The San Francisco call., 1896-08-28
WILL SPEAK IN
BLACK LETTERS,
Socialists to Hold a Silence
Meeting in the
Streets.
SPEECHES ON BANNERS.
They Will Be Hoisted in the
Air for the Crowd to
Read.
STRICTLY WITHIN THE LAW.
Any One Who Gives Utterance TO a
Word Will Be Turned Over to
the Police.
STRICTLY WITHIN THE LAW

The Socialist Labor party certainly has
the very latest idea in politics.
1t is fresh In the memory of all that at
the last socialist meeting held st the cor
ner of Seventh and Market streets the
speakers were interrupted in the progress
of their speeches, and that the orator who
had the platform was arrested for disturb
ing the peace. No sooner was he taken
down and placed in custody than another
socialist mounted the steps and began to
fling his oratory to the assem- bled masses.
Hardly had he begun than he was taken
down by the officers and placed in custody.
Another sprang up the steps and was in
turn ARE sted, until seven were in custody
charged with disturbing the peace.
Their cases came up this week and they
were convicted and fined S. apiece. The
prosecution, however, oid not claim that
they disturbed the peace By holding
meeting, but simply that their oratory
was the Objectionable part. OF course
they took exceptions to this ruling and
their cases will be brought up before the
higher courts. This, however. will take
some time, and in the meantime what
would become of their meetings which are
held every Saturday EVENING"
After much thinking and arguing some
inventive genius hit upon a plan which
was Immediately adopted. They will hold
silence meetings. AS it is against the law
to speak, they will not speak, but the
meetings will be held.
{ They will assemble next Saturday even
ing at the corner of Sstenth and Market
streets, and each man will there be pro-
vided with bundle OF pamphlets express
sing their ideas, which they will distribute
through the crowd. Then they have 100
large banners, on each of which will be
painted part of speech. These will be
hoisted high into the air, one at time,
and after the contents of each has been
read it will be taken down and the con-
tinuation of the speech will be hoisted on
another banner. This in turn will be
taken down and another hoisted until the
speech is finished. Then another speech
will be given to the audience until the
| meeting IS completed.
Furthermore, each socialist will be pre-
sented with blank pad of paper, and
when they wish TO converse among them
selves, they will write their conversation
on their respective pads, and these will be
handed around until their purpose has
! been accomplished. Not word Will be
spoken. Their emblem will be to hold the
fingers TO the mouth and utter subdued
| Hush" or knowing Hist but not a
| word will be spoken.
In order TO enforce silence, committee
of five have been appointed who will hand
over to the police any man OF their num-
Der who utters word. 1t Is further in
tended that the meeting shall not block
the sidewalks, and in order to accomplish
this, the banners will be hoisted further
down the street each succeeding time, so
that the crowd will be obliged to move
gradually down toward Mission street, and
the sidewalks will thus be clear.
These ideas and regulations being
adopted, a call has been made for all
socialists and members of the Socialist
Labor party to meet on Saturday evening
in front of the Odd Fellows building on
the corner of Seventh and Market streets,
and the first silence meeting in the history
of this City or probably OF any city, will
then be held.