The San Francisco call., 1897-02-26
THREATENED RIOT
AT Los ANGELES
Hundreds Of Hungry Men
Clamor for Employ
ment.
0ninous Hints As to What May
Happen Should Relief Be
Denied Them.
With Tears in His Eyes the May or
Promises to Do Every ything IN
His Power.

LOS ANGELES, CAL, Feb. 25.-The
presence of large body of unkempt, IN
shaven, tattered, sunken-cheeked, hollow
eyed hungry men IN front of the City Hail
here this afternoon appealing to Mayor
Snyder for work and wages moved that Of
fetal to tears.
He had listened attentively TO petition
which had been read and approved at 8
meeting of this citv's army of unem-
ployed held earlier in the day at the Old
. Plaza on North Main street. With tear
stained caeeks and a voice husky with
emotion the Mayor said:
81 will not deliver an address; my heart
is too full for that. As L look on your
faces 1 recognize what your sentiments
are, and feel as deeply as you do that
something should be done for you and
your families.
Il will carefully consider your petition
at once. l have considered this question
and in my message to the council embody
what think to be the desired method for
relief. Bonds could be issued, it is true,
but 1t would be four or five months before
they could be realized on. The aid is too
remote.
Trust Us, however. to aid you in your
ing rash that would take away the SYM
pethy now felt for you by any overt act. I
will report to your meeting on next Satur-
day morning"
The situation relating to the unem-
ployed of the city is fast assuming a Sc
rlous aspect Mayor Snyders fears, how
ever, so far as the families" of these men
are concerned and the sympathy which ho
referred to, are no doubt greatly mis-
placed.
Most of these men are non-residents of
this city, attracted here largely, no doubt.
by Captain Frazier's GOOD Samaritan
Mission-one of the best planned and best
conducted evils which ever afflicted any
community.
The opportunity afforded by this mis-
sion of getting rooms, baths and meals
for mere plttance has attracted most of
the present unemployed to this city, and
now that the mission IS about to be closed
these men see trouble ahead; hence their
appeal.
All of the leaders and spokesmen at
their meeting to-day are said to be nom
residents. The threatening, ominous Ian
guage OF the petition has attracted the
most serious consideration from the hest
people OF the city.
1t is not calculated to enlist sympathy
btlc, work-Ioving men do not employ
threats in their appeals, so say our leading
citizens.
. Morrison l. Swift, a resident of Massa-
chusetts, led the speaking to-day and in
6ulged IN much ominous language.
A circular which vas distri buted at the
meeting referred in two or three places 10
the display of wealth and power at
Washington on March 4" winding up as
follows:
''Let the unemployed inaugurate in
other cities on March 4. While National
politics is inaugurating and blessing it.
self; let National poverty inaugurate and
organize itself into a permanent body
the National Unemployed-to keep itself
IN the eye OF the wealthy Nation until it is
considered fed and employed"
In the petition to Mayor Snyder the fol-
lowing is sample of the language en-
ployed:
I'VE are not willing to have this matter
delayed any longer. and we will not an
sWer Tor the consequences to the property
of this city if the thousands who are desti-
tute and desperate are not given work
by delaying and delaying do you not
teach the unemployed to believe that
their only chance of obtaining considera-
ton is to riot2''
Some action VII be taken by the CITY
Council relating to this matter at once.