The Labor enquirer., 1884-06-21
MILITIA AND STRIKERS.
The Capitalists cowardly Plan tt
Head OF the Labor
Organizations. 4 .

IlatelY TOOK up the morning paper OF
my.city, and at the head of the editorial
page stood the following remarkable
document: - s.'L5 =.
"ExECUTIvE DEPARTMENT, Cry HALL, L
Providence, R: l., May "a, 1884. !
"For few weeks to come street drills
by portions of the military forces of the
state will take place in the streets of this
city on the evenings of the designated
days. - p -.
"At such times the streets to be occn-
pied will be selected by Brigadier
General Rhodes commanding the state
militia, by whose orders the drills viii
be held. -.
"On these occasions the citizens must
not interfere with or disturb in any man
ner the movements of the soldiers, and
all spectators or bvstanders' are forbid
den'to abuse, molest, or strike any one
when on parade or under arms
"a street drill in accordance with the
foregoing has been ordered for the even
ing of Monday, May 26 instant, if not
stormy, and on that evening the Point
street bridge will be closed to public
travel from $50 O'Clock to 9:45 o'clock
THOMAS A. DOYLE, Mayor"
Knowing that neither the state legisla-
ture nor the city government had
ordered or authorized any such proceed
ings, I, in c2mmon with many other cit
liens, moved around to inquire the cause
of such an unheard-of plan of military
activity in a community proverbially
peaceable and conservative.
The cause was not difficult to discover.
ltseems that for several months a few
leading manufacturers had been pressing
the adjutant general of the state to in
stitute occasional military drills designed
to Instruct the militia in the art of deal
ing with mobs such as it was affirmed
were liable to develop in the case OF
great strikes or financial and industrial
pamcs. Thereupon, the fat and high
salaried functionary laid out his plans
secretly, and without legal authority OF
any public notice, drill was soon insti-
tuted. On the evening when the hrst
performance was tried on in a neighbor-
hood inhabited by working people, the
surprised .toilers naturally gathered
about to know what it all meant. Sur
missing its purpose, they naturally re-
garded it as an insult and unprovoked
menace, and cried shame p to some OF
their fellow-workmen who, as militia
men, were engaged in it. It. was this
circumstance which inspired the mayor
of the second city in New England to
gratituitously take a hand in. the matter,
and the above illegal, and unauthorized
order was the result 'qrlfs III o..
The widespread legion of Irish World
| readers cannot be too soon warned OF
the stealthy designs of the great capital
| ietiS IoUuSioLoi. tI0 lauu.R " 10 tu0 pun
pose eof an existing league of capitalists
all through the country to institute the
drills in every great city of the United
States. The matter has already been ad-
vertised inreview articles which do not
reach working. people and private cor
respondence is now active between diff
ferent industrial points all over the land.
This league of capitahstic drillers will at
first start operations as quietly as posi-
BILE so as not to excite much undue
attention As soon as it is shown that
the militia boys like the fun and make
no objection to practicing in view Of
shooting. down workingmen systematic
ally in case Of great strikes the conspir-
ators will become bolder, till gradually q
modified form Of the great military des-
potism of Europe shall have been sue
cessfully planted in this great govern
msnt Of the people. =
The sad and suggestive lessons in
volyed in snch schemes will not be- lost