AMERICA AND THE EIGHT HOUR QUESTION.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1269, 25 June 1886, Page 3

AMERICA AND THE EIGHT HOUR QUESTION.

The agitation of the eight-hour question has revealed the existence in Chicago of a strong communistic and ninihstic sentiment among the German an t Polish labourers of that city. For several years their leaders have advocated the use of dynamite and other violent remedies by the labouring ’o'asses against employers who do not comply with their terms. But it was supoosed that they would never endeavour to put their monstrous throries into pracli- e, and hence they were given the utmost latitude of disciiSiion by the authorities. Only a few days ago.however.it was made apparent that this communistic organisation was iho raort danger ms foe that society has to contend against, and that its members would not scruple to make good their threats were they given an opportunity. A large body of teen employed in the M’Cormick reaper factory of Chicago struck because the proprietors declined to reduce the working time f'om ten to eight hours daily. At a meeting of Socialists it was suggested by one of the speakers that the audience pro ceed to the factory and destroy it. The crowd started in the dhection of the factory building, hut before reaching it were met by a detachment of police, who fired into and scattered it, thereby saving the property from destruction.

The viie miscreant* and their sympa» thisers held an indignation meetim;, and impudently den mice I the p dice for having come to the protection of the M'Cormick property, and a German editor, who has been for vears a leader of the Socialist party in Chicago, conjure! his followers to revenge themselves upon the police with dynamite bombs. At this suggestion a Socialist in the audience threw a bomb at a party of police who were at the meeting place to check the an lienee if it {repeated ils attempt to destroy property. The bomb exploded, killing several and wound* mg a number of officers, A hot light then occurred, and the bombs with which the agitators were a med did fearful execution among the officers, who fought bravely, and had the satisfaction of dispersing the cowardly gang. Ten or more police were killed, and forty were severely wounded by the explosion of the bnmhs. The exact loss to the Social i ts is not known, although the number of it jured among them must have been heavier than among the police. Similar outbreaks occurred at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and elsewhere, hut they were promptly suppressed by the militia.