New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1901-05-25
kSy3aill2ak|32l2l
MAKES WEAK WO1Eh STRONG
| AND SICK WOMEN WELL.
A DENIAL OF FREE SPEECH RESENTED

Peace is the first law Of social or
der, and we take second place to no
one in demanding it's maintenance.
There are many rights We would
rather forego than have them pre-
served by breaches of the public
peace. But when peace officers
themselves disturb the peace, by
breaking up lawful and orderly
public meetings without other war
rant than their own whims, we un-
hesitatingly approve violent resist
ance. 1t is necessary to preserve
the peace of vital social life, as dis
tinguished from the peace that
reigned at Warsaw. That is
revolutionary exotic; it is an
American idea, inherited from the
days Of the Boston massacre. With
satisfaction, therefore, we record
the forcible and successful resistance
in Detroit last week, by 10000
citizens, to an autocratic attempt Of
the police department to break up
a lawful street meeting.
These were the circumstances.
Thomas Bawden has for four yours
or more held meetings in one Of
the open spaces of Detroit, address
sing his auditors from a wagon.
He is a single tax advocate, but
his subject is not material to the
main question. Many well-known
men have been heard from Bawden's
wagon, and no disorder has ever
occurred. Whatever municipal re-
quirements there may be with ref
erence to street meetings, he has
evidently complied with, for his
meetings have had the sanction Of
the city authorities. The first at
tempt to break them up was that
which provoked the resistance men,
toned above. A "ripper" bill had
been passed by the Legislature. 1t
is called "ripper" because it rips
up local self-government and places
a state police board above the city
authorities in Detroit. This board
determined to stop Bawden's meet
ings. Not because they had become
disorderly, for they had not. Not
because they were in violation Of
any city ordinance or state law, for
they were not. But because the
members Of the police board did
not like the sentiments Of the
speaker. Accordingly, without law.
ful warrant, without legal proceed
ings Of any kind, but against the
protests Of the mayor and as an act
Of naked power, the board caused
meeting on the 10th to
be attacked by the police force and
driven from place to place. The
police used their clubs, fred their
guns, drenched the crowd with q
hose, and charged it on horseback.
In this charge men were run down,
and two trampled upon and their
heads crushed by horses OF the
police. This lawless breach
Of the public peace. for the purpose
Of suppressing lawful public speech,
was bravely resisted by the crowd
that had assembled, and the resis-
tance had the effect it deserved.
The police board decided to leave
he regulation of street meetings
10 future to the local authorities:
md on the llth the mayor ad-
iressed large crowd from Baw-
lens wagon, assuring the public
hat the local authorities had no
Intention or desire tointerfere with
rec speech. 1t is to be hoped that
his affair in Detroit NAV serve az
wholesome check upon the dan
'erous disposition Of peace guar
lians everywhere to make them
elves peace disturbers. : The Public.