Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1911-11-02
The Slaughter OF
The Innocents' =
Small Children Dragged to Jail In
Muscatine, Ia, Because They
Dared to Remonstrate With
Strike Breakers.

Washington, D. G. Oct. xv.A lit
tie blue eyed maiden. who had scarce
seen thirteen summers. was dragged
to jail in Muscatine. Ia, on October
II, and was confined in cell for four
hours because she had dared to
demonstrate with strike breakers who
were assisting the employers in their
efort to subdue the workers and de-
| feat the ends Of human Justice.
Young as she was, the little lass has
had an acquaintance with misery and
Iprivation. She knew that the union
made it possible for children to be
just kids for a little while; she
knew that it gave them a season for
childish sports; a chance to go to
school, and an opportunity 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 conditions.
She knew that her fare was frugal,
and that her home lacked many of
| the comforts that should have obtain
ed there; she knew that her people
were overworked, underpaid and in
sufficiently fed, and because she
knew the union had a remedy for all
of these evils She did what she could
| to forward it's cause by attempting to
persuade otrike breakers 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 crea-
lures in the forms of men seized her
and dragged her to jail like q common
criminal and locked her in a cell. To
her the jail was a place of torment
and the eell as great horror as the
"Black Hole of Calcutta" Yet for
hours this poor little mite was confin-
/ ed in its, to her terrible environment,
sobbing as if her heart would break
and crying for mother. An0 this de-
spite the fact that the law governing
juveniles provides that they shall not
be detained in any jail or station house
without an immediate trial.
On the same day, three other child
rem, one of them a trembling mite Of
boy, were dragged to jail and con
fined in cell for the same terrible
offense committed against society by
the little lass. Stern and stalwart
officers Of the law had made an on
slaught on the innocents on the de-
mand of the employers and strike
breakers, while citizens looked on in
horror and amazement and asked
each other the question: Have the
employers grown so desperate that
they are warning on infants?"
Later, the little lass and her three
childish companions stood weeping
and trembling in court, and listened
to dignifed judge as he sternly re-
buked them and tried to impress up
on them the enormity of their crime.
He told them if they dared to repeat
the offense, in other words, il they
dared again to try and assist their
fathers, mothers, sisters or brothers
in their struggle for justice, he would
send them to the reform school. He
then set them at liberty and they were
permitted to return to their anxious
and outraged kinfolk.
THE button workers of Muscatine
are displaying a spirit Of determine
ton and self sacrifice that has gained
the admiration of their fellow toilers
all over the land. Daily, men and
women and youths. and misses are
bounced upon by misrepresentation
Of the law and dragged to jaidl. Thugs
| and strong arm men. assault them
with impunity and the misrepresenta-
tives Of the law re blind. But the fac
tories are not. producing and will not
until the just demands of the workers
are conceded.
"a commissary has been established
car loads of provisions are being s'ent
into the city and the toilers of the
I land win see to it that their brothte r.
and sisters in Muscatine are supplied
with the necessaries Of life.
n