The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-29
OUR ST. LOUIS LETTER.

UUk 81. LUUlS LEIlEk.
THE COMMUNISTS IN ST. LOUIs-BUsI'
NESS WHOLLY SUSPENDED.
The Weak and vaclIlnting Policy Fur
sued by the City Government.
Especial Correspondence Of the Democrat
ST. LOUIS, July &c, 1877.
81. Louis ia to-day In complete state Of an
arcby. Lawless bands OF men are parading the
streets In every direction and invading busi-
ness establishments without the slightest oppo-
sition being offered. The city government has
pursued weak and vaciating course that has
brou ght down upon 1t the censure Of the conserv-
tive citizens and bitter condemnation OF the
strikers.
The first effort to inaugurate the strike In 81.
Louis was made last Sunday afternoon, and the
display Of only small smountAof backbone by
the city and police authorities would have npped
Louis to maintain her reputation as law. abiding
city. But the municipal
AUTHORITIES WERE PARALyzED
by the accounts OF the mob's doings in Pitts
burg. Just ~ the golden opportunity existed here
for freeing st. Louis from any riotous demonstra-
tons, the telegraph was bringing descriptions Of
the sacking and burning Of Pittsburg, and this
caused the Mayor and Police Commissioners to
hesitate; and to hesitate and temporize at such q
time WAS to encourage the incendiaries. The re-
suit was that the rioters gained strength, and by
Monday night they felt their power sufficiently to
call meetings in different portions of the city.
Nipua ocbor All t1ad ha mr.
outrageous proceedings, and the speeches were
30 irfammatory that even in a Republic they
ought to have subjected the speakers to arrest
and imprisonment.
The principal meeting was held at Lucus Mar
ket, where stand was erected after o'clock p.
m. The daily papers contained no announce
ment Of the proposed gathering, but 1t was gen.
orally understood among the classes whom the
designing leaders relied upon to aid them in over
throwing law and order. They had secretly es.
tabshed some means OF communicating with
the working classes, and impressng them with
the belief that their condition could be easily re-
leved. The assemblage was one Of the largest
ever seen at public meeting in this city, and
necessarily IL was
TUMULTUoUs AND D1soRDERLY.
EDehR1T hltbE bpe6htT udIhuku6u tu6 CIOWu
about their wrongs at the hands of the rich, and
the expressions Of capital against labor until the
vast mob was lashed into perfect fury. From
all sides could be heard curses upon the rich and
abuse OF the press and the railroads. The news
papers had incurred their special hatred, and q
strong desire to 'burn em out" was manifested.
The ruling principle Of the speakers was that
the property Of the country belongs equally to all,
and should be so divided that the wealthy have
accumulated their millions by chicanery, fraud
and deceit, and by expressing the poor laborer
and mechanic, and the condition OF the latter
could not be improved until the wealth is divided
equally among all. To accomplish this was an
nounoed as the purpose Of the movement, and
this announcement was greeted with cheers and
applause from nearly every man present.
About II o'clock, when the meeting adjourned,
the mob demanded that procession be formed,
and they march over the city. Then came the
critical moment for st. Louis. Had this in
furiated mob been turned loose in body upon
the streets, with the devish doctrines just In.
culcated by the speakers fresh in their m inds,
there must have been riot. They would have
stoned some Of the newspaper Offices, or perhaps
the police headquarters, and this would have
been the beginning Of blooder scenes than were
enacted in Pittsburg.
THE sCHEMIEd LEADERS
saw this and had intelligence enough to under
stand that ID would Illustrate their plans. Their
purpose was to keep up the excitement but pre-.
vent the commission Of any overt act, until their
ranks could be swelled by the addition OF all the
workingmen, idlers, Migrants and tramps in st..
Louis. The mob was bent on having process.
sion, and when the leaders declined to take con-
troll, began to form one themselves. Messages
were sent police headquarters. and to the other
places where civil officers were located, and con-
siderable CONSERVATION prevailed for awhile.
But the leaders Of the instruction managed to
assert their power, and keep down those who
were in for immediate mischief, by promising
them that q procession should be organized at
O'Clock the following morning. The hour solect-
ed was most too early for the luxurious strikers,
and consequently the procession did no. get
started.
The next meeting was held Tuesday night, and
the leaders had, by that time, learned lesson.
They saw there was danger Of their losing con-
troll Of the mob, and consequently the temper Of
olusion Of the meeting procession was formed,
and after passing down one Of the principal
streets, went over to East st. Louis, passing by
the toll.keepers without any regard to their
presence. In this move the leaders again dis
played their tact and cunning. They so man
aged as to prevent their mob from passing any Of
the places most seriously objected to, and thus
AyOIDED ourpprAu
that night. The movement continued to grow in
strength and determination, and yesterday at
noon the persons directing it felt that they had
sufficient power to make an aggressive demon
stration. Another procession was formed. and.
after parading some Of the principal business
streets. visited many Of the factories, mills and
shops. At each establishment the EMPLOYEES
were ordered to cease work Immediately, and if
auv hpaitatiOn showp y;ola,oa ,..-