Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-08-05
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MoNIToR.1
WASHINGTON, July 20, 1873.

WASHINGTON, July 20, 1878.
The feeling of Encouragement and
discomfort on the part of hundreds of |
worthy. honest laborers of this city, be
cause of the scarcity of labor at living,
or. indeed, at any rates, has been taken
advantage of by other hundreds of lazy.
worthless vagabonds who wouldn't work
at any price, to draw them into an un-
natural alliance with the latter and
into an attitude of hostility towards the
constituted authorities, that Friday cul-
minated in an attack on few men at
work for rates less than those prescribed
by the commune. Ecouraged at their sue
cess in forcing these few laborers to desist
from work, the tramp and vagabond
element was early on the ground Satur-
day morning to enforce the order that
had been posted in conspicuous places
to the effect that any laborer accepting
work at less than $l.5O per day, would
be shot or stoned to death. But the po-
lice authorities never acted with more
promptness and efficiency. A force of
more than 100. we'll armed, were at the
menaced point Saturday morning. The
very first demonstration made against
the men who had gone to work contrary
to the order above named, was the sig
nal for an attack that soon dispersed
the crowds and the would-be rioters
were followed up and routed every time
they sought to rally and make stand.
The cowardly sneaks who have done
nothing but deliver incendiary harangues
on the street comes here during the past
six months, testified their devotion to
the men they had exasperated up to the
point of lawless act of terrorism, by
skulking to the rear our of harms way.
But several of them have been arrested.
They completely wilted at the first
grasp of the law, showing them to be
any thing but the dauntless spirits they
had pretended, who could be implicitly
relied on to lead an enaatte. They are
just worthless, craven-spirited tramps.
They mistook the forbearance which led
the House.of Representatives to allow
them to utter their threats within its
hearing on the east steps leading into
the Capitol when the House was in
session, for fear /; and the tolerance Of
the officials here since, for cowardice.
They are the sort Of wretches who knock
down and otherwise assault women who
are at safe distance from male defend
ers. They are Of the class who beg
from door to door assuming only the
most humble mein till they find domi-
cile only tenanted by women and chill
dren. when their real character becomes
apparent by some act of wonton destruc-
ton, indecent assault on the butchery
} Of these helpless victims. We have
} hundreds of that class here Sympathy
is with the abiding. but now enforc.
ed idlers. They are worthy of every
thing that can be done for their relief
, But sympathy for the creatures whe
have been permitted for months to in
/ dulge in the most sanguinary threat.
! towards every member Of society, VIII
t by industry mas succeeded in accumulat
t ing something, would be criminal; ant
| then is little felt for that class here
. By ''nipping it in the bud" as was done
: we were likely saved a lamentable seen
y of bloodshed, murder, arson, pillage an,
J. nameless crimes whose contemplation
d must bring an involuntary shudder t
6 every man or woman. Nothing is NOR,
S cruel than the mob under such leader
e ship as the men who aspire to that dis