Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-04-11
NEW ORLEAN RIOT.
I. '. Powderly's Comment on the Recent
Killing OF the Italians at New Orleans.

L. '. Powderly has the following to
say IN reference to the New Orleans mas
Sacre; The reports in all the papers
state that it was the "better element
which headed the revolt and committed
the horrible butchery. l am glad of
that, for if they were workingmen the
press OF the country would cry out for
their immediate and summary punish
mtnt.
Why did not the mob kill the men
who served on the jury-the cowardlv
twelve good and true'' who were part
OF the respectable element?'' Had that
/ jury been composed of workingmen. had
they been bribed and rendered such a
verdict, it is quite likely that the '.re-
/ spectacle assassius would have mur-
dered them too. The republican papers
lay the blame to unchecked immigra-
ton" Yet five years ago when | pub
l1cly called attention to the character of
the Immigration Of that day and exposed
the practices of those who were stimu-
latlng it, these papers were more severe
IN their denunciation of my views than
they now are in denouncing those who
assasslnated some Of the people against
whose presence | then protested.
On May II, 1887, member of the Gre
Specialize element, Henry Clews, of
New York, sent out from his Malta soci-
ETY. IN Wall Street a secret circular con
tanning these words "The arrival YES
terday of 10000 immigrants should be
considered as favorable feature. In
the present disturbed condition of labor
this large flow of immigration comes at
an opportune time. What this country
needs more chan anything else is more
competition in the labor market. Com
petition alone will outmanpuver in the
end all the generals who are leading the
labor host-competition alone will prove
the only pacitiel Of labor dissatisfaction
and uprising, the only cloud now over
hanging our present prosperous coun-
try"
II New Orleans is a sample, the ''peace
and prosperity which Mr.. CIews predic
ted did not pan out. The respectable
element" invited, encouraged, welcomed
and paid the passage of the disreputable
element against whom they are now
protesting, but their ''cheaR men" did
not expel the ''only cloud" but caused
it to grow until the storm-laden center
now overhangs the dome of the capitol
itself
We have seen this class carrying arms
along the line of the New York Central
railroad under command of Robert Pin
kerton. They were newly landed; they
were not citizens; they could scarcely
understand word Of English, but they
served the purposes Of the "better eIe-
ment' and no one protested. The ''pri-
vate detective' figures in this case also,
and Detective O'Maliey is to be killed
by the "better element" which called
his trade into being. Surely the chick
ems are coming home to roost. Just
fancy lawyer, man who would have
pocketed his fee and defended the as
sassins of Hennessy, leading mob to
Kill them after brother lawyer had de-
Tended their deed.
Before the grand jury in New York
some OF the "better element" is ar
raigned for roasting a few people in d
tunnel. Suppose TO jury convicts, sup
pose no punishment is melted out to
hese high-tOned breakers, and sup
pose mob of the not SO respectable eIe-
ment should take the law into their
hands and punish Chauncey NJ. Depew
and his associates, would the press con-
tent itself with denouncing the act
without calling for the punishment Of
the actors ?"
So long as the Immigrants" work for
starvation wages they are welcomed by
the 'better clement" but have care.
gentlemen, of the "better element" 4
day Of reckoning is at hand. Your own
practices are creating q force which will
soon outnumber us, and those who
read history know that Rome brought
her own downfall, because the govern
ment was not Of the people, for and by
the people, but was for and by the ''bet-
Ter element"