Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-13
WHAT CAUSED THE RIOT
Events Leading to the New Orleans Dis
turbances.
Attorney General Olney's Reply to the
IntimatiOn That Regulars Were
Needed In the Crescent City.

The causes which led to the troubles at
New Orleans yesterday have been of
long standing, and grew out of the attempt
Of ship agents and others interested to re-
duce rates. The white screwmen claim
that the colored men, who were given a
share of the work under an agreement,
made secret cuts and violated the agree
ment in order to obtain more work, and
gradually crowd the white men off. The
white associations then severed all ties
with the blacks and refused to work with
them, or for the men who employed them.
The white longshoremen Joined the screw
men in this. Since then the steamship
lines have been gradually going over to the
negroes.
Lately the white screwmen quit work on
the lines still loyal to them, stated that
they would not work until the whole affair
was Strengthened out. Several more lines
then took on negro labor from necessity
The whites finally determined to retaliate
on the stevedores by offering to reduce
rates, and deal with the ships direct. Ships
in haste accepted the offer, but the agents
stood by the stevedores. The latter offered
to pay more than the screwmen asked, but
the screwmen refused to deal with them.
The agents offered to pay the screwmen
their wages and place the stevedores over
them as superintendent, but the screwmen
importing colored screwmen from Calves
ton. and the whites growing desperate,
broke loose in riot.
Gov. Altgelds Claim.
Governor John P. Altgeld Of Illinois was
last evening asked his opinion regarding
Attorney General Olney's negative reply
to the request Of the United States district
attorney at New Orleans asking for fed
eral troops to assist in quelling the riots
there.
Governor Altgeld expressed some sur
prise that the national government should
change its policy absolutely regarding the
sending of troops into states where trouble
exists. He maintained the position he
took last summer, when federal troops
were sent into Illinois to put down strik-
ers. He said Attorney General Olney was
clearly right. The governor gave out the
following statement for publications:
"They are having trouble along the docks
of New Orleans and several men have
been killed. The affair is SO serious that
commerce is not only interfered with, but
in some cases is stopped. 1t seems that
the United States district attorney at New
Orleans applied to the authorities at Wash
ington for United States troops. and. ac-
cording to the dispatches, Attorney Gen.
eral Olney replied that the state must first
exhaust its resources or deny protection
before United States troops can be used
In this the Attorney General is clearly
right. That has been the doctrine of our
government from it's foundation, until it
was trampled under foot at Chicago last
summer. 1t embodies the very essence of
local self-government and free institutions
that cannot exist without respecting this
principle. The moment 1t is ignored every
thing is left to the discretion, that Is, the
WILL Of one man, representing the central
power. This man can then send troops
when and where he pleases, and keep them
as long as he pleases. The Emperor Will
liam does not claim more power than this
The country Is to be congratulated on the
fact that the government at Washington
can have lucid interval"
The Demand for Regulars.
The intimation that troops were needed
at New Orleans came from the United
States district attorney there, and Attor-
ney General Olney has replied that the
state must first exhaust its resources or
deny protection before the federal authori-
ties will even consider the question Of send
ing troops.
This determination was reached last