Year: 1877

Court was in session at Holidays
burg during the railroad riotat Altoona
and His Honor, Judge Dean, in charg
ing the Grand Jury, presented the law
relating to mobs and riots so plain anC
| full that we deem il our duty to lay
the charge before our readers, so thai
they may learn the law too, and can
therefore, in the future, discharge theil
duties in the premises intclligently, AZ
becomes good citizens


Gentlemen Of the Grand Jury ,-Fol
the usual offences which IL is our duty
TO investigate here, Court after Court
you received printed Instructions Al
the time Of the service Of the summons
upon you as Grand Jurors, and in your
deliberations you will refer to these
printed instructions for any informa
tion which may be necessary TO the
proper performance Of your duty.


There are other matters which We
feel it, under the circumstances, oui
duty to call your attention to thi.
morning. The Sheriff of this county
has informed us, in his official capacity
of riotous proceedings existing in the
neighboring city of Altoona, which he
was not able TO suppress. Individual
members of the Grand Jury have also
inquired of us personally what was
their duty under the circumstances
which are known to exist.


We shall cndeavor to state to you
the law concerning riot, and unlawful
and violent proceedings which are ab.
horrent to peaceable citizens, and
which disturb a neighborbood; andif, in
the performance of your duty under
the oath you have taken, and the law,
which you are bound to observe, you
should find il expedicnt and proper at
this time to take action in your official
capacity, you will then do so. We
have not had time TO carefully digest
tho numerous decisions bearing on the
law OF riot. but we may say to you,
however. that the law is well settled,
There is no difference of opinion among
Courts. nor indeed among LAWYERS. as
TO what riot is. OF what acts shall be
sufficient, when proven. to constitute
guilt


Your request has doubtless been
prompted .by the well.known fact that
iaroe crowds of persons have Assem-.
bled in the city ofAltoona, within this
county. and. while SO assembled. trains
of Tho penn'a. r. r. Company. com.
mon carrier doing business under the
laws of this Commonwealth. have been
stopped and detained, while carrying
Goods and messengers


II is NOT necessary for MS to inauire
here into the moving cause of this
conduct because whatever NAV be the
grievances of those concerned in these
3roeeedincs any attempt to remedy
these grievances by violence. or in any
other way than by due force of law, i
unlawful and criminal.


No matter how rapidly the dissatis-
faction OF employees with the course of
EMPLOYERS may spread, or how much
confusion and disorder may for time
be created by rioters, or lawless con.
duct on the part OF those suffering from
real or supposed wrongs, there Is, in a
land of law, but one end to such mat.
ters. Law will assert its supremacy
and those who have broken the law
will then suffer the punishment which
the outraged law visits upon those who
obey not its mandates. That is the
end. and the only end in this country
All agree that great strike is Q
great public calamity but it is propo
sition which admits of no argument
that an employer has an absolute right
10 saw lust how much be will pay iol
work. and the employed have an abso
lute right TO say how much they will
receive in compensation for employ
, ment. This is free Government the
laborer is free; he may work or not, al
certain price the employer is free
he NAV have work done or he may
not have it done, at certain price
ANY attempt by laborers or workmen
with force and violence to compel en-
ployment at prices fixed by themselves
any attempt by employers, with fore,
and violence to compel labor at pricei
fixed by themselves, is lawless is wal
upon society is war upon the freedom
OF that laborer and will be put dowr
without question, for the simple reasor
that law and lawlessness cannot exist
together.


The freedom of the citizen, guaran
teed by the Constitution and the law
is struck at whenever any workman
by threats or violence is deferred from
doing such work as he chooses to do a
any price he chooses TO accept bui
more than the individual freedom o
tho workman is interfcred with wher
those engaged in a strike on railroad
line obstruct by violence the passage
of trains. Trains moving east ant
west, are carrying goods for merchant
who have no connection with th'
wrong inflicted upon the workmen
money is lost through the non-arrlva
of merchandise business complication
and disaster, resulting often in bank
ruptcy, will be the end of such proceed
ings. A coal train ladened with fue
for distant manufacturer is stopped
as q consequence his furnace Is com
PEELED to blow out his hands arr
thrown out of employment and thu
ia a thousand ways suffering and los
are entailed upon people IN dlstan
localities who have no part or lot witl
either the dissatisfied workmcn or th'
obnoxious transporter.


The strikers, therefore, who by fore