The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-14
He Issues a Proclamation in which
tanned at All Hazards.
QUIET DAY AT NEW ORLEANS
NO COLORED MEN ATTEMPTED TO
WORK ON THE LEvEES.
Lavless White Screwmen Denounced
by the Merchants in an Address
TO the People.

NEW ORLEANS, March 1s.--The agents
of the foreign steamship companies held
meeting at the office of Alfred Leblanc,
agent of the Harrison line, whose wharf
was the scene of Tuesdays riot. The pro-
ceedings of the meeting were carefully
guarded and all of the agents who took part
refused to state what had taken place or to
discuss the situation. Numbers of negro
screwmen were gathered near the Cotton
Exchange during the day, and 1T is under
stood that the steamship agents were ar
ranging to put them to work soon as
the requisite police or military protection
is assured them This evening it was posi-
lively announced that number of the
men will begin work to-day. a company of
State troops will be stationed. at each ship
to be loaded. The agent of the white screw
mems association says that work is going
all ships which are being loaded by
that association except one or two, which
are out of cotton and are waiting for
fresh supply.
It has been apprehended that the local
labor situation would be still further COM
plicated by the strike of the street railway
employees, whose demands have not yet
been acceded to by the presidents of the
street railway companies and whose case
still hangs fire before the board of arbitra-
ton because of the injunction recently is
sued Officials of the union met to-day and
decided to allow the question of a strike to
remain in abeyance for the present. A gem
eral meeting OF the union will be held on
Friday, when the entire matter will again
be taken up for decision The committee of
Commercial Exchange, of which Mr. S. A.
Trufant is chairman called on the Governor
about noon and was in consultation with
him several hours. Soon after the confer
ence adjourned the proclamation of the
Governor was issued.
The Governors Proclamation.
NEW ORLEANS, March is.-Late this
afternoon Governor Foster issued a proc
lamation. which has had a good effect
among business men. inspiring confidence
that peace will be maintained and laborers
of every class protected. The proclamation
follows: -Affa4s~
Armed and organized bodies of men
have, in the past few days, congregated
on the levee front and the approaches there
to- and have there engaged in rioting. re-
sulting in the wounding and killing of
number of persons and have thereby been
good order of the State and threatening
tho commerce of the port; and. whereas,
the offenses may be. repeated,
Governor Of the state Of Louisiana. by viz.
by issue this, my, sproclarfaa, Oh, command
ing all such assemblages2 to immedia tely dis
p against ane 81 such acss weHer
/ by secret meetings or overt action, and
do further counsel and advise all law-abid-
ing citizens to refrain from frequenting
places where violations of the public peace
are likely to occur and to abstain from all
acts which may serve to excite the public
mind, and / do hereby declare that as the
chief executive, charged withs the constitu-
tional duty Of seeing that the laws of the
State are faithfully executed, will, through
the proper law officers, see to it that the
participants in the late riots are brought to
the law. "a seff sa4
And do further declare that will Use
the whole power of the commonwealth,
civil and military. to suppress and dispense
all riotous assemblies and to maintain and
uphold the law, and to sustain all persons
and legal rights and to protect them. in
life, liberty and property: and to that
end l invoke the aid and assistance of all
good citizens and invite the cooperation
of all who have at heart the true interests
of the State.
Merchants Appeal to the People.
NEW ORLEANS, March BAT the meet
ing of the representatives Of all the COM
mercial bodies last night, and which did not
adjourn till early this morning, the follow
ing address to the people of New Orleans
was adopted
The acts of lawless violence that have
been witnessed on the levee front during the
past forty-eight hours, "a wrong ON the heels
of events covering many months which
have seriously injured the fair name of this
city throughout the world call for express
sion on the part of the merchants of New
Orleans We have patiently stood an inter-
ference from organized labor which has cost
US and the city and the state many hun
business drifting from us because of want
of confidence elsewhere. born OF labor
troubles and interruptions, we have quietly
stood by, hoping against hope that we could
by moral sasion and fair offers bring about
peaceful and amicable solution. Every eff
fort in this direction has failed, and we find
that, mistakng forbearance for fear,
armed mob has taken possession of our
wharves and landings, determined to uphold
a minority, who insist that the merchants
of New Orleans shall intrust the conduct of
ton of wages or compensation but simply
and solely one of whether the merchants of
New Orleans shall conduct their own bust
ness in their own way or whether they shall
be dictated to by handful OF employees.
We say handful, the men who insist on
dominating business methods are two
thousand out of about fifty thousand male
adults of the city--two thousand who have
and DO insist that the means nd OF e;
shall be stopped unless they are allowed to
dictate.
sit is useless to enter into details. The
facts are too well known to every man,
woman and child to need recital The time
has come when forbearance has ceased to
be virtue we can no longer deal with
men who with arms in their hands. are
shooting down an inoffsnsive people because
they will not think and act With them For
these reasons we say to these people that.
cost what it may. We. are determined that
the commerce OF this city must ana snaii pc
protected; that every man who desires to
perform honest labor must and Shall be per-
mitted to do so. regardless of race. color or
previous conditions. No man shall be inter
fered with in the pursuance or his daily
avocation, and we insist on the right of
every employer 10 hire whom he may choose
and have their work performed in such
manner as he man direct. We do not deny
the right. of the workingmen to combine
work if they choose but we deny their
right to prevent Others from working. and
we warn those men who have taken the
law into their own hands that the condi-
lions they have brought about must cease:
We are willing to meet them amicably II
they will return TO peaceful methods and
accept work, according TO all men equal
rights If not they must stand aside and
let others work who WILL