The Portland daily press., 1894-02-28
THE BOSTON MARTYRS.
MOrrisOn's 'sSOcialists' Posing as the
Victims of the Authorities,

They Say They Have Been Held Up to the
World as Rioters While in Truth They
Are Quiet Men Who Are Hungry
Yesterday They Marched to FaneuiI
Hall and Held a Meeting There.
Boston, February 27.--About 5000 of
Boston's unemployed gathered on Bos-
ton Common between one and two this
afternoon. A large force OF police was
present, but there was no disorder nor
any attempt in that direction. Morrison
l. S wifi notified the crowd that the city
authorities had declined to permit any
speech making on the Common and re-
quested the multitude to form line ana
march to Faneuil hall. which was done
Immediately, in good order. There was
no demonstration Whatever at or before
the State House, although large crowd
hung about the building all the fore
noon, most of them actuated by curiosity,
awaiting any developments of possible
interest. The State house was poll ced
and no one without business was per-
mitted to loiter in the building while a
sufficient number of police were stationed
about the approaches to keep the crowd
moving and prevent any massiDg of the
people at any particular point in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the building. The
march to Faneuil hall was completed
without excitement, and long before the
end of the procession arrived the nall
was packed to suffocation. Addresses
were made by Swift, Herbert N. Casson
and Alfred Hicks.
Morrison 1. Swift's reception as he
mounted the platform was almost
cyclonic. He received three cheers and
several tigers. He said the workingmen
proposed to follow up their cause until
they wrested from the people of Massa-
chusetts and of the country recognition
going 20 use the ballot. Said he: "You
have been pleading for the right to live
ali winter and they did not know it until
last Tuesday. Now our hope is that after
getting Boston's attention we will get
some bread. The term anarchist is
to have things better than they are.
That is why we are termed anarchists.
It. is lie. We are socialists. Gov.
Greenhalge is no worse than his class,
but he has been living and moving in a
class different from that of the Ameri-
can workingmen. He was not chosen by
them. You were not at the caucuses.
L
machine do the electing for you. We
have all along couselled peace. The
apathy and indifference of the rich'a
the rulers of the city forced US to go to
the State House. If your asking for
bread creates such an uproar, what will
they do when you ask for your wages?"
Chairman Swift,then recited the cir
cumstances which resulted in the pro-
hibition of their meetings on the Com
mon, and said: "The proper thing to
do is to put those who have the power
of granting this permit to the test and
find out whether it lies in the power of
the mayor to grant this petition. Then,
mayor Of Boston has declined to allow
freedom of speech to men who lack
bread"
1t was voted by the meeting that
Mayor Matthews be requested to issue
permit for an outdoor meeting on the
Common. 1t was also voted ..that such
meeting be held there next ssSundayseve-
without disorder The following state
ment of the recent demonstration at the
State House was distributed on the pro-
gramme of the Equity union about the
hall:
aThe Governors Riot"
at will be long before the absurd
spectacle, into which the Governor of
Massachusetts, was thrown by the
presence of few thousand petltioning
unemployed at the State House will be
forgotten. Having terrorized himself by
the spectres he conjured up, he FASTENED
to terrorize Massachusetts, and the
United States. There was no riot and no
intention of riot. There was nothing in
the speeches to provoke riot, and the
Governor quelled it with consummate
bravery and loss of life on his part.
Boston applauded, the state applauded,
the country applauded, and the Governor
became great man by means of riot
in his head. Thus great lie went forth
on the spotless wings of the newspapers
over the whole land, was swallowed and
tasted good. Mr.. Greenhalge now basks
with George Washington and has partial
Iy recovered from the fearful achieve-
ment of keeping quiet men quiet week
ago."