Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-14

relative to the stand taken III LOS All
geles by the Socialists in their fight for
the constitutional privilege of free
speech on the city's streets, without
arbitrary permits, the Los Angeles Eel
lowship, one of the largest and most
| influential liberal religious organiza-
tions in Los Angeles, appointed g. spe-
| clal committee to visit the Los Angeles
| city prison, learn the true conditions
prevailing there, see how the Socialist
prisoners are treated and report on the
cause and justice, or injustice, of their
arrest.
The investigations of the Fellowship
committee, which acted solely in an In
dependent spirit in the interest of hu-
manity and without regard to the pollt-
| ica1 or religious beliefs of any of the
prisoners, confirmed the claims SET
forth by the friends of the Socialist
prisoners and resulted in the urgent
recommendation by the committee for
the repeal of the ordinance, which II
denounced in its report as "unconstltu-
| tional," declaring emphatically II
should be Immediately repealed
Interview Mrs. Johns
Among the prisoners who were inter-
| viewed by the members of the special
committee was Mrs. Cloudesley Johns,
| formerly the Countess PointkoWskl,
who told them of their treatment IN
the city Jail, which it was agreed py
all had been as good as could be asked
for under the conditions prevailing
there.
The special committee was composed
| of Mr.. and Mrs. d. II. Harrison, MISS
Faith Chevaillier, Mrs Shelton, MRS.
/. ]. Granel and Henry and Walter
Harrison.
The report of the committee is as
follows:
pointed by the Los Angeles Fellowship
TO visit those prisoners arrested Tor
| violation of the city ordinance prohlD-
iting speaking on the streets without a
special permit-which permit was re-
fused the Socialists by the mayor ana
| police commission-found on inVestiga-
fion that the women had no complaint
to make regarding their treatment, save
that the very principle for which they
are contending, viz, "equal privileges
as against discrimination before the
law" is being violated within the Jall
as on the outside.
Mrs. Cloudesley Johns informs us
that as a matter of principle she re-
fused the special privilege ofered her
of clean beds, blankets and comforterS,
denied to other inmates.
'The committee was allowed to leave
soap and towels (Which the Jail author
men and women inmates. The women
were also allowed fruit and flowers
but we were not permitted to leave
fruit for the men.
"Why should not men have equal
privileges with women (and vice
versaD -.
cent before the law, be denied fresh
fruit while food is allowed to be sup
piled by friends during the noon hour
to men working on the chain gang?
Would Repeal Order
"The sensible solution of the prob
lens that have arisen from the incar-
ceration in the city Jail of the men ana
women accused of speaking on the
streets without a permit from the
police commission is in the immediate
repeal of that unconstitutional ordin-
ance, the repeal of which would OF
course dismiss the many cases now
pending and liberate the various So
cialists unjustly held in the Los An
geles city prison. >.
I"MR. AND. MRS. D. II. HARRISON,
etc, committee of the Los Angeles
Fellowship"
Referring to the report of the Fell
lowship committee, Cloudesley johns,
secretary of the Socialists organiza-
ton in Los Angeles, said:
''The Fellowship committee has con-
firmed our claims; but 1t did not dis
cover quite all the deplorable facts
existing in connection with the oarpar
ous treatment of the noble men and
women who are making this last stand
for the fundamental principle OF life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
the grand principle of free speech, OF
which an arbitrary mayor and police
commission would deprive the citizens
of Los Angeles The committee. which
| tod admission TO the
iail without words, because it repre-
sented a great religious organization
of which the local authorities are
afraid, did not discover-or at least dld
not cite-the fact that many others
Including fathers, mothers, brothers
wives, husbands, etc., are apsolutely d
denied admission to the filthy place
when they go pleading for the privilege
of seeing their loved ones who are be-
ing confined there as martyrs TO the
cause of freedom"
''I wish the nature of this fight could
be understood. Great heavens, people
do not seem to realize the tremendous
Importance of the principles at stake!,
'iDenied the privilege of free speech,
which always has been and always VIII
be the very corner stone OF American
liberty, justice, knowledge and man
and womanhood, can't we see that 1t is
but a, question of a few years until this
SdIl0 lOIii VI SCiloOioihiP
every channel of expression?
''Tt is a terrible thing, this denying
an American citizen of his right to
speak: and If the ordinance behind II
lis allowed to live, it. means the death
knell not only of one of the most I'M
portant and primary principles of our
constitution, but likewise, one by one,
as public apathy will permit, of many
other il not all, of the glorious peroga-
tives rights and liberties guaranteed
us by that sacred source of all Amert-
can laws, which until recently have
been calculated to improve and equalize
our lives and which-if they conformed
to that grand old constitution-Would
give us a paradise republic.
eff the people Of Los Angeles permit
free speech to be denied them they
may look for a curtailment of many
other liberties in which we have been
lillustriously proud and happy.
Denounce Ordinance
/ In confirmation OF this rather pessf-
mistic view of the matter are the state
ments of many other Socialists, made
lpublicly at the police station yester-
day. The Socialists are denouncing the
ordinance in the bitterest of language,
and many persons who disclaim any
sympathy with Socialism whatsoever
are lending their moral aid and SYM
pathy to the battle for free speech.
There is every evidence, judging from
the interest manifest in the Socialists