The Socialist and labor star. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1911-1915, 1914-02-27
AMERICAN COSSACkS

SNln nISN1N SSSSNSNS
ANY jackaSS can rule with martial
law" That dictum is ascribed TO Cav
our, the celebrated Italian statesman.
How correctly he sized mp things is
shown by the conditions developing in
the United States.
We have a Federal Constitution
safeguarding the inalienable rights of
everybody. 1t guarantees the right OF
free speech, free press, free assembly.
1t provides that nobody should be de-
prived OF life or liberty without due
process Of law.
The various State constitutions
guarantee the same rights. On paper
OF course.
When our ruling class finds itself
hampered by the constitutional safe
guards in dealing with disconnected
workers, it proceeds TO suspend the
Constitution and TO rule by martial
law.
Sometimes this is done by formal
act. as for instance in West Virginia;
at other times even without any both
ersome formalities.
We have seen the bull pens estab'
lished in the territory Of the Western
mining districts, after the model OF
Weyler the Butcher in Cuba. We
have witnessed the Cossack tactics in
West Virginia, Pennsylvania and else
where.
We have gone Weyler one better
We have had private armies, hired by
the employers, to subdue the workers.
At one time they took the field under
the command OF the PinkeTtons. Just
now they are operating as the Feltz'
Baldwin agency. They are equipped
with rifles, machine guns and movable
armored automobiles, the armed
specials
They make private war in the pay
of those that hire them. Like the con
dottieri of the middle ages, they Wor'
ship no principles. They follow the
employer with the largest purse.
Martial law against strikers Is be-
coming more and more the rule, with
or without the sanction OF the state.
In Pennsylvania We once had the
Coal and Iron Police. a private body
of mercenaries hired by the coal and
iron barons. They became notorious
for their cruelty and lawlessness. So
they were disbanded. In their stead,
at the bidding of the barons. the state
created the Constabulary, "a hard-rld'
| ing and hard-hitting body OF men,, as
they are aptly described. The strikers
| henceforth had their skulls cracked by
clubs in the hands, not of private hire
| lingS, but Of state CosSacks. In Penn
sylvania, CavOnrs saying was success
fully applied.
Seth Low. that Snug millionaire re-
former shining light of the Civic Fed
era,icn. now pushes campaign for
| introducing o state 'Constabulary in
New York. The success OF the Cos
sacks in the neighboring state has
made the months Of our own capital
lists water. By all means, let us have
"hard-riding, hard-hitting" Cossacks in
New York state, too.
There is one point. though, which
the admirers Of martial law methods
overlook. Cossack rule has the un'
pleasant consequence Of opening
heads. Not merely physically BY
cracking skulls 1t sets the workers
to thinking. 1t has produced that re-
suit in Russia, and it will produce il
| here. What Socialist speakers and
workers fail to achieve, martial law
and Cossack rule will bring about; the
awakening of the whole working class
The advocates OF Cossack rule
might do we'll to heed the saying OF
another European statesman: Bay
onets may at times be good to lean up,
on, but you cannot sit upon them
n. 7. Call.