The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Tuesday, March 24, 1891. THE SHEARERS’ TROUBLE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 586, 24 March 1891, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Tuesday, March 24, 1891. THE SHEARERS’ TROUBLE.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’!. Thy God’s, and truth’s.

The riotous conduct of some of the unionist shearers in Queensland must make all sensible unionists feel dismayed for the future of unionism, when its name is so prostituted as to be made to cover such blackguardly doings as reported. When the recent strike was on in New Zealand those who were the most strongly opposed to the unionists could not justly deny praise for the manly Spirit shown during the struggle. The strikers were beaten, but the defeat, bad though it was in some respects, was quite a slight one compared to what their condition would have been had violence been used The men did not personally lose the sympathy of the public, and the feeling of soreness was soon healed, though unfortunately many men found themselves thrown out of lucrative employment. But the shocking conduct of some of those who have been allowed to call themselves unionists in Queensland will have a disastrous effect upon unionism. None but ruffians would resort to the wrecking of trains, utterly regardless of the lives of innocent people, to destroy telegraph wires and other means of communication with the centres of civilization, to burn the property of people, to compel publicans to supply them with free drink, and to encourage drunken orgies. The mind of every true unionist must revolt from such ruffianly conduct. Some justification might be offered for solitary instances of unlawful acts committed by excitable individuals, but the riotous and insane conduct reported on the part of these men can in no way be palliated. Jt will be a serious blow to legitimate unionism, and must, in one form or another lead to the severe punishment of the men. The worst of it is that those most deserving punishment may lightly escape, while many innocent people will have to bear the brunt of it.