Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-05-10
Letter from Chicago.

more surely hsrmonize the varied interest
OF the district.
Letter from Chicago.
| THE Commune.
CHICAGO, April &c, 1873.
To the Editor of the Free Press and Times.
There is very serious prospect of anothe
Communist war in our city, at no distan
day, and Of much more formidable proper
tions than that OF last Summer, which
caused so much loss of life and damage tt
property.
The facts, SO far as your correspondent i
enabled to make them public, are these
For some months, the police authoritie.
have been aware that there were numerous
Communistic organizations throughout tht
city, and at the city election, held the frs
Tuesday of this present month, they can't
forward with Sufficient strength to elect theil
Aldermen in both the 18th and 18th wards
Previous to that day their movements had
been secret, but since the result Of that cleo
tion, they have grown bolder, and now then
leaders assert that they have the same right
to bear arms as the organized militia.
For several weeks they have been secretly
drilling in small squads, in various halls,
s'A'ies anu eeiiafs' anu "i'hin tue past "eeA
have been forming into companies. Last
Sunday morning, at very early hour, a
large Dody oil these men was discovered drill
ing on the open drairies, west OF the city
Ihe organization numbers from 5000 to TO-
ooo' and 1t Is positively ascertained that over
TWO thousand OF them are armed with guns,
many OF which are the Henry-Martlni breech-
loading rifles, and communist leader is
known to be now in New York purchasing
arms and ammunition for this city. MaJor-
General A. c. Ducat, commanding the State
troops, says: 81 do believe this subject Is a
graver one than most people are aware of
it is one OF very serious consideration. The
Chicago Times says;
There is no doubt whatever that at the
nrs' intimalion OF oreak between iaoorer
w;,h ,he;, 80, ~ o,an.na .ha;, ;SaaS n
.hing short of a complete revolution in the
employment of labor will satisfy them
t. inere mus DC no employer Du' lne iaoorei
business is his dream, and he will attempt to
realize it by force, and soon, too.
The creed of these men that ''property
is robbery" and the Industrious and thrifty
must distribute the accumulated profits of
their labor among those who will not work
or save. When the next -iot comes instead
of mob, the authorities will have to con-
front an armv, sufficiently equipped and
drilled and commanded BY persons who have
acquired skill and knowledge in the military
service Of France and Germany.
The Superintendent of Police says that
the Communists are drilling in ''circles"
of twelve, so as to avoid exciting alarm, and
that great many of them have arms
shot-guns. revolvers, Enfield rifles, SPRING
field rifles, etc., quite number, who were
soldiers, having the guns they had during
the rebellion. lie has detectives among
them, who attend their meetings and know
all their plans. and, while they are peace
able and law-abiding now, thev are liable to
ppv,v ,oosv N vovvsr Ann MAKE ru,xos
LIVELY.
lie deplores the fact that the police force
is without guns, saving it is impossible to
protect the people in case of a riot unless
every man has repeating rifle. The De-
partments of Boston, New York, Cincinnati,
st. Louis. Louisville, in truth, in every
large city,-are armed and drilled, while
Chicago Is the only large city in the country
whose police force is at the mercy of u pre-
pared mob. The men now have no encour-
agement to risk their lives, being poorly
paid and badly cared for by the city and,
besides, there are less than $50 to look
after 500 600 people. "The citizens of
Chicago, said he, yesterday afternoon,
''do not realize the extent OF the mine under
their feet, or they would make preparations
for the explosion when it comes" re-
porter told him OF subscription In the
Board of Trade, and asked how the money
could be most advantageously used. ''ln
buying guns. was the reply.
A Communist leader who was interviewed
stated that the Socialist party was working
now under the instructions of National
Executive Committee, whose headquarters
are at CINCINNATI. A circular issued to the
different Sections OF the country, some four
months ago, advised the various committees
to organize companies IN each city, town,
and hamlet, whore ir was possible, through
ort tho U,;ted S,.tes In this State WI
eonsi"' n''i'san' iennSyi'ahiA' Ne" io'A'
California and Massachusetts, this has been
carried out to the letter. II = claimed
,ha, :, Nou VII o;,u ,h.,. ,w.n,v
wy :,
oattaiions organized having an enroiieu
of over 10000 men, largely
of Poles. Bohemians. Scapdipa-
co p..ob .a ,,
,~'
irish, uhuer the ieau oi the notorious Mesy
and Schwab. In California the best orgsni-
zation exists pittsbury is the armorv for
,be n,rtv Tn. cnns ard Ammunition thu,
'n' party Inc guns anu a"nu"''ion 'nA'