The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-28

the country unless something is done right away to
provide employment, relieve poverty, and equalize
wealth"
Judged by the past, what is the likelihood of vio-
lence in this third winter Of depression and suffering?
The precedents of history are no accurate guide to
the present and the future. but they are worth some
thing. There is a good review of the facts by Burt P.
Garrett in Editorial Research Reports.
The first mass protest against harsh economic con-
ditions came in New England after the Revolutionary
war. Shays Rebellion was a protest of the sorelv
pressed farmers, who were heavily in debt, their lands
mortgaged and their credit gone. But the forces of
law and order %triumphed quickly and the embattIed
farmers swallowed their grievances.
Our first severe panic and depression came in 1887.
though there had been hard times in 1919. There was
a famous bread riot in New York City. A crowd of
some 5000 raided Eli Harris flour store and started to
roll the $4,000 barrels of flour out into the street.
The mayor protested, but was driven away by a
shower Of sticks, bricks, and chunks of ice. The rioters
finally were scattered by the police and a body of
national guardsmen.
In the depression of 1857, misery stalked again.
Some 10000 men were out of work in New York City
Gas compared to the present 10000 600 from a much
larger population). Bread riots threatened, but the
authorities acted in time.
Many were put to work on Central Park and other
public enterprises, while souphouses were opened To
serve the poor. The crisis passed with no serious
violence.
After the Civil war many ex-soldiers found them
selves out of jobs and turned to the frontier to form
near-outlaw bands Of raiders. They terrorized some
OF the border states, especially Missouri. OF these
gangs QuantrelrS Raiders were the best known. The
depression of 1873 was severe, but there was little
accompanying rioting directly attributable to the
economic slump.
The depression of 1884 produced Coxey's armv
and the march of the "Commonweal of Christi TO the
capital in the spring of 1894. Various contingents
estimated at between 5000 and $4,000 persons. took
part IN thls enterprise. But only some 500 ever
reached Washington.
There they were very orderly, but were attacked
by district police, and many of them locked I'D for
trespassing on the capitol grounds. There was some
friction between authorities and scattered contingents
OF the army" The chief instance was at BILLINGS
Mont, where one man was killed and several injured
NO important cases of rioting or demonstration
accompanied the panic of 1907 or the depression of
1871. In the latter case, the violence was all on the
Sloe OF the established order-the notorious red raids"
and deportations delirium of the Mitchell Palmer
regime.
By and large, then, the American citizen appears
10 be surprisingly docile under the pangs of hunger
and cold. Even an empty stomach and a shiverino
Inoe can not make a persistent rioter out of him.
10 many it has seemed that the vested interestc
nave shown great ~audacity and recklessness in allow
ing a vast army of unemployed and miserable men
10 grow up in our midst in the last two years. with M
serious efforts to deal with the challenge.
But If American history is any guide. our indus
trlalsts and bankers have little to fear from this
source. The social and economic order thew renre-
sent may drop to pieces in our country from sheer
incompetence in its leadership, but there is little
probability that it will be overthrown nv force