Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-07-25
Our Washington Letter.

" the employees upon the Baltimore and Ohi'
road which has been widening in area since tn,
first demonstration at Martnsburg, West Vir-
yinia, on Monday reached the point OF an insur-
ection in Baltimore, last night, resulting in
conflict between the Maryland militia and the riot.
'rs, in which ten or more persons were killed and
wounded. As usual in these affairs the person.
'Silled were not the rioters, but the innocent by
flanders, who stood looking on in open-mouthed
wonder, and seemed not to understand that bull
let's do not discriminate at such times between the
inst and the unjust The sudden rise and tiger
sh fury Of the riotous element in Baltimore shows
hat the mob spirit which arose on the 10th Of
\pril, 1861 against the Sixth Massachusetts, Regi
nent still exists in that city, and that very little
couragement on the part Of public sentiment, and
very little vacllation the part of the author
tiles will serve to reinstate Il in ts most danger
Gus form.
At about ten o'clock last night Governor Car
| roll Of Baltimore, telegaphed to the President
formal requsition for federal troops TO aid in put
| ting down the riots. The dispatch was taken to
| the President at the Soldiers Home, and orders
were Immediately given to have the Marine Corps
Mt the barracks, the only force available in the
| city, sent to Baltimore. The Secretary OF the
| Navy has telegraphed to the commanders OF the
United States men-of-war Swatara and Powhatan,
now lying at Norfolk, to come ut once under full
steam to this city. They are expected to arrive
| early tomorrow morning, with over five hundred
and fifty sailors and Marines all Of whom will be
| armed and utilized for the defende Of such gov
| eminent property as may be threatened by a mob
from Baltimore any other point. The Secre-
tary of War has also telegraphed to Fortress Mon
to have sent at once to this city two batteries
| numbering about two hundred men; he has also
| ordered General Winfield s. Hancock command
ing the Department of the Atlantic, with head
| quarters at New York, to proceed at once to Bal
timore and assume personal command Of all troops
at that point President Hayes is out TODAY with
a proclamation of warning to all rioters to retire
to their homes before twelve o clock tomorrow.
| The Governor of Maryland has also issued proc
| lamation to the same effect.
No trains have run over the Baltimore and Ohio
road between this point and Baltimore and the
| the Ohio river since morning, and probably will
not for several days to come. Persons doing bust
ness here having their families in the country
along the line of this road, will have to spend Sun.
day in the city. All is quiet at Martnsburg to-
night, but trouble is brewing in Baltimore and
Pittsburgh From dispatches late tonight it
seems that more trouble is to be feared at Pitts
burgh than anywhere else, as there are no United
States troops there and the militia are already
| partially in the power Of the strikers The Phil
adelphia militia are beseged in the round-house
and their position is deemed to be critical in the
extreme. The rioters have captured three pieces
of ordnance and are in possession OF all requisite
arms for holding the fort for some time
What may take place within the next twenty
four hours it is difficult to tell, but the situation
tonight is fearful to contemplate. The present
war between
LABOR AND CAPITAL
is one of the most bloodthirsty which this country
has ever seen, as the result OF such an uprising
Widespread as are the present strikes, and ter
rible as is this present "reign of terror" Their,
can probably be but one result-the strikers mus
ultimately succumb. Riotous strikes OF this kind
interruptng traffic and business generally, alway
work the most disastrously upon the poor and thu
laboring men in whose names they are instituted
The strikers who are holding the cattle trains OIL
the road, and allowing the poor animals to perish
of hunger and thirst, are only making the pric'
of meat higher to hungry men, women and chill
dren in Washington and Baltimore, who hav,
hardly the means to purchase meat at the pres
ent prices There is no doubt that the strikers il
all their lawful acts have the fullest sympathy o
the community, The ten per cent. reduction
after two previous reductions was ill-advised anC
should not have been made The Baltimore ant
Ohio has for years boosted Of its great earning,
and paid enormous dividends All that it could
save off of the reduction upon the wages of thu
fremen is only ten per cent of the wages OF tire,
| fvi,, aI.n stx doll
week, which would be less than ten thousand dol
lars per year The losses of the company alread,
are estimated at one hundred thousand dollars
and must continue in that ratio every day tina
the strike continues.
The fremen evidently have worked hard ant
suffered much on very small pay; they are chief
old employees, married, and having families de
pendent upon them. The more intelligent ar
content to appeal to the people, and ask If wage
that do not now permit over five dollars per wee
10 go to the housing clothing and feeding fam
lily are more than sufficient as a remuneration 70
, experienced labor full of danger and responsi
bty. The singular part of the disturbances a
Baltimore is the very active part taken by tn
, women who are the wives and mothers of tn
, fremen They look famshed and wild, and de
clare for starvation rather than their people shout
work for the reduced wages. :" Better starve out
right" they say, ethan to die by slow starva
ton" A significant indication of
THE POPULAR SYMPATHY
in this city was tonight in the fact that tn
crowds which were gathered about the bulletin
! boards cheered Justify whenever a dispatch wa
read announcing news favorable to the rioters
This was particularly the case when the news o
and the news that the Baltimore rioters had sue
ceeded in armng themselves. Fortunately thu
reduction of the wages ordered ON the Baltimor
, and Potomac road, at the same time it ordere
ON the Baltimore and Ohio was not carried int
effect, and since the trouble began has bee
countermanded The result is the Baltimore an
Potomac road has not been interfered with, an
therefore Washington enjoys one free avenue q
communication with the North. The Adams ex
press agent at the Treasury Department has bee
2 ordered not to send any treasure by rail Mort
until further orders.
striking historical coincidence is to be foun'
in the fact that the Sixth Massachusetts Regimen
! was stoned in the streets of Baltimore at the be
ginning OF the war and now the Sixth Marylan
= Regiment suffers the same kind of assault at tn
beginning of the labor riots. The only differenc
is that the former did not retalate while the LAT
ter fired upon their assaiants, killing and wound
1 ing number 1t is also strange fact that me
; who are now of the Sixth Maryland were anon
the assailants of the Sixth Massachusetts, in 1861
The result of the strike thus far, as will be seen
is total suspension of the operations Of
THE BALTIMORE AND ONO ROAD
Engineers, il willing. dare not attempt to run til
trains Despite this third reduction in the wage
of the firemen no one has heard Of any reductio
in the princely salaries paid to the officials of tn
road and it is felt, disguise it rs you will, that
the company really wants to save ten thousan
dollars, 1t had best cut down the pay of a fe'
mlionaires, rather than that of fremen, VIII
struggle to keep body and soul together on tiv
dollars per week. It is no wonder that the Bait
, more american is to-day advising the company t
compromise with the strikers before more dam
age, and perhaps irreparabe injury, is done. o
the other hand the company justly feel that the
have a legal right to regulate their own affairs,
determine what wages they will pay, and to ecor
, omize wheneverand wherever they deem it proper
They do not claim to exercise the right OF con
pusion, hut their action compels employees to n,
cept stipulated prices for work, or 90 without I