Evening journal., 1916-09-09
THE TRIUMPH OF MOBOCRACY

"The Reign OF Terror is ended. a
least temporarily. and the curtain ha.
Deen rung down on the most disgrace
ful scene ever enacted in the drama
OF American Government and Ameri
can life" says this Railroad Age
Gazette in an editorial in its current
issue. "The labor brotherhoods were
unable, by their threats" continues
the Railway Age Gazette TO overawe
the presidents and managers Of the
railways There is still some courage
manhood and civic spirit left i'm this
country. But most Of these qualities
seem to have departed from the city
OF Washington when the presidents
and managers OF the railways went
away to prepare for the strike There
we're a few men in Congress who had
the bravery and patriotism to arise
and tell the truth about the proceed
ings leading up to and attending the
passage OF the so-called 'eight-hour'
law, but the number was pitifUlly few.
II was insufficient; Democratic Gov
eminent fell. and there was erected
where Il stood servile autocracy
headed by GOmpers and the heads of
the railway labor unions. When any
body Of men get enough power to
coerce Government they themselves
become the real government.
THE struggle ceased weeks ago to
be Ssntest between the railways and
part of their employees. II became
then, and il still is. and il will con-
tinue to be, until it is finished. a con-
test between reason and brute
strength, between order and disorder,
between fairness and unfairness. be-
tween liSht and darkness, between
courage and cowardice. between de-
mocracy and mobocracy.
The railway presidents. who had
refused to yield to the menaces Of the
labor unions, also refused to cover
before the Presidents doctrinaire
defamation or his attempts to exer-
else a cOercive power not constitu-
tionally belonging to his Office. They
determined to stand to the last for the
principle OF arbitration; and they
we're gratified and strengl hened by
soon finding that the intelligent pub
lie opinion OF the country with prac-
teal unanimity, supported them
"As soon as the decision reached by
the railway presidents became known,
the heads OF the brOtherhoods. with
out the slightest warning to President
Wilson. issued the order for a strike
to occur in lfss than 10 days
Then was witnessed the most
shameful performance in American
history. About one hundred years
ago the British soldiery captured and
burned the city Of Washington, while
the President. his Cabinet and Con-
gress fed and hid in the surrounding
woods: That was the most shameful
event in American history up to thin
time
"In every particular the recent cap
ture OF the national capital and its
were more disgraceful
and terrible than its destruction by
the BFtish. A handful Of men repre-
senting about 100000 of our own cit
liens descended upon the capital and
the halls Of legislation They sur
rounded them with the menace OF
force as truly as If they had had guns
in their hands. They threatened tol
destroy the property OF every man
and concern in the country by stop
ping railway transportation.
Would not a factory be as truly
destroyed by cutting II off from its
raw materials and its market as byl
dropping explosive shells upon II?
They threatened to put to death thou
sands OF unoffending men. women and
children. May not people be as trulyl