The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-03-22

Ail<hf uloi III -
A clash between property rights
has been witnessed in the streets
of Philadelphia during the strike,
In which crowd of human beings
were caught and mangled.
To begin with, the Philadelphia
base ball club owns it's parks.
The director of police owns troll
ley stock.
Some $4,000 people, forbidden
to occupy the streets occupied by
the street railway Cor any other
streets) wanted to have a meet
ing.
The ball club officials granted
the use of the park which it
owned.
But the mayor owned by the
trolley and the director of police
owning some trolley-didn't want
that meeting held and denied the
right to the base ball people to do
as they please with the park they
own.
So 1900 police barred the gates
of the park, and, you see, conflict
ing property rights were at grips.
The police wouldn't let the
strikers and their friends into the
park so some one shouted, ION to
city hail." meaning that these
voters would go to the seat of
their government and find out
whether they mad any rights.
ut was not a shout of defiance
or a call to arms" as the Phila-
delphia North American says.
So the great army of sober,
well-dressed men, women and
children moved in line toward
the center of the city. These peo-
pie were leaderless and entirely
.unorganized. Some carried Amer
lean flags, some sang popular
airs, but most of them moved
along like men do leaving a ball
game-smiling, somewhat excited,
and quietly talking one with an
other.
A Philadelphia reporter has de-
scribed as follows Just what hap-l
pened to this vast aggregation of
labor; a harmless, unarmed, holt
day crowd, that wandered aimiess-i
ly along the finest street of the
city of "brotherly love"
st is two miles from the
Horace Fogel ball grounds to
Spring Garden street, and along
the wide asphalt stract at short in
tervals more than 1900 policemen
had been stationed, all armed
with long clubs, all ready and anx-
ious to begin the fray.
Nearly 200 policemen lined
across Broad street. Groups of
meek and mild laboring men, 500l
or 100 in group, sought to pass
through the lire of blue. A whiN
tie sounded, the police waded into
the dense masses, and clubbing
started.
at was like hammering so
much animated putty. Not one
blow was struck in return. A few
stones were hurled, but they did
no damage, and a few minutes la
ter the labor demonstration was a
string of objects seurrying down
the side streets, of subdued voters
strolling sadly southwark and
passing the city hail, where Di-
rector Clay, Hayor Reyburn, office
holders and women spectators
gazed down from the windows in
admiration.
Street by street, beating by
beating, the one-sided war con-
tinued, until labor got it's lesson
at Spring Garden street and went
home dazed and mutilated.
And, remember, this was not a
drunken mob OF a mob seeking
destruction.
Police Superintendent Taylor
had taken away many of his men
and was already forming his
blocks when the curious, sheep
like aggregation began to APP
proach York street. For some
reason the advance stopped at
York street, much as a country
stranger would hesitate on a cor
ner and gaze around.
Lieut.. Robinson saw the hud-
ding and dashed his mount for
ward. The horse slipped and the
police officer rolled over on the
ground. Fifty or more of the
marchers ran forward. A group
of mounted policemen noticed the
rush and dashed sIuarely into the
crowd, and the first clash was on.
"The mounted men charged the
crowds on both sidewalks, crush
ing the men and women against
the buildings, driving them from |
steps and scattering everybody. |
Then 25 dismounted cops rushed
into the fray, and, hcaving might
lily with the long sticks, trans
formed the solidified labor host
into stuff that might have been
run through a colander. At any
rate, the crowd simply dissolved,
and a short distance down the
street resumed its some semblance
Of order.
"And to the rear streamed mem
and women who had felt the clubs.
Most of those who had enough of
the game amhled up and down
York street. but the huge mass
went onward.
"These beatings were repeated
at half a dozen street intersec-
lions, the police cutting out batch
es of 1900 marchers and clubbing
them into side streets.