The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-03-08
Militia Ready to Move on City
at Hours Notice.
DEMONSTRATION IS PLANNED
Police Have Orders to Use Clubs
on WOrkingmen Who Appear
: In Independence Square This
f, Afternoon Hotel Cab System
] Crippled Estimates of Num-
I Der of Men Our Vary.

Philadelphia, March 5.--The much
talked-of sympathy strike is now a
reality, the order to strike having
gone into effect at midnight last
night. 1t Is also well known that
every national guard regiment in the
state Of Pennsylvania is under orders
20 be ready to entrain for Philadelphia
at an hours notice. General Clay,
head of the police force. denies 1t. 1t
happens. however 10 be true.
Promptly at midnight, union orches-
tras playing in the leading hotels and
cafes picked up their instruments and
started for their homes. Union cab
drivers and chauffeurs also abandoned
their posts and the hotel and railroad
cab and automobile service was badly
crippled. The drivers of both taxicab
services in the city are members OF
Il union and refused to take out their
machines after the strike he'd gone
into effect.
Just how many union workmen
failed to show up for work when the
factory whistles blew this morning ID
not known, estimates varying greatly.
Labor leaders are shouting exultantly
that 100000 men have lined up with
striking motormen and conductors.
Policemen who have conducted a hur-
gied canvass OF their beats assert that
not more than 10000 men are idle as
n result of the general strike order.
Conservative estimates place the
number at 10000, a little more or less.
Outlook 10 Dark.
The outlook Is ominous even to the
most cheerful observers. 50 much
bitterness has developed in the past
Few days that the people Of Phllndel-
phia are preparing for any kind of
trouble. An hours walk in sections
0f the city, such as Kensington. where
che feeling is the most intense, is suf.
fclent for anyone TO understand 1t is
Bmoldering. KensinGton, where two
leaders of the union men live, will
De the seat Of the trouble. The police
are preparing for a riot at the very
outset. The committee of ten of the
Central Labor union Issued a call to
all union men TO assemble for q
peaceable demonstration at o'clock
this afternoon In Independence
square. The committee count on
$4,000 men to attend the meeting,
Henry Clay director of public safety,
has forbidden the meeting. lie said
that there would be 1000 police in the
square and that these men would
have orders to club the heads Of any
men who attempted to gather In the
square. Clay said that there had 10
be a showdown, and IL might as wcll
come quick The Central Labor union
committee declined to rescind the or
der for the meeting
It remains to be seen how many
strikers viii drift to the neighborhood
of Independence hall and how far the
police will so In handling them.
The labor bosses spread the prom
Use that no union man would throw q
brick or participate in any resistance
10 the police or the militia. The
promise was accepted for Just what II
Ia worth. With 10000 men Idle and
more, because they were drawn into
q general strike. no one supposes that
che leaders can keep the peace, II
anyone had confidence In the police
force the prospect would not be sC
unpleasant. But nobody has, not ever
the commanders. Rioters have takeI
che policemen Of the city by the necl
and wiped up the back streets witt
them.
Boycott Is Effective.
The labor leaders have evolved
new plan TO beat the transit compan!
into submission. They have organ
ised a boycott that viii be directet
Bgainst any department store, ever.
aelghborhood store, any saloon, an,
market. In fact where necessarles ar
sold. The plan was quietly formulat
I'd and secretly put into effect. Store
keepers have been notified that
tney sell pound Of butter or a nlch
els worth OF cheese TO anyone In SYN
pathy with the T. r. T., they viii no
set a cents worth Of patronage fror