Morning journal and courier., 1884-06-12

sight seeing. A needless killing of an in nocent citizen excites more feeling against the military than would the killing of hun dred mobocrats. The dispensing of the in nocent citizens would often break up g mob, for their presence is generally mistaken fol
 their sympathy. Hence every precsution possible should be used to notify such per sons of the danger of their situation before opening fire.
 2. The rife is utterly unfit fer use against mob. Long range is not neces. sary in the streets of city, and is entire
 iy out of place. A rife shst Is almost as certain of killing or wounding an inno- cent woman or child in dwelling half-miie distant as 1t is to hurt rioter 100 yards away. The needless destruction of life ex. cites public indignation against troops. Even the lives of the rioters should be taken only to the extent absolutely necessary to the restoration of peace and order.
 8. Muskets, or, far better, breach-loading shotguns, the best possible weapons against mob. The troops should be pro vided both with fine shot and buckshot cartridges Fine shot alone should be to repel any attempted charge upon the troops. The Anal shot would kill few, but wound many, and would disperse 8 crowd in less time and with far less sacrifice of life than with the rife shot, The use of buckshot is more destructive at short range than rife balls, but the range being so much shorter. innocent lives are far less exposed.
 g In case of mob, the usa of blank cartridges by the troops, or firing over head, is an unpardonable folly, dictated by 8 maudlin mercy that is no mercy at all No mob was ever dispersed with blank cartridges. Any sham of this kind only maddens and encourages the rioters. It enables them to brace up their courage and prepare for genuine cartridges when they Thia xviIl he 0nnfirma6 hv tha and experience of every officer present. Who does not recall many instances during our late war of our troops being wonderfully steadied at the beginning of battle by few rebel vollsys passing harmlessly over their heads2 But if the first volley were we'll di- often all the skill and bravery of the officers were requisite to hold them to their work until recovered from the first shock. This is hundred times more true in relation to a promiscuous assemblage of rioters unused to such exposure. The first volley should be of loaded cartridges, well delivered in the midst of the rioters, and if blank shot are to be used at all, let them come later. True mercy and humanity will suppress the mob at the earliest moment pos- sible, and experience has taught that this is quickest done by dispensing with all false pretences.
 That sickly sentimentality that would have troops stand to be scoffed and jeered and dubbed and stoned and withholding their shots for fear they might hurt somebody is no better in effect than the mob spirit itself and is unworthy of men and women or even children who desire peace and good order in community. Just such proceeding will bring our military into disrepute and contempt When soldiers attempt to repel attacks by throwing tufts of grass they cease to be ter TOT to evil doers and lose their character and influence as soldiers.
 10. Officers and men should be so drilled as to be able quickly, efeotually, and 8. small waste of property to barricade street or building against mob. For this purpose boxes filled with earth, stones, etc., carts, wagons and cars may be used. Barbed fencing wire, now found in large quantities in every place large enough to have 8 mob, could be used rapidly and with excellent effect, by stretching It across streets between build ings, telegraph poles. etc. If necessary, one or two telegraph poles felled across street, with multitude of wires, would effectually barricade a street. But telegraph and tele- phone connections would be so important to the authorities in case of mob, that this mode of barricadirg would not be expedient, except when communication had first been dest; oyed by the mob.