Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-08-01
Now York Letter.
New YORK, July Is, 1877"
THE GREAT sTRIKE-THE COMMUNE LEAD
ERs-THE PROSPECT.

whole country into a coIlulIlon vi "'''-
is the prevailing topic. The stoppage o
.r,eio on tha railroads has had most dis
ostrous effect on the business CT the city
and, coming as it does, just as we began Il
sec elimmers of daylight, is all the mort
decreasing. 1t is Il thousand piliies ina
tbe mndmen could not let the roads oper
,te in neaee till the enormous crop ina
covers the entire west, was gotten u
market. and the money for it distributed II
tho hands of the farmers 1t is thousand
pties, that men haven't sense enough 1t
know that force never did add a cent 10
mans wages, and that labor is something
lhat reouIates itself. and which plyslca
force can neither alter or amend 1hert
was all the week, feverish feeling oil ap
nrebension. There are in the city nifty
thousand honest men out OF employment
tGnv thousand more who wouldn't do
stroke of work to save their lives, SO long
AS ANYTHING can be found to steal; ana
then there are twenty thousand men a
work. who are infected with the terrible
dormas of communism, and who are borl
npiIators. The strikes in Baltimore anC
Pittsburgh set these classes into TEL ment
The unemployed wanted work, the com
mnnists wanted an opportunity to strike
for the ri hts of man. and the ruillan'
and tramps wanted disorder that they
might pillage with impunity. The excite
ment eliminated in monster meeting al
Tompkins Square, Wednesday night, under
he direction of Schwab, Thompson and
Swinton, the three leaders of the New
York Communists. When the meeting
was called the city was in state of alarm
1t was feared that the flnatical leaders
would inflame the multitude sure to be
there, and that the meeting would cuIml'
nate in riot, which would end no one
could tell when or where. The aulhori-
tves acted promptly and with discretion.
The national guard was ordered under
arms, and n very large number of specia.
police were sworn in. They gave The COM
munists permission to hold their meeting,
but gave them TO understand that the place
would be surrounded by police, and that
at the first intimation of disorder the mill
tary would be brought into requisition,
and that there would be no halfway work
about il. The leaders saw that the author
aties meant business and they instructed
their followers to keep the peace, which
fortunately for themselves they did The
meeting was n fizzle, and with the tzzIe
ended the hopes of the roughs of New
York, to inaugurate riot here.
The effect upon business has been terri.
BILE. immense masses of freights lie in
the dcpots, there is no regularity in mails,
and the influx of strangers into the city
has almost ceased. Trade is almost as en-
tirely at a stand-still, as it is in Pittsburgh.
But it can't last. Men may stand and
swing clubs and yell, II few days, but they
have got to eat, and food was never got
by swinging clubs and yelling, The Penn
sylvania road is now open, and the others
will be in day or two; and the regular
flow of business will begin again.
THE COMMUNE LEADERS.
John Swinton, the ablest Of the lot, has
been connected with the press of New
York, for quarter of u century, lie is IL
man of above the average weight and
height, with II good-nhtured face, sur.
mounted by a bald crown. He got his
notions of liberty, fraternity and equality
in Paris, and is as radical republican as
ever lived. He is an excellent writer and
an interchangeable worker, and is honest
He makes no money out it, nor is he in
these movements because of any banker.
ing for notoriety. He is II good speaker
and is a favorte with the Reds.
Justus Ii. Schwab, is German of per.
haps forty-tive, who processes to spend all
his time brooding over the worngs of the
laborng man, which does not interfere
however, with his selling a great deal of
lager beer to the oppressed, which his wife
draws. In times like these, Schwab does
IL splendid business and it is shrewdly suS-
pected that he is not averse to popular
demonstrations He holds that property
is robbery, that there should be an imme-
diate divide, and that rich man is Grim.
inal. He is Il tall blonde, very powerful
andimuscular, and has wonderful influ
ence over the long haired of his race.
Thompson, tine other, is TALL dyspeptic
EngliShman, who was an agitator in his
native country. He is man of some elo-
quence-of the kind known as CAB. lie
can talk by the hour of the rights Of
man, }" and the oppression of labor" with
all The rest Of that flap which such
fellows have yeXed the world for SO MANY
years with.
At the beginning, Schwab and Thomp.
son intended to preciptate II riot, but the
police commissioners gave them to under
stand that they would be held responsible
for any trouble that might arise, and they
wisely held their followers in check.
Your ranter is usually very cautious
man when 1t comes 10 himself. But they
VIII go right along, and organizo societies
" Tor the amelloraliOn of the condition of
the laboring man. and collect money and
preach Communism, living the while very
comfortably on the contributions of Their
dnpes And then when strikers come
they Will keep very quiet in the back,
ground ont OF range Of shot and shell. till
me hight Is over when they will emerge
and 60 through the same process again,
Your professional labor reformer, like The
professional reformer of any kind, IS u
most pestiIcnt fellow. 1t is to be observed
lhat lie never tries TO improve the condi.
ton OF the laboring man by the exercise
ol the virtues OF temperance, hard work
and savlng-not he. What he wants i,
that the man who has earned and sayeo
money shall be compelled to divide il will
the man who has squandered all that h,
earns, or who is too indolent to earn any
1t Is amusing 10 hear men in ScbwalI',
beer saloon, sit by the hour deplorino IN,
condition Of the honest working mar
who is starving spending the while tn,
money Tor beer and cigars that their wive,
are earning at the wash.tub. Suggest +,
one OF these fellows that he had 6ettor -,
out and earn dollar or two, and he won1,
answer that he was no slave! And no sit,
and drinks beer and smokes. consumin,
IN THIS way money enough to make HE
terest. ~ 1t"
The rioters don't apparently seem +,
know that every dollar they DESTROY the,
nave to pay in the end. The connie:
clues anu states are responsible for The
obstruction OF property, and every doll,
burnt Will 90 into the tux duplicate. Tbe1
may think that the properly holders VIII
pay IT. but they are mistaken. 1t all coma,
out OF the labor in the end; the mobi,,
VINO lives by theft is the gamer, for h,
never vel pays anything, but the honest work K,
er deiuded into these movements, will fn n
the bills charged up to him in the enJ '
and he will settle them. II is WV.
serious matter. About five minions roi
destroyed in Pittsburg, which is o %or'
thlrty'two dollars per head for all the may,
women an. and children in the city. RioIin in"
THE PROSPECT