Year: 1877

men, armed with breech loading rifles


1t is feared that there will be as desper.


ate work there as the latest dispatches


indicate at Pittsburgh. There is deep


feeling of sympathy here against the


railroad magnates who have brought


about this condition Of things by their


suicidal course in cutting rates, and then


cutting the pay of hard working men to
make up for it. But there is not any
sympathy with the violence of the strik
ers. Our citizen soldiery do not like
the job before them; but they 90 at the
call of duty and authority.


WASHINGTON, d. c.. July Odd, 1877.


The communistic demonstrations
which have taken place 10 different sec.
tions of the country during the past few
days, though regarded in administration
circles as local in their nature, are at
the same time attended with some ap.
prehension that this spirit of opposition
has taken root in large class of our
population. As long as the acts of the
strikers in the present instance do not
come in conflict with the government,
they will be treated as matters to be
dealt with by State authorities. 1t has
been observed that the strikers have been
studiously careful not to lay violent
hands upon any of the passenger trains
moving to and fro, for were they to take
su,h an extreme step, not only would
the public have been aroused against
them, but the United States mails would
have been seriously delayed, which
would have been an offense against the
authority of the general government.
That the leaders of this strike were
shrewd in arranging their plans is evil
dent in their studious efforts to avoid a
conflict with the national government.
They also selected West Virginia, the
State of all others the least able to cope
with any unusual amount Of armed op
position to its authority. 1t was said
by Cabinet officer to day that had
prompt and effective measures been TAX
en- by the authorities of West Virginia,
the strike would have been confined to
the vicinity of Martinsburg, but the
pitiable array of military strength dis.
played by the State when the crisis came
gave the strikers time to bring out their
strength, and encouraged others in other
parts to cooperate with them.


The prompt measures taken by the
to protect the public prop
erty and treasure at the capital will pre-.
vent any outbreak here, though it was
OF Saturday that the large |
number of idle negroes in the city might
commit some acts of violence. That |
time, however, has now passed, as there
are no less than one thousand soldiers,
sailors and marines now here as pre-
cautionary measure and to wait develop
ments


Letters have been received here which !
lay the blame of all this upon the gov
ernment, for its persistent measures to
enforce resumption of specie payment,
that the great depression which
still exists in business is caused by this
influence alone and that while the rail.
roads and industrial corporations are
the people also are heavily !
In one sense this may be .
30 but it is quite certain that values
will continue to shrink until we strike
,he bottom rock, and that will be only /
when the currency of the country has
'eached fixed value.


New YORK, July %, 1877.


The gigantic railroad strike has been .