The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-31
WORKERS PROTEST
AGAINST SPOKANE
Claim That Washington Town
Restricts Freedom of Speech
and Press.
STRONG RESOLUTIONS
ADOPTED AT MEETING
Homer ?. Burt Principal Speak
er at Gathering of Civic
Forum.

"FThc Shame of Spokane was the
subject of a lecture delivered by Homer
p. Burt at Unity hall at the meeting
Of tho Civic Forum Sunday evening.
From the views expressed by the Ice
turer it appears that IN the city OF
Spokane au ordinance has been passed
prohibiting free speech; that the free
dom of tho press has also been re-
strictcd and as a protest against that
action meetings arc being held in near
ly every city in the union. AT these
meetings resolutions arc beng passed.
An harmony with other cities, the fol
Ylowing resolutions were offered at the
meeting Sunday night by the Rev Will
liam Thurston Brown, and enthuSias-
ucally adopted;
Resolutions Adopted.
Whereas: When the government OF the
United States was inaugurated by the
Declaration OF Independence July 1, 1TI6,
jt was the firm belief OF its founders that
by this government lfc. liberty and The
pursuit OF happiness would be ensured TO
every person Within It's borders, and
Whereas. The trainers OF the cons titu-
tion declared in that instrument that free
dom of asscmhlaee and freedom OF speech
and Of the press should never be abridged; !;
and
Whereas Under the control OF capital
ism VIC have now arrived at a time when
life, liberty aud the pursuit OF happiness
arc meaningless words 10. o.nillions OF men,
women and children as wage workers In
our modern industrial system; when. ac-
cording TO statistics gathered by the Unit
cd States commissioner OF abor nearly
e-half the workers OF tho nation are.
| through no fault OF their own, out OF en-
ploymcnt a portion OF every year, when
all competent authorities To he utterly
inadequate to furnish even the necessities
OF life; when cvcry year dfty thousand
laborers arc killed and two million in
jurod in American industries: and while
in England. France. Germany, Spain Aus
tralia, Norway. Sweden. Greece, Finland
Denmark, British Columbia and New Yea
land employers must pay for all accidents.
in the United States, Mexico. Russia and
similar industrial powers there is no law
| whatever compelling such payment. u
condition of affairs which both President
Roosevelt and Secretary Root declared
TO be barbarous; and
Whereas When men of the working
class. organized as industrial workers or
trade unionists or Socialists, aware of this
fearful menace TO themselves and their
families, have sought to make known the
facts 10 the public by means Of a public
press and by public meetings on the
streets, they have found ali the power
OF city and state and national govern
ments, the police, militia. army, legIsla-
ture. executive and judiciary arraycd
against them, their printing plants have
been coniiscated, the papers suspended
their speakers arrested and thrown into
loathsome jaiis and there inhumanely
treated hy the brutal products OF The soul
less system, and now the president him
self proposes by a drastic postal law To
punish or smother tho growing spirit of
reform; therefore, he 1t
Resolved, by this mass meeting OF ctti-
zens in Salt Lake City. Ian. 20, 1910,
Tha; We deuounce any and every inter
ference with the freedom OF asseublaSe
and freedom Of speech as an act OF law
lHSsncsS and a violation OF the ConStltu-
tion: that we protest against the recon-
mendation of President Taft for higher
rates OF postage on second d-claSS matter
as uniustiiicd by facts or conditions and
urge The representatives. of this state In
the national congress to oppose that
measure il 1t comes TO a vote; and DC II
further
OF happiness can be insured 10 the work
ing men and working women Of this
country and their families by no remedial
lcgisla lion that "A capitalistic government
can or will devise. but only by a complete
change in our industrial and political sys-
tenn the substitution of Industrial de-
mocracy for industrial deSpotism, and the
abolition OF the private ownership of the
SOURCES and means of life, and be It fur
ther
Resolved. That we pledge our sympa-
thy and support TO those efforts or move
mentS which have this purpose Tor tDclr
goal: and be il further
Resolved That copy OF these resolu-
tions be given to the public press
A resolution was also adopted con
demning the Mcdonald Candy com
pany because, as ono speaker expressed
it, Mcdonald feeds the world, but
he Will not feed his workers. - There
was large attendance at the meeting
and enthusiasm prevailed throughout.
Carnations