The orderly demonstration of the striking employees of the Rock Island and Lake Shore Railway Company, two days ago, ended with a mild orgy of destruction on the tracks of the said company and later in the stockyards.

We sympathize with the progressive aspirations of Labor but abhor riots and senseless destruction of any property. Governor Altgeld had the constitutional right to send Militia, to restore order. He refused to do so. Finally the desperate property owners appealed to President Cleveland, who at once restored order through a contingent of federal troops.

Now Governor Altgeld is kicking and has protested in Washington against the use of federal troops in the State of Illinois. We have always admired Governor Altgeld as an outstanding humanitarian and friend of the people. But we believe, that in this case he would have done better by using our State's 2militia, regardless of local politicans and laborleaders, who lost the control over the strikers.