The most remarkable fact about this riot is the audacity
of the Socialists, and their extreme ignorance of the conditions of the society in which they live. It is quite clear that they had pre- pared for an armed &mute, having collected dynamite bombs, large quantities of cartridges, and rifles for an entire regiment. They used perfectly open threats, their leaders calling upon them in print and from the platform to burn, slay, and lynch. They seem to have thought that, being armed, they could carry the city, and to have forgotten that they are outnumbered ly ten to one by born Americans, all armed and drilled, who are sure of a majority in their State, and who are fettered by no Constitu- tional scruples. The Mayor has announced th it he shall put them down "at any hazard," which means that he will fire at once ; and he is supported by the armed police, by the respectable citizens, all drilled, and, is the last resort, by the Militia of the State, the sons of freeholders, who have no mercy for Socialists. The latter have no chance whatever, and threaten to burn the city; but that is a difficult threat to carry out, as the Americans, once convinced of their design, which is possibly entertained by some fanatics, will .shoot them down first, and inquire into particulars afterwards. They are met, in fact, by a decisiveness equal to their own, and by far superior means.
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