Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-12
HOUGHTON RUN
IN FOR SPEECH
FORMER COUNCILMAN ADDED
TO LIST OF PRISONERS
Arrest Takes Place Before Crowd of
Two Thousand, and Ball Is
Granted and Furnished
in Sum of 5000

! DR.. Arthur D. Houghton, former
councilman from the sixth ward, anC
| Sherman l.. Dodge, a house painter
were arrested at Seventh street anC
Grand avenue at o'clock last nigh
and booked at the Central station OF
charges of speaking on the street with
out permission of the police commits
sioners.
The arrest of DR.. Houghton wa.
dramatic in the extreme. A crowd OF
about 1000 persons was gathered abou
the former councilman when he started
to speak. The crowd was largely com
posed of persons who had followed The
Socialist speakers from Seventh anC
Main STREETS when it was found tina
speaking at that point would seriously
interfere with the movement of stree
car traffic.
IT am deeply interested in this fight
| for freedom of speech in our city,
shouted DIR. Houghton as the GROVE
quoted down to see what the soar
box orators had to say. II was {
member of the council when this UNI
fair and unAmerican ordinance wen
through. l voted against it because
believed it to be not only unconstitu
tional but Ubiquitous. 1 am glad t.
speak, against it here on the street
even though 1 suffer arrest for 81
doing"
At this point the speaker was in.
terrupted by cheer after cheer and
| cries of: "H1ughton! Go on, Hough
ton! We know you, Doc!"
Wants Freedom of Speech
GAS long as I have breath to speal
shall raise my voice against any
discrimination against any class.
shall protest against the unjust abridg.
free Guaranteed
the constitution of the United States
and the state of California. I believe
the safety of the republic and the vel
fare of the nation demands that the
principal of freedom of speech and OF
the press be held sacred"
By this time the patrolmen in the
crowd had forced their way 100 feet
through the crush of people. When
they reached DR.. Houghton he was
taken away with little formality.
What are you arresting Houghton
for? He's a Democrat You're after
the Socialists. You'll get in bad with
the chief" shouted a man in the crowd.
Apparently the patrolmen did not be-
lieve the statement and took their pris-
oner away.
Sherman L. Dodge then mounted the
box. This Is the man who has spoken
three nights in succession at Seventh
and Main streets without a permit
from the board of police commissioners.
He has not been interrupted there, al
though he has repeatedly told the
patrolmen present that he has no per-
NIT from the city. At this point, how
ever, Dodge was not allowed to speak
over three minutes. He achieved his
arrest" and seemed to be glad.
Before he was taken down from the
box by the police he said:
ST SunnOa6 thew will arrest a s
they have DR.. Houghton. I am not
sorry to undergo jail term If 1t will
help the cause of free speech. The
one thing I regret is l shall not be
here Monday night when those twenty
five women come in from Pasadena to
undergo arrest, along with twenty-five
men, in order that our constitutional
rights may be kept sacred. Those wo-
men will join their sisters already in
that filthy jail.
For many years I have had this
constitution held up to me as sacred
and inviolable. I have obeyed the
laws, including this highest law of the
land have played the game accord
ing to the rules. Now. my comrades,
is it not fair that the authorities of this
city should play the game along these
rules? I ask i'll all justice: Are not
the laws made for all men? Shall we
submit to persecution and discrimina-
tion?"
At this moment a patrolman grasped
Dodge by the arm.
s'Have you a permit to speak here?''
asked the officer.
IT have the inalienable right given
me by the constitution of the United
States and of the state of California, -
replied the speaker.
'It has to be a permit from the
mayor" said the officer quietly, and
he assisted the man from the box.
Trafflce Is Impeded
At. Seventh and Main streets, where
the first meeting was held, the cars
were blocked for minutes at time by
the crowds attracted by the speakers.
S. L. Dodge spoke for fifteen minutes
and was followed on the box by Cloud
esley Johns, secretary of the Socialist
county organization. Ten patrolmen
were in the crowd, but no attempt was
made to interfere with the speakers.
Men and women wearing Socialist but
tons patrolled the sidewalks on both
sides of the street, imploring the crowd
to remain orderly and not blockade the
street. They were successful at first,
but finally had to give up the task as
the crowd outgrew them and packed
the streets far up and down Seventh
and into Main.
meeting here" said Johns, without
interfering with traffic and the rights
of the public. We have no wish to in
terfere with any one. We have no per-
mits from the police commissioners.
Chief Kern swore that we had permits
to speak here, despite the fact that the
secretary Of the police commissioners
had just previously given testimony to
the contrary. He is, therefore, letting
us speak here without suffering arrest.
But we are not willing to block the
streets to the inconvenience of the pub
lie, even though the chief is willing we
should do so. We are going to adjourn
to Grand avenue, north of Seventh,
where there is no car line and no traffic
and where we will interfere with no
one. He hope the police will not in
terfere with us in the exercise of our
constitutional rights
DR.. Houghton remained in jail about
an hour when his friends gave bail to
the amount of 5000 and he was lib
Grated.
Like other Socialists arrested Dodge
refused to give bail and says he will
remain in jail until tried.