Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-26
ATTACKS THE COURTS
Progressive Speaker Declares
They Are ''ContemptibIe."
LAUDATI0N OF ROOSEVELT
Congress Described as Sinister
Granddaughter at Third Term
Meeting Provokes Discord.

Brimming over with enthusiasm for the
party and its leader, Col.
nearly 5000 third-termers of
the District gathered at National Rifles
Armory last night, and listened to ad-
dresses by William Gillette. the actor
author; Senator Moses E. Clapp of Mime
sofa and others. The crowd sang On
ward. Christian Soldiers the hymn of
the new party. and patriotic songs. led
by the Jane Adams chorus Of 100 women.
Threats of serious disturbance arose
when Mr.. Gillette was speaking. A tall,
gray-haired man interrupted, asking how
Mr.. Roosevelt was going to accomplish
the reforms which Mr.. Gillette was prom
Using in the name of the leader. Frank j.
Hogan, national committeeman of the
new party for the District. attempted to
quiet the interrupter, but he refused to
be quiet. In a moment he was surrounded
by angry men, shaking their fists. Cries
of Throw him out!' arose. and one man
leaped from the gallery and dared the
'heckler'' to come down into the street
and fight it out with him. Finally Mr..
Gillette and Mr.. Hogan restored order and
the meeting proceeded with its business.
Assault Charge Develops.
Of the first precinct arrested a man who
gave his name as Thomas Stafford. thir-
ty-three years old, a mechanic. on "A
charge OF assaultins Thomas Roades. an
attorney, during the meeting. Stafford
was locked up for the night.
Mr.. Gillette devoted much of his time to
"A cenSure of Congress, which he termed
sinister bunch of 400 that SITS in
Washington within the walls of the Cap
itol.'' He attacked the party in power
and the utterly contemptibie courts of
Justice He declared that the courts
of the United States had proved the least
efficient tribunals for the punishment OF
crime in the world.
Clapp Attacks Wilson.
Senator Cdapp. after addressing an over
flow meeting In the hall of the armory,
appeared in the hall and denounced the
democratic party. He attacked Gov.
Wilson because Of Mr.. Wilson's failure to
initiate legislation in New Jersey against
the trusts. although Mr.. Wilson professed
to desire trust legislation.
Senator Clapp paid his respects to the
republican party, also declaring that the
bulWarks OF that party We're crushed in
and the party on the verge of dissolution
The presidential contest, he said. is be-
tween the progressive and democratic
parties.
Roosevelt's big stock Senator Clapp de-
fined as the coloners reflection of the
peoples will. 1t was lack of this re-
Election, he said, that caused the messages
Of President Taft to be derided by the
Senate. The democratic party, he de-
clared, is the intellectual interrogation
point" and unfit to govern any growing
country.
Discusses Roosevelt's Character.
Mrs. William II. Beck, widow Of Brig.
Gen. Beck, and mother Of the army
aviator. Paul Beck. spoke on the char
acter of Roosevelt. DIR. ]. R Wilder, one
Of the colonePs supporters in the District,
also made a brief address.
On the platform in the auditorium were
Frank ]. Hogan, William Gillette, Mrs.
William H. Beck. Senator Clapp and DR..
J. r. Wilder. All of these. with the ex-
ception Of Mrs. Beck and DR.. Wilder,
their speeches before the over
flow meeting in the hall on the ground
ioor. and besides them Galen L. TAFT of
Maryland and Harry l. Quinn, candidate
FOR Congress from the seventeenth dis
trfct of Maryland. made addresses
Among the notables on the platform
we're Admiral Chester. U. S. n: Brig
Gen. Morton, L. S. A.. and Mrs Dclva
Lockwood.
Stafford Explains.
Il fail to sec why l should lie held on
charge OF assault when I was merely de-
ending myself, and i am sorry that the
matter was not disposed of today" said
Thomas Stafford when asked If he cared
70 make any statement about the trouble
alleged to have occurred at the third
term party mass meeting last night in
National Rifles Armory. The case was
aot heard in the Police Court today.
Stafford admitted that he had inter-
rupted William Gillette. who was speak,
ng. He said he knew it was the custom
Of a great many political orators to
answer questions asked them by their
hearers.
"F'or that NATTER Mr.. Stafford said.
Mr.. Gillette and Mr.. Hogan, who were
on the platform. tried to answer my
question, but crowd of men around me
started closing in on me and made SO
much noise that the speakers couldn't
be heard.
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