The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-03-03
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1910.
FORTHCOMING EVIDENCE

in the current issue of the American Fed
erationist. 1t is made up of newspapers.
The leading 'claque' daily paper of one
OF the principalities ruled by the trust
gives the sign to the other members when
to hiss the protesting victims of the trust
or applaud its friends. For instance, the
Chicago Inter'Ocean tipped off it's
= claque' as to what sentiments it should
express when the American Federation of
Labor announced its determination to ar
ralgn the trust before the bar of public
opinion on the charge of oppresssing Ia
Dor Thereupon the lesser lights of the
claque promptly set up their hiss,
some of the cheap little noisemakers, like
the Minneapolis Labor CD Digest earn
ing their stipend by reproducing the In
ter-Ocean article word for word. BY
the way, in the theatcr one may always
knows of the presence of the "cIaaue',
by the machinelikc work of the hand
clapplng by its members. Why should
the claquiste strive for variety or ap
parent spontaniety when the cash reward
Tor his make-bclieve applause or Kissing
IS already in his pocketss
The Inter Ocean in its article, as dulv
reprinted in the circle of ''claque'' pa
pers, made this inquiry:
g AS to the alleged suppression of free
assembly and free speech, the general
public must ask, Whereof
In reply, for the present we may as.
sure our deeply interested interrogators
that tho Attorney General of the United
States will i'll due time give them full 3D.
portunity to publish particulars. If they
receive this announcement with n chlorine
OF boohs, they will but the better ad
'ertise the fact of their membership in
the claque;' if in silence, they will
signify that they are lying in wait, watch.
ing their chance to decry and denounce.
IL they reprint our promises, as decent
and honest opponents should, they will
nave preserved the emblance of impar-
TALLY.
Adopting the last named course fine
claque newspapers may saw that w.
promise Ill due time and form to produce
''iuehce Ill support of the following
'a'eihehts: Organizers of the Iron,
oteel and Tin Workers Association have
been attacked by mobs led by minor Off
Gals OF the United States Steel Cornoro
ton. The corporation IS agents have nv
orowbeatlng and coercion prevented own
ers from renting their halls to peaceable
etlt"ehs, SIMPLY because they were labor
organizers, and forced the business men
Oh i town to compel the burgess to order
organizers to leave the place. Even in
the case of hiring Il vacant lot. labor or.
GAMERS
warned ny the chief of police to "pre-
Phe lor trouble, and the owner of the
lou on asccrtaining that a labor meeting
was TO be held in it was compelIed to
oHer to return the rent money, saving tho
trust would ruin his business if he nor
United the meeting to be held. fter the
meeting Of a mob of several hundhcd
persons, instigated by Steel Trust "trus
lies assembled about the hotel where
'he organizers We're staying and threaten.
ed them with physical injury In another
case, boycott instituted by the corpora.
ton s TRUSTEES ruined the business of
man who had acted as chairman of .
labor meeting.
among the other forms of the Steel
trust s activities for the .ssuppression
OF free assembly and free speech, wore
these: Throwing the Office CONTINENT
OF labor organization into the street
and barring the door of a hall its officials
hao rented Having town council to
pass an ordinance forbidding open-air
meetings or the distribution of union
eireulars- Coercing the hall owners of
towns so that they refused to rent their
nails for public union meetings. CAUSING
the burgess of town by "proclama
ton to forbid ''the assembling of ner.
sons IN large crowds upon the streets. |
highways, or private properties
and any other demonstration
within the borough limits'' Prohibiting
me celebration of Labor Day by Steel |
trust employees. Threatening to cancel
orders given independent steel companies
II the latter S employees continued to en- !
courage labor organizers. Dischargins en-
Ployes who permitted members of their
families to attend labor meetings. Threat !
ehihg with discharge the relatives of pro. |
1esslonal men who had spoken in favor
or organized labor. Warning mill ON |
Ployes at the peril of discharge not to !
walk on a street where a labor hall 1ras |!
located. Causing chief of no,ice r. !