The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-06-08
WASHINGTON.
Triumph Of the Negro Rioters
White Men Driven from Work
The Governor Surrenders 10 the

Special to the Enquirer!
WASHINGTON, June 6.-The colored
laborers strike here assumed new and
formidable phase to-day, which resulted
in the Governor and other officers OF
the new territorial government making
a complete surrender 10 the mob, by
abandoning the work on the streets,
which was under contract. This was
done under the pretense Of avoiding
general riot, though the police had very
generally protected the white workmen,
and arrested half dozen OF the ring
leaders who interferel with them. That
the riots to-day were premedltated Is
shown by the infiammatory speeches
made at mass meeting.
One Of the ringleaders, named Mar
cellus West, colored, is thus reported:
He opened the ball with an inhamma-
tory speech against the contractors, the
committee, the Board of Public Works,
and the wealthy classes in general. He
said Governor Cooke had told the COM
mittee that the laborers should be taken
care OF, and the committee had tailed 10
do their duty in not coming 10 this
meeting. He advised them all to 90
home and organize labor unions, and let
every club elect committee OF three to
meet in general convention and adopt
such resolutions and rules as will make
the contractors, as well as the officials,
know and respect the laborers rights.
Go home; and il YOU find any OF the
contractors, take their heads OFT their
shoulders. II tue contractors will not
pay the laborers the price agreed upon,
they should have their blood. Let the
workingmen' 8 motto be blood for blood
They have been swindling us long
enough. The Board Of Public Works
have all the power, and have got the
inside track OF the Governor, the Civ
ing ont OF the work, and it they refuse
to do what is ri ght, blood TOR blood
Now, 90 home to your districts and or
ganize your associations, choose your
committee, and see il this combination
can not be broken up. Strike terror
into the breasts OF these contractors.
Keep the thing moving. A bigger
fraud than Albert Gleason never lived
He could not offer to pay the laborers
more than Sl.25 per day, because he
wanted to support two or three fast
teams to ride about with. He is a dirty,
sneaking Yankee contractor. He i,
down on all niggers, and is worse than
our old masters. These Yankees will
skin YOU alive. Look out for them
He (the speaker) had never got cent
out OF the Republican party. The
Democrats, he said, were not 10 blame,
for they had obtained none of the local
offices"
Filled with this language the negroes,
to the number OF several hundred,
marched through the streets to-day, and
wherever workmen were employed on
the public works they were driven oil.
The Governor of this District then is-
sued the following notice TO the con
tractors:
GOVERNORS OFFICE, June 6, 1871.
In view OF the present difficulty with
the laborers, and TO preserve the peace
OF the city, we suggest that you suspend
the work on the Seventh street improve
ment until such measure can be adopt
ed as the occasion demands. Yours re-
spect!ully, ii. d. COOKE.
The wofkmen were hereupon all re-
lieved, work suspended. and the mob
went on its way rejoicing at its triumph.
1t is understood that the police force
will be concentrated in the morning to
prevent further disturbances, and it Is
also stated that battalion Of marines
will be held in readiness.
The underlying cause OF the difficulty
is found in the great surplus OF the col
ored population here, which has been
invited by city politicians at election
times. There are at least two thousand
more here than are needed. The strike
is injuring the business Of the District
The coal trade has been already diverted
from Georgetown to Alexandra, and TO.
day Philadelphia company abandoned
the erection OF block of buildings in
Washington.