The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-24
CHICAGO PICNIC DIVERSIONS.

II has long been custom with certain
claas 81 writer's and politicians ut the North
to noint TO the people of the South with the
finger Of scorn, as to a people who are be-
hind the are In every element OF social or po-
iitical advancement and civilization.
These worthy opponents OF advanced IDEAS
and apostles of q superior civilization have
! maxnified every act Of individual lawlessness
/ AT the South into symptomatic bursts Ct the
barbarism which they allege Is the distin-
gushing trait Of the characters OF the people
Of our section.
S,nce the reclamation of the Southern States
from d position OF governmental anarchy and
potical misrule, and the complete restora-
dion In them OF representative governments,
4 these fanatics have rarely been afforded o
view 81 any Of those acts OF crime which they
hive hitherto been accustomed to use as
Illustrative 81 the force OF their Southern out
/ rage charges.
Their own section, however, has afforded
within the past few months enough OF In
human atrocity and murderous crime to earn
Tor one of It's leading States--the mother Of
The President and large majority OF the
chief officers Of the countryside truthful and
terribly descriptive title that has been ap-
piled to it, "Hells own half-acre" Since the
year of our Lord 1879 set In the chronicles o.
{ the times have located In 1t more OF outrage,
violence and murder than have been fur-
nished by the criminal records Of the whole
South during the same time.
Now another leading State north OF the
i Ohio river comes TO the front with little
criminal episode which would be classed as
horrible outrage II 1t had oc ,urred 10 the
South. but which seems to be regarded with
4 that apathy peculiar to the superior clviiza'
ton in the country where 1t occurred.
The circumstances as reported briefly by
the telegraph are substantially as follows
The Bohemian Sunday School gave Sunday
picnic ia the suburbs OF Chicago. Twenty
Bohemian sharpshooters happened to be
there, too, with their guns. Ihis matteI ol
guns, and bayonets, and sabres, and morality'
and religion being mixed up at SUNDAY
school picnic Is something incomprehensiple
to us, but 1t may have been symptomatie
Indication of that higher civilization which,
according to our Northern historians, we are
neither able to appreciate nor understand
There was also dancing; but this may have
only been one of those religious dances peculiar
"a more civilized nations and patterned aftel
King Dayid's devotional dances before the
ark of the Tabernacle. During the dances 9
sharpshooter quarreled with an unarmeo
citizen. who was beaten severely, as seque
to the quarrel, with series OF "apostollt
blows and knocks" probably, and afterware
elected from the grounds. The outcas
awakened q sympathy among Q crowd q w
christian outsiders In his case, and incltee
them to adopt the ancient pracnce 9
staining those who continued to carr.
4 on the devotional exercises speclnee
within. These latter, rejecting &C one'
!. all prehistoric precedent, beat the long roll
tixed bayonets, drew sabres, and charged Tn
multitude without, who. pierced and slasnet
with swords, retreated. Further to Prov
their doctrines orthodox" this religious com
pany Of sharpshooters drew itself up In lin'
d of battle, and fired several volleys IRON
Springfield rifles into the masses OF the re
treating multitude One Of the heather wa
slain-rather sacriied-tWo or three fatal!
injured, and twelve were wounded by BAL
and buckshot, bayonets and sabres.
Then the press reporter mildly says, tn
arrival Of the police probably saved tn
sharpshooters from personal violence" AMI
\ the company, hosting the United States flag
reformed In marching order and, under tn
protection Of squad OF police, marched 2
the West Madison street station.
This thing ought to be stopped. Let JON