The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-06-07
A DEMONSTRATION.
some of the Men, Horses and Carts of the
Department Of improvements En-
ter n Protest,

some Of the Men, Horses ana Carts of the
Department of improvements En-
ter Il Protest.
During the evening, on Tuesday, it was mored
about the streets that the employees Of the Depart
ment OF Improvementswoul assemble onWednes-
day morning, and in body march to the City Hail.
The programme was actually carried out, in part
at least. About 10 o'clock in the morning a
goodly number of the laborers OF Mr.. Nc
Csffrey's department, headed by their
district superintendent and foremep, appeared
in the Mayors parlor, whilst outside were strung
out opposite Lafayette Square about forty-fve of
the one hundred and thirty five corporation
carts" employed by the department. A Mr..
Walle, foremsn OF gang, WAS the spokesman of
delegation OF ten to address the Mayor. Mr..
Walle said, In substance, that they waited on his
honor to protest against the overthrow of the ex-
stipg system of keeping the streets, bridges,
ETC., clean and in repair, and the substitution of
the contract system, because it would throw
great many men
OUT OF EMPLOYMENT.
Mr.. Psbury replied by saying that ordinances
changing the system had passed the Council il
was true, but b I'd not yet been signed by him. and
would not be until he had fully investigated the
subject at issue, and given the employees side Of
the question the most favorable interpre-
regret at this apparent demonstration,
which was not ustifiable at this time
at least. The committee then retired, and whilst
good many loungers hung around the City Hall,
about dozen of the carts were driven do wn st.
Charles by their drivers who endeavored to ex-
cite sympathy among the frequenters of that
street by shouting, ''hurrah for McCaffrey,"
meeting with no response, but only exciting the
surprise OF the people, who seemed to be in utter
ignorance Of the Specification of this enthusiasm.
During the attendance Of Mr.. McCstfreys en-
plOyes at the hall some of them INDUCED in lam
guage rather more EN- phatic than polite against
the Administrators who had voted for the change,
and
PARTICULARLY AGAINST
Mr.. Cavanac whom it was suggested should be
ministrator of Commerce he walked out Of the
Mayors Office to the portico and thereafter into
the streets, circulating among the crowd, but
without meeting with any aggression.
going back into the City Hall, took him to task
for introducing measure which he, the speaker,
thought was antagonistic to the interests OF the
poor workngman. MIR. Cavanac endeavored to
system could only benefit workingmen in
general, because more work would be
done under it at reduced expenses, and that
besides the sum to be economical, about 500 600,
could be devoted to improvements which would
give employment to an additional number OF men.
His interoper, however, instead OF being Salts
fed, endeavored to persist in his aggression, say
ing at the same time that the result would throw
him, the spe aker. out of employment. Mr.. Cav
anac's only reply was that if he were employed in
the department
HE OUGHT NOT TO BE,
because he was id thief; and this ended the
colloquy.
Administrator Diamond was also interviewed
by some employe of the department. to ask him
to move for reconsideration of the vote by
which the contract system had been adopted
Mr.. Diamond replied that, before voting
as he did he had maturely considered the propo-
sition, and thus far nothing had been presented
to him to make him change his mind. The mat
ter was now in the hands OF the Mayor, who
would give hearing TO all sides, and would sign
or veto the resolutions, as he chose.
We forgot to say that the demonstration was in
augurated by one or two short speeches delivered
from the base Of Franklin statue, in Lafayette
Square, In which the speakers endeavored to
show that the action OF the administration in
PASSING the ordinance referred to was detrimental
to the interests Of the working classes.
The affair, which was a fzzle, was universally
condemned by sensible people.