Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-23
The Personnel Of the Mob.

The papers of the country are full
of reports OF the serious riots in the
city of Philadelphia. Lives have been
lost, cars burned, other property de-
stroyed, business paralyzed and the
public seriously inconvenienced by the
violence of the mobs. The police OF the
city, state constabulary and the or
ganized militia have been rushed into
preserve order and to protect lives and
property. All efforts to prevent these
violent acts have proved fruitless be-
cause the police were not sufficiently
strong to cope with the situation in the
beginning and the mobilization of the
military organizations was postponed
too long.
Those who are always ready to place
the responsibility for such outbreaks
upon organized labor are already busy
in this case, but it is thoroughly I'M
derstocd by the authorities in the
stricken city that those who are direct
lv concerned in the strike have shown
every respect for law and order and
have carefully refrained from all deeds
Of violence Unless the personnel OF
the mobs undergoeS a radical change
ing the riots is without foundation in
fact. The crimes which have been COM
mitted by the mObS are not charSeable
to orga niZed labor in any way. This IS
clearly set forth in the dispatches,
though we are informed that leader
of the strikers has been arrested on
charge of melting riot. So far as the
newspapers have given US lnIorma-
ton there is no evidence to show that
he is guilty of anything of the SORT 'a'
Of course that is matter for the
courts to decide.
The mobs are made up of loafers OF
all ages, irresponsible young men ana
boys. Photographs of mobs gathering
at danger points, lllopo IN 49,
attempting to overturn cars, OF cars
burning and of the crowds idly Watch-
ing the notice in their work of remoV-
ing distractions, invariably show
horde of BOYS in short trousers and
voun.r men of the usual street type. In
every nicture the outskirts of the mop
are composed of well-dressed business
men who are idly watching the mop IN
its work. None OF the photographs
vet published show any considerable
bodv of strikers at work in such acts
of violence. in fact, could one subtract
fror, the mob the business men ana
others who are lookers-on and the
s,,alI bovs who are bent on getting
what fun" they can out OF the de-
struction of property, the number Oh
those who are taking an active part III
tho violent demonstration is very small
indeed
Probably there are more regular pa
trolmcn in Philadelphia than there are
men who are willing to stoop to mop
violence. and if these degenerates were
rhe ONLY ones who congregated IN the
streets at such times the police coulo
cope with the situation without trou-
Bile. But the photographs show that
the police are handicapped by the
great throngs, in which the real Gull
prits easily conceal themselves. Wheh
the guardians of the law come upon the
scene. To that extent and to the eH-
tent that the crowds give these cow
ards encouragement by their NUMBERS
the real peaceful citizens of Philaael-
mia are lending their aid to the acts
of lawlessness. To charge the riots 10
organized labor is as entirely wrong as
it would be to charge the mayor oil the
CITY with responsibility for them.