fred. Williams in Arena.