Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-08
COMMISSIONERS HEAR
PLEA OF SOCIALISTS
WOMEN PETITION FOR RIGHT
TO FREE SPEECH
Police Board Refuses to Grant Permits
to Members of Political Party
to Make Campaign
Speeches

! ~ "0NS O0iiPciSh
Speeches
Knowing in advance they were des-
tined to go to Jail and stating that fact
in a petition, three women Socialists
appeared before the police commission
yesterday afternoon and asked that
body to give them the right to speak on
the streets, right which had prevf-
ously been refused. The commission
refused their request and warned them
they would be arrested If they attempt
ed to exercise what the women called
their constitutional rights, without a
permit from the board.
The petition is as follows:
This open letter Is addressed to your
honorable body by us, the women who
will go to jail tonight in the cause of
equal rights of free speech in this city,
in the hope that our beloved city may
be spared the disgrace of incarcerating
women in their filthy Jail because of an
| exercise of their constitutional rights.
THE Socialist party has appealed to
you in the past to grant them the priv
ilege of free speech which you grant
| free-too freely, 1t seems to US, when
you give permits to speak at high noon
on the main thoroughfares-to other
religious and political organizations,
and our appeal has been treated with
the contempt which, we suppose, you
| thought it deserved.
Doubtless you had been misinformed
regarding the character and purpose of
the Socialist party and its members.
Ridiculous stories have been told about
us and believed by many intelligent
persons who had not time or energy
IN crfua q cfIIdU nf F1rinpiDlaG and
to acquaint themselves with the char
acter of our organization.
But now Won have seen in defying
| your absurd ordinance in defending our
constitutional rights, we have kept or
der as no other street speakers ever
have succeeded in doing. and kept the
sidewalks clear. This we have done in
spite of rough tactics employed by
| few of your patrolmen very few, we
are glad to state for the credit of the
city, for Los Angeles is not yet Chicago
or Constantinople).
I'VE have won something of your
respect in keeping order under diff
culties which would have made your
patrolmen despair. At least we have
won the respect of the public you have
sworn to serve.
Express Hope for ReparatIon
I'VE hope you may be ready to cor
rect your former error, and redeem our
| fair city from the stigma of being al
most the only great municipality in the
| United States where rank discrimina-
tion In the matter of free speech is
practiced against the Socialist party
and its members.
| I'VE do not want to fo to your dirty
| jail, but we intend to exercise our con-
stitutional rights, as our comrades now
confined, some CT them for weeks with
out trial, have done, and we are pre-
pared to suffer the same consequences
If we must
"But we urge you to wipe the stain
from the fair fame of the Angel City.
| We demand the release of our boys
who have lain in your wretched jail so
long. Ws ask that this persecution
OF the Socialist party and its members
shall cease.
1--WE do not want to speak on the
crowded thoroughfares, as others are
allowed to do, for we do not believe 1t
right to interfere with the rights of
others. The only noon meetings we
propose to hold will be at Main and
Railroad streets and at Seventh east of
Central avenue, where there can be no
interference with any ones rights. Our
evening meetings will be held at Fifth
and Los Angeles Streets Grand ave-
nue., north of Seventh; Winston, east
of Main; Eighth, east of Main; Hill,
north of Second; nowhere where the
| business or the city WOulu De iHteIlSrSu
with. These meetings will not begin
until o'clock and will end before $3.50
If the police will let US alone.
You have absolutely nothing to fear
from us, unless you fear to have our
message of deliverance from the rule OF
exploitation and graft carried to the
people on the streets.
"We ask for justice, fair play, and
we demand It.
DOROTHY JOHNS,
BERTHA M. DALEY,
"ALICE VAIL. HOLLOWAY"
Arraigned in Justice Chambers court
yesterday morning George Posey, F. A.
Burns, A. Petzen, A. Sointuus and A,
F. Lindwall, five Socialists arrested
Monday night for speaking in the
street without a police permit. pleaded
not guilty. The dates set for their
trials were: Posey, September 18;
Burns, September 21; Petzen, Septem-
ber %; Sointuus. September 20, and
Lindwell, September II.
w. j. Henry, another Socialist ar
rested for the same offense, was to
have been tried yesterday morning be-
fore Justice Frederickson. On account
of the illness of the Justices mother
the trial was postponed until Septem-
ber II. Henry was released on his owr
recognizance.