United labor bulletin., 1911-11-02
"THE SLAUGHTER OF
THE INNOcENTS.

A little blue-eyed maiden, who had
scarce seen 13 summers was dragged to
jail in Muscatine, Ia, on October Z, and
was confined in cell for four hours be-
cause she had dared to demonstrate with
strikebreakers who were assisting the
employers in their effort to subdue the
workers and defeat the ends of human
justice.
Young as she was the little lass had
had an acquaintance with misery and
privation. She knew that the union made
it possible for children to be "just kids"
for little while; she knew that it gave
them a season for childish sports;
chance to go to school, and an opportu-
nifty to develop into strong, active men
and women. And because she knew all
that the little lass wanted to help the
union to win its fight for better condi-
tions She knew that her fare was fru-
gal, and that her home lacked many OF
the comforts that should have obtained
there; she knew that her people were
overworked, underpaid and insufficiently
fed, and because she knew the union had
a remedy for all of these evils she did
what she could to forward its cause by
attempting to persuade strikebreakers to
line up with their fellow workers and
help them in their battle for higher
wages more food, brighter homes and
better conditions.
And for doing this. stalwart creatures
in the forms of men seized her and
dragged her to Jail like a common Grim
inal and locked her in cell. To her
the Jail was place of torment, and
the cell as great horror as the BLACK
Hole of Calcutta" Yet for hours this
poor little mite was confined in its, to
her, terrible environments, sobbing as if
her heart would break and crying for
mother. And this despite the fact that
the law governing juveniles provides
thai they shall not be detained in any
Jail or station house without an immedi-
ate trial.
On the same day, three other children,
one of them trembling mite of a boy,
were dragged to Jail and confined in a
cell for the same terrible offense COM
mitted against society by the little lass.
Stern and stalwart officers of the law
had made an onslaught on the innocents
on the demand of the employers and
strikebreakers, while citizens looked on
in horror and amazement and asked each
other the question: Have the employ
ers grown so desperate that they are
warring on infants?'
Later. the little lass and her three
childish companions stood weeping and
trembling in court, and listened to a
dignifed judge as he sternly rebuked
them and tried to impress upon them
the enormity of their crime. He told
them if they dared to repeat the offense,
in other words, if they dared again to
| try and assist their fathers, mothers,
sisters or brothers in their struggle fo-
justice he would send them to the re-
form school. He then set them at lib
erty and they were permitted to return
| to their anxious and outraged kinfolk.
The button workers of Muscatine are
displaying spirit of determination and
lself-sacrifice that has gained the admira-
tion of their fellow toilers all over the
land. Daily, men and women and youths
and misses are pounced upon by misrep-
! resentatives OF the law and dragged TO
jail. Thugs and strong arm men assault
them with impunity and the misrepre-
sentatives of the law are blind. But the
/ factories are not producing and will not
until the just demands Of the workers
/ are conceded.
/ a commissary has been established,
] carloads OF provisions are being sent into
the city and the toilers of the land will
see TO it that their brothers and sisters
in Muscatine are supplied with the nee
I essaries of life.