New-York tribune., 1878-04-27

phe showed the care with which the mine had been
laid In an incredibly short space of time after the
first outbreak at Martinsburg, the great strike had
extended to Baltimore, thence to Pennsylvania
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New-York, and half dozen
other States the trunk railway lines were blocked
travel and trade were stopped; troops were
called ont by Federal and State authority;
$1,000 Trade-Unionists were banded to-
gether to defy the law blood was
shed; property valued at millions of dollars was
wantonly destrOyed perishable goods in transit
were irrctrievably lost the great cities were pro-
foundy agItated, and but for the prompt action of
the State and local authorities and the brave bear
ing Of our citizen soldiery would have been panic
stricken, through justilable apprehension OF re-
newal of the mob violence of July, 1868. III any
proof had been needed to establish the completely OF
tie Communists in the plot, il was given IN
ample measure by the "Internatlonaiists" them
selves. The strike had hardly gained headway be-
fore the chiefs of the international SECTIONS"
opened communications with the Trade Unions en-
listed in the conspiracy Secretary Goldsmith, I'D
Hartford; Van Patten and Schilling, in Chicago;
Curn Curtis, Cardell. RatZ Porter, Cope ana
Sykora, in st. Louis; Schwab, Swinton, Dcylc
Kaiser, Thompson. DemOrest and Others III New
York nut forth continuous efforts to encourage the
strikers. and to arouse the sympathy OF the
whole class of wOrkingmen. Out OF this
grew the TOmpkins-square meeting OF July 20,
which was wisely permitted to take place, and
which, quito as wisely, was kept in restraint Dy
5000 National Guarlsmen on duty in their aEmOrles
and 1000 policemen on duty in and around the
square. The strong arm of the law was potent to
avert scenes of violence 1t did not exercise It's po-
tcncy TO prevent free speech-nor should 1t have
LoII ,.oo1r oIn IN ~
dent of the United States as the embodiment of the
unanimous sentiment of the meeting; end hence
also the declaration" published by the Commun-
lists on the following day.
The declaration recited ~ that the Working
mems Party of the City and County of New-fork" "
rendered its heartfelt sympathes TO the railroad
men then on strike in different localities i'll the coun-
fry: 2 that il considered all legalzcd charter cor
porations the enemies of the working class !;
(3 that the chartered companies were RESPONSE
bic for acts of violence provoked by oppres-
sion ID :" that we do earnestly request and
advise all the working classes throughout the coun-
try to unite speedily possible for the purpose OF
forming political party bGsed on The hdtardt rights OF
LabOr" and that nothing short OF political rev.
olutlon through the ballOt-bCx. the part of the
working classes will remedy the evils under which
they suffer- and still further that it is the pur-
pose of the WOrkingmen's Party to cOniscate,
through legislation the unjustly gotten wealth Of
these leCazed and chartered corporation thieves
that are backed by the Shylocks and mOneyed syn
dicates of Europe and this country"
This looked like rhOdOmOntadc. 1t was regarded
at the time by the great of people as only
a fresh squirt by crazy fanatics. The press gave
very little attention TO it. The mob had been
quced: what matterf So men went about their
business again. order restored; the wheels OF
trade reyolyed and the thrifty American concluded
that the storm had blown over, and that
all he had to do was to attend to his own
affairs IN his own way. Lulled INTO this
false security, all but a very few of our people left
the Communist free to do as he pleased-prOvided
only that he should not again rise in insurrec-
tion.
Among the few obseryaut thinkers who reason
ing logically from cause to effect found reason to
apprehcnd future evil consequences from the out
break one of the earliest TO sound note OF warn.
ing was the Hon. William VI. GrOsvenOr, who wrote
IN THE International Reridc (October-NOvember,
1871: "By the light of the flames at Pitts
burg we may see approaching a terrible trial
for free institutions in this country. The
Communist is here Enforcing this state
ment by formidable array OF evidence,
as well as by differences based upon SOLID
conclusions, Mr.. GrOsvenor sought to arouse the
public mind TO a sense of impending danger. He
linked the Western Granger with the Communist,
and argued that the panic of 1873 was
the immediate effect of Granger legislation,
and that it was greatly extended. pro-
longcd, and intensified by the Communistic
war upon capital at the West" He also contended
that our local governments, "as constituted ARE
utterly incompetent to deal with the spirit of Com
cto Nyli OaV
toned, in view of the summary measures adopted
in New-York and Pennsylvania to put down the
riots of last year. But let that pass. II is not likely
that the scenes of Pittsburg will be repeated very
soon. The Communist has determined to go into
politics He has found that mobs can be put down
here more speedily than in ParS-and he has also
discovered that the ballot is more potent than the
bullet in getting the control of American institu-
tons Here lies the real peril 1t is full time for
the American people to recognize ITS existence.
XIV.
At Newark n. j.. in the last week of December
1877. n body of delegates assembled who called
themselves Congress of the Workingnen's Party
of the United Statesp Eighty-four Sections" were
representcd and it was claimed that the aggregate
membership of the Sections amounted to 1900 or
$4,000. Probably the numbers were not cXagger-
atcd. The avowed purpose of the gathering was
the preliminary organization of new political
party: the notorious Jnstus Schwab put in an ap-
pearance very early in the session, and accepted
rs the leader; and the Goth of December, in
open meeting, the Congress unanimously voted to
change its title from" The WOrkingmen's Party "
to that of the "SOcalstic Labor Party" Here was
a startiug-pont from which new era dates.
The Newark Congress will become historical. 1t
is therefore proper to put ITS platform on record
for purposes of future reference. Briefly stated the
points of that remarkable document are these:
l. Introduction Of legal work day OF not more than
EIGHT hours and strict punishment OF all violations.
p sanitary inspection all conditions OF labor, means
OF subsistence ard dwellings,.