East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-12-29
That Caption Heads Bills With
Which |. W. W. Has PIac-
arded San Francisco.
INDUSTRIALISTS ALLEGE
GIGANTIC CONSPIRACY
Accuse all Officials and Civic Organi-
zations OF Spokane With Violating
Constitution In Free Speech Fight
Charge that In Prison Men and
Women Were Cruelty Tortured
Appeal to all Workers to Join in
Battle.

San Francisco, Dec. 29.-This city
is placarded today with bills bearing
the title in big letters ''The Shame
Of Spokane" issued by the Industrial
Workers of the World, bearing the
name of Vincent ST. John as secre-
tary. At the top Of the bills appears
a cartoon showing the Liberty bell
marked, "The Spirit OF 1776." while
beside II is a policeman's helmet and
club, bearing the legend "The Spirit
of 1909"
The bills quote the first amend
ment to the federal constitution re-
garding free speech and further say
in part: "At the present time the city
of Spokane, Wash, the Citizens Alli-
ance, the Chamber of Commerce, the
employment agents, murderous po-
lice force, deputies, Pinkerton's po-
lice, the superior court judges and
other paid sluggers have entered into
a conspiracy to set aside the consti-
tuition of the state of Washington and
of the United States. In pursuance
OF such conspiracy the above named
officials have imprisoned over 900
WOThlHR IutH WOiiltH oh
up charges of disorderly conduct.
The only crime of which these work.
ingmen and women have been guilty
Is the crime of attempting to exercise
the right of free speech granted them
by the constitution of the state of
Washington and by the constitution of
the United States.
workers for attempting to exercise
their constitutional rights, these Off
cial outlaws have subjected their pris-
oners to all the tortures their inge-
nuity can devise. The methods of the
Russian government are in a fair
way to be surpassed. Men have been
beaten senseless and women outraged
by brutes of the police uniform. Su-
perior court judges. obligated to up
hold the constitution of Washington,
have brazenly denied writs of habeas
corpus upon the grounds that they
were applied for only to make
trouble, and prisoners have been de-
MED the right to see counsel.
"Peaceable meetings have been
raided and speakers arrested. Con-
spiracy charges have been trumped up
against all whom this band of cor
poration tools consider to be in their
way. The Industrial Worker the
official publication Of local unions in
Spokane has been confiscated by the
outlaws in uniform. From Is to "a
victims have been squeezed into cells
six by eight feet square. steam turned
on them, and left in that condition
for SO hours.
workers of America, this fight Is
the beginning Of concerted conspir-
acy on the part of the employing class
of this country to deny the right of
organization and agitation to the
working class. This fight is your
fight In this struggle you can help.
Call meetings in your locality. Ex-
pose the Spokane infamy and its Off
cials. Do not patronize the mercn-
ants of that community. II possible
send volunteers to further test the
right of free speech and peaseable as
semblage. Money will be needed to
defray the cost of legal defense for
the members charged with conspiracy,
Hold meetings. collect funds and
send the same to Fred w. Heslewood,
Occur d'Alene, Idaho. (Signed) In