The herald., 1896-10-05
ACETATE FOR FREE SPEECH
The Socialists Hold a Meeting
of Protest
AGAINST PARK ARRESTS
M. W. wilkins, PopuIis! Convert Tells
of His NV Fait.
Te Throws In His Lot With the Greatest
Number and Talks Entertainingly
About His Experiences


both ladies and gentlemen, gathered ut
the agitation meeting of the socialistsc
party last evening in the Caleccrin hall.
The speakers of the evening were A.
McGinty, j. e. Higgins and M. W. Will
kins, all three of whom were arrested
recently for delivering themselves of So
ciallstic doctrine in Central park.
Job Hartman, the Socialistic party 5
nominee for congress. in opening the
meeting briefly stated the facts in corr
nection with the arrests and presented
Mr.. McCinty to the audience.
This gentleman while possessing
unique powers of expression and also Of
vituperative phrase, had little to say
regarding the trouble at the park. His
brief address was a plea for socialism as
being form of government whose bene-
fits are capable of scientific demonstra
ton.
]. E. Higgins, an ex-minister of San
Francisco, followed the last speaker
and spoke of his having by inheritance
from Puritan ancestors an ardent love
for liberty and reverence for the nag,
which some, who are ioudest in their
professions Of allegiance, are seeking 70
destroy. He reviewed the facts In con-
nection with the arrests, and protested
against the outrage upon free speech
and an encroachment upon the peoples S
rights.
The speech of the evening was made.
however, by M. w. Wilkins, editor of the
New Charter. He has recently enrolled
under the Socialist banner after having
been prominent in the Populist ranks.
He said that he was a prisoner, not
like st. Paul, of the Lord, but OF the
monopolistic powers that had been good
enough to let him out on bail While
serving as a delegate to the convention
at ST. Louis his eyes had been propped
open, and for the first time he realized
that the cause of the middle class was in
many respects identical with the cap
italistic class, and he had determined 70
cast his lot with the 100000 toilegs
as against the 100000 capitalistic and
middle class citizens.
The speaker cleverly touched upon the
popular prejudices against socialism,
which had been fostered by the press.
1.-The religious classes" said he, "believe
that socialism and atheism are synony-
mus terms, the party of law and order
that socialism and anarchism-nOt the
philosophic but the destructive kind
are OlG dUu lAc SiIuG1 WIieICdSp WuuC
the one Is constructive and plans to
build up, the sole end and aim Of the
other is to overturn and break down.
1t Is also alleged that socialists are very
largely foreigners, and in such case 1t Is
humilia ting to me to think that we are
indebted to foreigners for teaching us
certain fundamental lessons Of justice.
In reviewing the history of our country
find that one who was urgent for So
cial reform, William Lloyd Garrison,
the abolitionist and an American, was
dragged through the streets with rope
around his neck by an American mob,
and was rescued by band Of German
turner's"
With that rough eloquence that re-
suits from an intense earnestness, Mr.
wilkins proceeded to roast-not the po-
lice, for whom he said he had no bitter
words, as they were workingmen, seek
ing to make an honest livelihood-the
organized force behind the police, and
which has deadly antipathy to the So
cialistic cause. He spoke Of having wit
messed in many parts Of the country
gambling games, unmentionable evils Of
Chinatown and Alameda street, and
other similar blots on the city's life, but
police officers paraded by and neither
the peace or the morals of the public
were supposed to be disturbed. He con-
trasted such a state of things with the
arrest Of himself and his companions
The Salvation army, forty-two strong.
was making plenty of noise at the park,
but as they were talking of heaven
beyond they were permitted to talk. The
socialist, however, for telling of possi-
BILE heaven here on earth was regarded
as dangerous and menace to the So
called vested rights of the capitalists.
Mr.. Wilkins concluded by arraigning
the Populist party for having wandered
from the straight and narrow path Of
rectitude, and that it as consequence is
bound to fail In carrying out its pro-
gram.