▁legisl ative ▁report ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁from ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁strike ▁in ▁Pitts burgh , ▁rail road ▁workers ▁were ▁supported ▁by ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁population , ▁who ▁believed ▁the ▁rail ro ads ▁had ▁disc rimin ated ▁against ▁the ▁city ▁in ▁fre ight ▁rates , ▁making ▁its ▁manufact uring ▁less ▁compet itive , ▁and ▁had ▁treated ▁the ▁workers ▁badly . ▁Business men ▁and ▁tr ades men ▁were ▁also ▁affected ▁when ▁workers ' ▁w ages ▁were ▁cut , ▁so ▁many ▁had ▁a ▁st ake ▁in ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁the ▁rail ro ads . ▁Police ▁and ▁local ▁milit ia ▁were ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁act ▁against ▁strik ers ▁and ▁many ▁sympath ized ▁with , ▁or ▁out right ▁joined ▁them . ▁ ▁For ▁its ▁part , ▁the ▁final ▁report ▁of ▁the ▁Legisl ative ▁committee ▁placed ▁bl ame ▁on ▁both ▁labor ▁and ▁capital , ▁but ▁drew ▁a ▁distinction ▁in ▁stages ▁of ▁events ▁as ▁they ▁unfold ed . ▁They ▁maintained ▁that ▁the ▁strike , ▁as ▁such , ▁was ▁not ▁an ▁ins urre ction , ▁and ▁bl amed ▁the ▁en su ing ▁ri ots ▁on ▁" tr amps ▁and ▁idle ▁v agr ants ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁rail road ▁workers ▁or ▁the ▁un emp loy ed ▁in ▁general ." ▁ ▁For ▁its ▁part , ▁Har per ' s ▁Week ly ▁saw ▁the ▁essential ▁moral ▁of ▁the ▁strik es ▁and ▁ri ots ▁as ▁that ▁the ▁maintenance ▁of ▁a ▁strong ▁milit ia ▁was ▁necessary ▁to ▁maintain ▁order . ▁Their ▁editor , ▁writing ▁that ▁September , ▁assert ed :