Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-18
END SABOTAGE IN DELAWARE

of five men for bombing the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad bridge at Fourteenth
street was the first time in this State
person has been found guilty of
sabotage and punished, and it is
lamentable that the splendid record
of this community of workers has
been besmirched. These offenders
have done great injury to labor and
naturally gained nothing in the way
of advancing the case that was at
issue when the bridge was damaged.
1t is difficult to discern how a sane
person can hope to gather any bene-
fits for himself or for the group he
stands for by using dynamite. Pos
sibly the men IN this instance We're
badly advised, or possibly they too
had become imbued with the false idea
any law that stood in their way of
attaining whatsoever they thought
they wished.
more or less general credence for
considerable period-a part OF the
demoralizing aftermath of the World
War. 1t appears to permeate almost
all classes. 1t is, unfortunately, too
true that our laws have been treated
with scant consideration and violated
with more or less impunity and thus
brought into contempt or regarded
with Indifference.
These hve men. however, sought TO
cripple railroad and might have
caused the deaths of scores Of inno-
cent persons and they can hardly
claim to have had any excuse for
their crime. A strike against the
Pennsylvania Railroad Co. was on al
the time and they sought, they
averred in court, TO scare the mer
who stuck TO their posts and the mer
employed in their places, and 10 thus
make their tieup Of the system com.
plete. They evidently neglected tc
take into consideration that the de
struction of property or the intimi-
dation of workers is not the way Il
win a contest no matter what th'
stake, and it is deeply regrettabl,
that they did not consider the con
sequences of such an offense-no
only upon themselves but upon tn
whole issue for which labor was con
tending.
If we are to have a series Of act
of sabotage whenever there is dis
pute over wages or working condi
tions, the laborers will soon fin
themselves without occupation, 70
capital will withdraw. itself largel
from industry until order and respec
for law are re-esta blished.
The torch and the bomb were popr
lar in the early days of the rule {
the Reds in Russia, but even sue
Enthusiastically unbalanced leaders {
Lenine and Trotzky are banning tf
employment of fire and the bludseoi
and have learned the lesson tn;
through peaceful efforts and indsistr
only can contentment and prosperit
be reached.
Wilmington has had many strikes {
the result OF disputes between en-
ployer and employe. but this is the fir
time violence and the attempted de
truction of property has been attemp
ed, and let US hope the experience
the ive men, who will be obliged
pass the next five or six years
hind bars. will bear fruit in deterrii
others from violence.
Let other workers. If they shou
be tempted to commit like offens
remember not only that the penal
for such infractions of the laws
long separation from society-tht
family and friends-out that the sti
ma will follow them through life a
make it difficult to re-establish thel
selves in the confidence of employe
and hard indeed to make a living.
would be the part of wisdom to 10
forward if tempted TO thus destr
the property and see what such 6
ton will bring. II they should go u
detected and unpublished for violati
OF the statutes, they cannot escape I
accusing conscience that they hs
broken a great moral law. and sho
themselves unfit for fellowship W
honest and fair and peace loving n
and women--wlth all worthy citizen