Grand Forks herald., 1922-09-05
LOCAL STRIKE TRAGEDY.

One of the outgrowths of the railway shopmen's
strike is the shooting fatal-of one Of the
striking shopmen formerly employed by the Great
Northern railway company by guard stationed at
the railway roundhouse in the western part Of the
city.
The accounts of the affair given by the guard
and by the companions of the man who was shot
are contradictory in several details In one par
ticuar they are in accord The shooting took place
after an alteration. Who started the alteration,
and just how it developed, are matters in which
there is dispute, but that there wordy dispute
which was followed by struggle and then BY the
shooting is stated BY both parties.
The facts in the case are to be investigated by
the proper authorities. That investigation must be
thorough and impartial, so that responsibility may
be properly placed. In the. meantime it behooves
every good citizen to refrain from increasing, BY
word or deed, the tension which such lamentable
incident causes
Two suggestions appear to be- particularly
pertinent at this time
First, the men who occupy positions Of respon-
sbility in the shopnens organizations owe it to the
community to their authority to the fullest ex-
tent, not merely in preventing, as far is humanity
possible, disputes which are provocative Of violence:
Arguments between strikers and men at work, and
between strikers and guards can result in nothing
of value to either party. They are certain to in
crease bitterness where there is too much bitter
ness already, to inflame passion and to render in
the strikers there are very many sober, conserva-
tive men who, whatever may be the result Of the
strike itself desire that the peace of the community
shall be maintained in everything relating to it. The
community has right to look to these men, mem
bers of its great body for the exercise of their
full influence, together with that of their officers in
so guiding and controlling the ttoughtless and
turbulent that when the strike is ended there may
be as little as possible tofegret
Second, there is an equal responsibility resting
on the railroad companies and all persons employed
by them for the avoidance of controversies which
can have only undesirable, and which may have fatal
results. The employment Of guards by railway
company is perfectly legitimate. Circumstances
have shown it to be necessary part Of common
prudence. The presence Of a guard at or around a
piece Of railway property'is neither menace nor
an offense to any law-abidng citizen But the man
so employed needs to be carefully selected. He must
be capable Of defending, in case of attack both him
self and the property entrusted to his care and OF
doing it vigorously and effectively But unless his
employment is to prove injurious rather than bene-
fcial he must also be able to keep his temper and
use his head. " s
Constitutional rights are to be guarded and re-
spected But the man who sets out to exercise all
his constitutional rights up to the very limits Of
trespass on the constitutional rights of his neigh.
Dor is pretty sure to get into fight Before he gets
through. What we need in times Of tension is the
spirit which prompts one to keep as far away from
trouble as possible without Sacrifice Of rights.