The Labor enquirer., 1886-05-15
CREAM CITY QUIET.
Committee Of Laborers Fired Upon by
CowardIy Militia, to Satisfy an Ambi-
tious Governor and Monopolists.

Special to The Enquirer.
MILWAUKEE, Nav 10:-The past week
has witnessed a cowardlv attempt to
subdue, subject and enslave the wage
workers of our beautiful city. 1t has
leaked out that the St. Paul railroad Of
ticials and several of our wealthy manu-
facturers had consultations with our
worthy governor and the military
officers in regard to the eight hour
movement, and arrived at the conclu-
sion to nip the movement in the. bud
by "killing few of them of" subject the
rest. The governor is first-class poll
tician and set to work first to get the
"press" to back him, then he issued his
orders to shoot to KILL" and an officer
said in our hearing to group of his
men, IF anv of you fire high, I'll shoot
d low at you, and won't miss
elther!"
To show how things have been mis-
represented, will give few facts as
thev have come to my knowledge
through eye witnesses, and in every in
stance have been well authenticated
by presidents of unions and K. of L. Of
fcials:
"a mob of 1900 visited the St. Paul
shops on Monday and forced the men to
quit work with clubs and sticks" The
fact is a committee of K of L., accom-
panied by about 300 strikers who were
very orderly, visited the shops accord
ing to a previous arrangement and
asked the men to quit, which they did,
as bad been arranged and quite will
ingly too. The whole body of men then
marched to town. committees calling on
the way at all manufacturing establish
ments, the men coming out as requested.
When they arrived at E. P. Allis & Co.'S
large establishment thev we're met by
private watchmen, sherlffs and police, as
we'll as the private fire brigade with
three streams of water. This reception
scattered the crowd, but the committee
did its duty just the same and all hands
stopped work, the laborers came out and
Mr.. Allis decided to close the works.
This was satisfactory and the crowd
dispersed.
During all this long march not stick,
stone or anything else was thrown to
in1ure anyone. The crowd was orderly,
good natured and full of Jokes and wit.
The subject was eight hours.
On Tuesday the various committees,
who had been in consultation With the
men at Bay View during the week past,
met, and, accompanied by the crowd,
now augmented to 1900 or 1900. pro-
ceeded to Bay View, (Which is just south
of the city, visited the lumber yards
and at one point found a vessel being
unloaded, and on the representation of
the master-confirmed by The men
that eight hours prevailed, went on
their wav to the rolling mills leaving
them undisturbed This fact alone
shows the objects of the committee and
crowd accompanying them to be peace
full and orderly.
Arriving IT the mills the committee
called upon the superintendent and had
chat .9ith him. He told them that he
had no authority to change the hours or
raise the pay as demanded. The com
mittee reported to the crowd and the
superintendent spoke to them himself
at some length. They listened respect
fully and when asked If they were salts
fed, they shouted almost ss one man,
"elght hours The committee visited
the mill and had a conference with the
mill committee, but it was not as salts.
factory as they could wish, owing to the
presence of deputy sheriffs and police
While the committee was repq1