Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-10-20
EXPECTING THE MOB"
Somebody Has a Bad Conscience and
is Afraid.

A Washington correspondent sends
an interesting item of military activ-
ity, which shows that the powers
that be have a bad conscience which
makes them afraid of The People.
The National Guard, militia, are
being prepared for the defence of
property. That is to say, the ex-
ploiters are to be assisted by the
military power to keep possession of
The Peoples property against the
will of The People when they have
so far organized as to be able to de-
mand under the supreme law of the
land-The Peoples VIII, duly ex-
pressed and recorded-ReStitutjOn.
For the present it is sufficient for
the representatives and servants of
the capitalists to make a howl
against "mobs," under which name
one is given to imagine ragged,
starving crowd of idle and vicious
tramps and criminals; but the elab-
crate reorganization of the militia
indicates that The People are to be
subdued when they once assert their
power to execute their Will, the law.
At meeting of officers in Wash
ington, last week, problems in mill
tary tactics were given out for solu-
tion by the officers of the First and
Second Regiments of Washington.
Here are few samples:
"An attack on the Treasury Depart
ment building by an organized mob,
under the lead of capable leaders, being
apprehended, and being ordered to oc-
chpy the building and speedily make all
necessary preparations for its defense,
what would you do?
''In case of public tumult or riot, il
being deemed advisable to guard the
property of the Baltimore and Potomac
Railroad Company, and being ordered
to perform that duty, what would you
do?
'If rioters threatened, or made de-
monstrations, to prevent the running of
trains, or if attempts were made to derail
or otherwise prevent the running of
trains, what measures would en- take to
protect the trains and force their pas
sage:
In the solution of the above problems
it will be assumed that you have a three
battalion regiment of infantry at your
disposal"
Let us add another problem or
two for solution by the liveried and
epauletted hirelings of Capital:
If The People had elected a Socialist
administration and came in large num-
bers to Washington to take possession of
the public offices what would you do if
the troops in your several commands re-
fused to obey orders and developed an
organized resistance to the authority of
the officers who are known to sympath-
ize with the capitalist minority?
Whom would you recognize as chief
magistrate and commander of the army
and navy on the 9Th of March, provided
the Socialist President elect had been
successfully prevented from assuming
his office by the army under command
of the capitalist President whose term of
office expired the day before, but who
still remained in possession?
Such problems it may be well to
solve theoretically IN view of the
tendency of the times and the grow
ing enlightenment of The People.
1t would be interesting to know the
answers to hequestions also, so that
The People may proceed, with due
regard for the feelings of the mill
tary heroes, to make preparations
for the proper celebration of Labor's
Emancipation day; for the character
of the ceremonies may depend some
what upon the sort of reception ac-
corded The People by the gentlemen
alarms raised and educated at pub
lie expense.
UNCLE RASTUS' IDEA.