Untitled

THE OLDEST ANARCHISM 299
It also appears that no violence occurred in Chicago in
connection with the strike until after several thousand
men were made United States deputy marshals. These
"United States deputy marshals." says
the Commission,
"to the number of 3,600, were selected by and appointed
at the request of the General Managers' Association, and
the rail-
of its railroads. They were armed and paid by
roads." (25) In other words, the United States Government
gave over its police power directly into the hands
of one of the combatants. It allowed these private companies,
through detective agencies, to collect as hastily as
possible a great body of unemployed, to arm them, and
to send them out as officials of the United States to do
whatsoever was desired by the railroads. They were not
under the control of the army or of responsible United
States officials, and their intrusion into a situation so
tense and critical as that then existing in Chicago was
certain to produce trouble. And the fact is, the lawlessness
that prevailed in Chicago during that strike began
only after the appearance of these private "detectives."
It will astonish the ordinary
American citizen to read
of the character of the men to whom the maintenance of
law and order was entrusted. Superintendent of Police
Brennan referred to these deputy marshals in an official
report to the Council of Chicago as "thugs, thieves, and
ex-convicts," and in his testimony before the Commission
itself he said : "Some of the deputy marshals who are
now over in the . . .
county jail
were arrested while
deputy marshals for highway robbery." (26) Several
newspaper men, when asked to testify regarding the character
of these United States deputies, referred to them
variously as "drunkards," "loafers," "bums," and "criminals."
The now well-known journalist, Ray Stannard
Baker, was at that time reporting the strike for the Chi-