Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-19
CONFER ON FREE
SPEECH MEASURE
C0UNCILMEN IN FAVOR OF
NEW ORDINANCE
PROPOSE EQUAL ARRANGEMENTS
FOR ALL CITIZENS
Public Cordially Invited to Appear Be-
fore Them at Mondays Meeting
and State Precisely What
Ii Wishes Done

The crusade waged by the Socialists
against the ordinance prohibiting free
speech on the public streets, except
under permission granted by the police
commission and signed by the mayor,
has brought recognition from the city
council.
Councilmen Lyon, Pease, Dromgold
and Healy held a conference yesterday
morning in the Office of Councilman
Pease, who is mayor pro tenn, and prac-
tically decided to ask the city attorney
to prepare new ordinance for presen-
tation to the council The intention OF
the councilmen present at the confer
ence is that the ordinance shall deal
only with street speaking, whether by
Socialists or any other organization or
Individual, and that some big open-air
space, notably the Plaza, and where
open-air meetings of every kind can be
held without the question of permit en-
tering into them, be left entirely free
from restriction.
Before taking steps to pass such an
ordinance, however, the members of
the council are anxious the Socialists,
or any other person or organization
which feels it has been disseminated
against in the matter of the issuance
of permits, appear before the council
and state what they want. The coun-
cilncen say they are totally in the dark
as to Just what the Socialists want.
'They do not know whether the Social
lists simply want the right to speak on
the streets, or whether they wish to
fight the ordinance to the highest court
to test it's constitutionality. There has
been but one official communication
before the council. That communica-
ton was from DR.. Harry Smith and
asked that the ordinance be repealed.
The council does not feel justified in
repeating the ordinance or amending
it on the petition of just one person
A number of individual letters, now
ever, have set the counCilmen thinking,
and several Of them yesterday ex-
pressed a desire to do what was
wanted by the majority OF the people
IL they could only find out what the
people want.
With a view to determining this the
public is cordially invited to appear
before the council Monday and state
it's desires.
One letter, which will be read to the
council Monday, is from Miss Falth
Chevalllier, the first woman to join the
Christian Socialist society, founded in
Boston in 1888.
Receives Indignant Letter
This letter is addressed to the city
council and in it Miss Chevaillier, who
is well known for her work for personal
liberty of every kind, says she is a
llneal descendant of the first signer of
the Declaration of Independence, in
whose ancestral home, the Hancock
Clarke house in Lexington, the United
States was born and Graded
st am fired with a righteous indig-
nation at the present frightful and I'M
enviable condition existing in Los An
geles. and would enter the most Wig
orous protest which a sense of justice,
fair play and decency can ind words
to express" says MISS CheNdlliler III
her letter.
"Frea speech is an inherent right
guaranteed by the constitution of the
United States and by that of the state
of California. Neither Socialism nor
anv other philosophy, religion or po-
litical platform Is the question at issue.
The simple question is Who is the VIC
lator of the law: Those who take their
constitutional right to assemble peace
fully for free. speech, or the honoraple
council which unWittingly has enacted
an unconstitutional ordinance, the hor-
rors of which can only be brought TO
notice by the present patriotic stand
taken in the name of the highest law
and order, by the men and women So
cialist martyrs now in the city jail| ="
In conclusion, she suggests it would
be sound sense and economics for the
city council TO repeal this ordinance
Immediately
In justification of the martyrs in the
city Jail she says: THE Socialist or
ganizatfon is the only one which,
speaking on the public streets, has not
blockaded the sidewalks and interfered
with traffic. as it is their religion and
their philosophy not to trample on the
rights Of any individual while it is