Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-08-02
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
The Great Strilxe-The Commune
Leaders-,rhe Prospect.
New York, July 81, 1877.

railroad has had a most disastrous
effect on the business of the city and
coming, as it does, just as we began
to see glimmers of daylight,is all the
more depressing. 1t is thousand
pities that the madmen could not
let the roads operate in peace till
the enormous crop that covers the
entire West. Was gotten TO market,
and the money for it distributed 10
the hands of tho farmers. 1t is a
thousand pities that mon havn't
sense enough to know that force
never did add cent to mans
wages, and that labor is something
that regulates itself, and which phys
ical force can neither alter or amend.
There was, all the week, feverish
feeling of apprehension. There are in
the city fifty thousand honest men
out of employment, fifty thousand
moro who wouldn't do stroke of
work to save their lives, so long as
any thing can be found to steal and
there are twenty thousand men at
| work, who are infected with the ter
rible dogmas of communism, and who
are born agitators. The strike at
Baltimore and Pittsburg set these
classes into ferment. The unem-
ployed wanted work, the communists
wanted an opportunity to "strike
for the rights of man." and the ruff
fans and tramps wanted disorder
that they might pillage with impun-
ity. The excitement eliminated in
monster meeting at Tompkins
Square, Wednesday night, under the
direction of Schwab, Thompson and
Swinton, toe three leaders of the
New York communists When the
meeting was called the city was in a
state of alarm. 1t was feared that
the fanatical leaders would infame
the multitude sure to be there, and
that the meeting would eliminate in
a riot, which would end no one could
tell when or where. The authorities
acted promptly and with discretion.
The National Guard was ordered un-
der arms, and very large number
of special police were sworn in. They
gave the communists permission to
hold their meeting, but gave them
to understand that the place would
be surrounded with police, and that
at the first intima alton of disorder the
military would be brought in requis-
ition, and that there would be TO half
way work about it. The leaders
saw that the authorities meant BUSH
ness, and they instructed their fol,
lowers to keep the peace, which for
tunateiy for themselves they did
Tho meeting was q fizzle, and with
the fizzle ended the hopes Of the
roughs of New York, to inaugurate
a riot here.
The effect upon business has been
terrible. Immense masses Of freights
lie in the depots, there is no regular
ity in mails, and the influx of stran-
gers into the city has almost ceased.
Trade is almost as entirely at a
stand-still as it is in Pittsburgh. But
it can't last Men may stand and
swing clubs and yell, fsw days, but
they have got TO eat, and food was
never got by swinging clubs and
yelling. The Pennsylvania road is
now open, and the others will DO in
day or two; and the regular flow
of business will begin again.
The Commune leaders.
John Swinton, the abIest of the
lot, has been connected with the
Press of New York, for a quarter of
a century. He is man Of above
the average height, with q good-na-
tured face, surmounted by . bald
crown. lie got his notions Of iber-
ty. fraternity and equality 10 Paris,
and is as radical a Republican, rs ever
lived. He is au excellent writer
and an indefatigablo worker, and is
honest. He makes no money out Of
if, Dor is he in these movements be.
cause of any hankering for notoriety.
He is good speaker and is favor
lie with the reds.
Justus I'll. Schwab, is German Of
perhaps forty.fve, who Processes to
spend all his time brooding over the
wrongs of the laborlng man, which
| does not interfere however with his
selling great deal of lager beer to
the oppressed, which his wife draws
In times like these, Schwab does q
splendid business, and it is shrewdly
suspected that he is not adverse to
| puplic demonstrations. He holds
that property is robbery; that there
should be an Immediate divide, and
that rich man is criminal. He is
a tall blonde, very powerful and
muscular, and has a wonderful in
fuence over the long haired Of his
race. Thompson, the other leader,
is tall, dyspeptic Englishman, who
was an agitator in his native coun-
try. He is a man of some eloquence
of the kind known as CAB. He
can talk by the hour of the"rights of
man." and the oppression of labor"
with all the rest of that flap doodle
which such fellows have vexed the
world with for so many years.
At the beginning, Schwab and
Thompson intended to precipitate
q riot, but the police commissioners
gave them to understand that they
would oe held responsible for any
trouble that might arise, and they
wisely held their followers in check
Your ranter is usually very eau
tious man when il comes to himself
But they will go right along, and
organize societies ''for the Anchor
alton of the condition of the laboring
Man." and collect money aud preach
communion, living the while very
comfortably on the contributions of
their dupes. And then whom
strikers come they will keep very
quiet II the back grounds out of
range OF shot and shells, till the fight
is over, when they will emerge and
90 through the same process again.