The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-09-25
A NEW AGITATOR.
THE LEADER OF THE WASH
TFGTON LABOR RIOTERS,


the Affair. -
Especial Correspondence Of the Democrat
WASHINGTON, September 81, 1878.
Absurd episodes are not at all infrequent i'm
Washington, and during six years residence
here / have observed great many; but the
most absurd Of all is or rather was, an eneute
which has just collapsed. refer to what has
been advertised. far and wide. as the
COHEN MOVEMENT" ....= +
This movement began about three months
ago. when an ignorant Dutch Jew by the name
Of Isaac Cohen. taking his cue from the rumors
OF Ksarnsyism that then floated eastward from
the Pacific slope, made an impromptu sand
lot" of the corner Of Seventh street and Penn
sylvania Avenue, and delivered q nightly har~
angue upon the wrongs OF the workingman.
At first his audiences consisted entirely Of
newsboys and bootblacks, but gradually the
vicinity began to be freduented by grown pso~
pie, to whom Cohen's incoherent and ungram-
matical advocacy Of Communism was In the
nature of an amusement Flattered by this
Fictitious growth Of his audiences Cohen
branched out and began to organize the work
ingmen" as he termed 1t. his organization''
consisting OF motley mob<of Vagrant whites
and negro chicken thieves, from such deleeta~
bic suburban localities as 'swampoodle" THE
Island and "Hells Bottom" best known in
carrying with them the flavor. Of their signI6-
cancpe e II This mob grew apace In the proportion
until a i became a force Of about two hundred
and fifty strong,
Having thus recruited his Falstaflan force TO-
q War footing, Cohen mobilized them last Tues
ynd aer aad am aqaa n fh
visits TO the departments here to
| DEMAND WORK AT LIVING wAGEs.'
Accordingly they called seriatim on John
Sherman, sehnrz M M and m MeCrary. winding up with
great, National Pumpkin Seed Bureau other
Wiss known n as It, tfe Department m m Of Agriculture
ceived Cohen and his gang with so much ero-
pressement that the ignorant Dutchman and
bis, work K house adherents became ,puffed up
and, by the time they arrived at LeDues corn
selves, ths balance oi power. i not the ruling
| eeived them coldiy. and. after brief eoiIoauY
with their leader turned the whole gang out OF
mons Cohen then arched hg ore = to I
city, buildings whore, he dep1oyed them and
made brief speech, In tn course Of which he
engaged to draw rations by leyying contrfbu~
vision stores, Thereupon he hired hack and
upon the proDrietors who put him off, agreeing
to give him an answer at O'Clock the next
With these empty results Cohen returned TO
his army. which he dsbanded to meet again at
o'clock the ensuing morning.
Punctually on time the forces assent Ded, but.
had 70 walt about an hour for their commander
Nine o'clock came and
COHEN WENT TO ONE OF THE STORES
1a hs had svfa pactHsa The a9ht before
Old Soldier of the oonederateD Mg ar =
I tillery, end is not much given TO fooIishnees.
! first call was made, Cohen thereupol returned
to big srmv sa.nd led them TO the navy yard.
: posed to use as camping ground. But here
he met with decided obstruction In the shape
aaS Soape 81 r6aa o estng ang gns Esa and hls
the Island" where. about 6 O'Clock D. M, he
again deployed his forces at parade rest and re-
d tions. = A"'
II baea the meanme aa4s hoveyeF boy John Sherman
Fort MoHenry and Fort Foote tae for trdops. p,oa
THUS: 4 SHORTLY sfter oohen's army had eneamped
Baltimore bringing two compauies of artillery.
mustsresd a s as II Infantry. and these suddenly de-
street leading to the arsenal about two saare "a req
: from the camp Of Cohen's forces, and in plain
ghff fqea oa ahe q oan hs this aneKpesd apDariion
I AN IMMEDIATE ONSLAUGHT UPON THEMsEry yEs.
! was ontemDlated. fed in the utmost disorder
and n every direction except that OF the de-
as peoope gg II e e dsy sf1 M Re
2led 70 s,eep soundly tonight. for the first
As for Cohen 5ie ai and hg gang there is no more
real real dang danger In him or them than in 50 many
Jack f -daWs, excepting as TO such loose property
derake to corral the wi ghoie 'e gang a2df and odRe dn
4 them safely on the Workhouse rockpfle at the
oas xo END N Wth .e assiganee Of aeny
8 Septemb ber."
: Ny object In detailing these occurrences is to
ances now rife In the North and TO show how
infinitely less able y take care Of itself North
that some ignorant Dutchman should assernbis
iWo or three hundred niggers ct the Clay Statue
anJi1 your city: a1d annonnce his Intention Of
provision dealersi Would there be- any W cali Tor for
heaeba ear troops Or YOU'D 1 gonr honest citizens
# calmly for some external power to fnteryene9
g Ireckon not. expect there would be-
Il A BRIEF BUT ANIMATED scHEUTzEHFEsT
. q between the mob and such, Of the police ana
utes, notice, and then all the Radical papers up
:, North would be bowling about another South
en- EN- 4oa1irags aissg and another massacre OF inno-
/ These things all come right In due time. The
Of the reality Of unrestrainsd nieesrism. Tlais
gohen episode fare1cal and absurd as it is, will
DO miracles IN the way Of opening the eyes of
2 nuisance Of dominant nlggerism direeted By E ig-
: nprant and and VICIOUS white trash, and viii 90 In
santn. a2Ttn A. As 7 pointsd ont in previous
to ns ind d0gsfP 9at Chat PeGRe tRs7 fFs have sn ss
d affairs Of their, own to look after. and
az ba2s are bsdne ipened oG to sno
L the people OF the South The motto oil the
0 Southern people should therefore be 10 "a
straight ahead, preserving their uDbroken DO
!, iftfcal front. and taking advantage OF
| THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL DECENTRALIZATION or
: THE NORTHERN PEOPLE
v and the. disintegration Of Northern orgaNas4
tions: sat 1ou haye nay Il had yonr day Of sorrow aaa
= haye its day Of riot and disorder. OF thetHo E
believe the latter ig the worse evil. And unless
al the signs fall the distracted North will yet
Q be glad TO LOOK to the Solid South" for con-
Q seryation. OF the national peace and projections
!, of the universal rights OF person and ropertys
4. G. b.