The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-13
Three Thousand Loyal Citizens WiII Uphold Authorities In
 ScOtching Anarchy
RESOLUTIONS INDORSt
 GOVERNORS PROCLAMATION
Theatre Was Packed With Men Eager To Lend Their Protest Against Vio- ence Which Has Stained
 Alabama's Escutcheon.

The indignation of a law-abiding com munty broke forth yesterday afternoon at the Bjou theater when the most rep resentative gathering of Birmingham cti- zens ever crowded within four walls 5000 strong rose in their might and declared that the torch of anarchy, brazen and undismayed, which stalks red-handed day and night through this grand county must hide forever
 With one voice 5000 people said to the lawless and the anarchists that order will reign in Alabama and hold up that light of democratic government, the right of every citizen to labor as he pleases and to provide food for his family in peace and unmolested
 'The great question is are we bond or free?" asked ex-Congressman Sidney J. Bowie, and then he answered with the power of thousands to back him up: "Un- less this condition of horrors finds an early end 1t may be that some will find pa- tience has ceased to be virtue, and by the right 0f might the citizens of Ala bama will take the law in their own hands and stamp down the vicious agita- tors at their work
 Great Mass Meeting.
 Such a mass meeting few people have ever witnessed. The theatre was crowd ed with the intelligent men of Brmins- ham. Every word of the speakers was carefully weighed, and the loud applause which rang to very ceiling came spon- taneously from the minds of the gathered hundreds. Not a mine owner and not a miner was represented among the speak ers It was Birmingham-s unbiased citi- zenship.
 The meeting was caAed.to order by E. H. Cabiness, who called upon Dr. A. J. Dickinson to lead in prayer. He then in- troduced Judge A. o. Lane the permanent chairman of the meeting. His words rang true to the root of the evil He stated in the beginning that the people of Alabama have been forced to realize that there are those among us who are trying to sub stitute anarchy for law" After telling of the wives draped in widows weeds, and the children left crying for bread, the business interests of the district para lyzed he landed upon "the one point where union and open-shop men should all agree, and that is that riot and blood shed and murder and dynamiting and lynching must and shall be stamped out and the culprits on either side must be brought to the bar of justice." In clos ing he hoped that the time will soon come when the stain on the escutcheon of Alabama shall be wiped away and there shall be no place in this broad land where he suits and endeavors of life.
 Ringing Resolutions lndorsed.
 Those ringing resolutions were intro- duced by A. G. Smith, who held up the warning that If we get together we can do it, but if we hold apart the worst is yet to come.
 The applause, which was indicative of the most conservative appreciation, fol- lowed each strong point as it was pressed home but the first real demonstration of the afternoon followed the declaration of Rufus N. Rhodes: We have our consti- tutional rights, every man under the con- stitutlon has the right to labor as he pleases, to provide food for his family in peace and unmolested." Here broke forth a wave of enthusiastic approval which lasted fully minute. MT. Rhodes said that unions are all right, but they are all wrong when they defy the law
 
 Robert Jemson, Sr., called forth the next demonstration, when, prefacing his earnest remarks with the assertion that his indignation rendered him almost in competent to speak, he reached the cli- max of his talk in these words: T want to say to you that as contemptible as are those murderers, they are as angels com pared to those blood-thirsty instigators who stand behind these crimes Cut to the root and find the corruption"
 Bowie Well Received.
 The closing speech was the best re- ceived Sidney J. Bowie, beginning with ''The time for talk has passed, the hour for action has come," affirmed that it is not a question of high or low wages, but question of whether we are bond or free; whether we shall stand up for the men who say they are ready to work or shall condone those who say you shall not work unless you bow the knee to our organization"
 While these were perhaps the most i'm portant features of the meeting every word spoken was so carefully weighed that all were heavy with present inter- est In taking charge of the meeting Chairman A. O. Lane said:
 Chairman Lanes Remarks.
 s'The people of Alabama are confront ed with grave and serious situation. A few weeks ago there was security of life and limb throughout the length and breadth of this fair land But of late the laws have been defied and our people have been brought to realizing sense that there are those among us who are trying to substitute anarchy for law. We have seen wives draped in widows weeds waiting in vain for the footfall of their husbands, and we hear the voices of fatherless children crying for bread. Life is destroyed. Men are maimed indus try is paralyzed and business is stag mated.
 We are met here today as non-parti- sans This is no time or place for san guinary thought or incorporate speech These are the very things and the fatal consequences to which we are here to combat and condemn. Vituperation and abuse have never yet accomplished any oaod JnleSs we are here to lend our