New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-31
UNRESTRICTED DISCUSSION.
AN EMPHATIC APPEAL FOR IT.

AN EMPHATIC APPEAL FOR IT.
AN ORDERLY DEMONSTRATIONS IN COOPER INSTITUTE
| THE ACTION OF THE POLICE IN oBsrRUcrING
FREE SPEECH AT ToMPKINs-sQUARE DENOUNCED
| SPEECHES BY DR. X. W. HoEBER, JOHN SWIM
ION. MRS. LILIENTHAI, AND OTHERS
The meeting which was held last night ut Cooper
Institute TO protest against the recent action OF tho
authorities in suppressing n workingmens demon
stration was overwhelming in numbers and inflamed
with zeal Long before the appointed hour the
seats began to I'LL AT first by and twos. soon
in larger troops, and presently with broad stream
of humanity. the assembly gathered. There was
vet considerable interval before the time set for
the speaking when il became evident that the great
| capacity of the hall would be inadequate. When
| every seat had been taken aud no place renamed
| in tho aisles or corridors, hundreds struggled
to get in. There police guard at the en-
| tranccs-the manag cement desired none-but order
was not forgotten. Committee of Order marked
by blue ribbons in the button-hoe, had been chosen
from the Turnveren. and these. $50 strong. pre-
vented crushing and turbulence. But of the people
who came few belonged to the class that finds its
pleasure and profit in outbreaks. The great major
ity were Germans, and not of the lowest classes
The host of the destitute among the workingmen of
NewYork were not very largely represented, if one
could Judge from the attire and mien of most of the
assembly The great part of them were
comfortably attired, aud their faces had no
hungry look SO great n gathering could not
miss some leaven of the ill-disposed. but the evil
spirits mainly obnoxious from occasional inter
Tuptons and ironcal attempts to check ll-timed or
protracted applause by noisy hushings, which
passed into Kissing. The sharpest attention was
given by the mass TO the speakers, all but one of
whom addressed them in German, and cxtravagant
denunciations of the police, the Police Commission
ers the city authorities in general and. To some eX-
tent of the moncyed class. gave the kccneSt salts
faction shown by heartier applause than ever comes
from audiences purely American The harangues,
though fervent and loud-voccd in the extreme were
hardly 50 violent in sentiment ~ it feared they
would be. The speakers mainly put reliance in the
baotbox for the redress of the asserted wrongs OF
the people though several darly limited al stronger
measures to come irregular means proved Intellectual
The meeting was held under the conduct of the
three German societies-thc Free-Thinkers Union,
the Turner's. and the Society of Progress. The In
ternationals and the Committee OF Safety took no
part the arrangements or control although their
members were present in the audience-room or on
tile platform Beside the officers aud speakers, there
were among Others on the platform Prof. Werner.
Henry Wehli, DR.. A. Stiebcling Jacob Schoenhof,
Conrad Kuhn Theodore VI. Banks, j. j. Schwab,
with the wives and lady friends OF the speakers.
officers, and prominent friends Of the movement.
The leaders of the meeting expressed great pride IN
the peaceful temper of the assembly aud in the fact
that not q single policeman in uniform was to be
seen or appeared to he necessary. The speakers
came in the following order: DR.. l.. w. Hoeber
John Swinton, Mrs. Augusta Lenthal, William
Gundlach Alex. Jonas, julius Kaufman, Dr. i. Ge-
rau and Conrad Kuhn. Messrs. Kaufman and
Kuhn are prominent Turner's. The rest. except Mr..
Swnton and Dr. Gerau are leaders in the Free
Thinkers Union.