New-York tribune., 1912-03-11


radical doctrines their society stood lor
and made most of these nine thousdhu
poor people believe that all the properly
in the city belonged to them, lhcluulhs
the mills, and that it was going 10 DC
divided among them Just as soon as the
Industrial Workers of the Worio "on
the strike.
II NAV easily be imagined what possi-
bilties for destruction lay in the nine
thousand strikers after they had peeh
talked to for a week by the leaders OF
movement which boldly inculcated the
doctrine tnat violence and destruction OF
the most extreme type were jusunaoie
when used as part Of the tactics TO WIN
moro wages or inaugurate social reVo-
lutior
This oreat mob Of strikers, so Inh''
trsted with anarohistic sentiments was
for days led, nine thousand strong up
and down the streets of Lawrence, prac-
t;ealIy without let or hindrance. II was
a mob that suraed along the streets, MI
ina then, from building to building ana
easily swept before II any man or men
who stood in it's way.
It sang i'm various tongues the inter-
national revolutionary hymns. 1t was at
first Joyous with the Gargantuan JOY OF
a huge. overgrown youth. But this mood
did not last long. IT gave way to an irrl-
table. growing, savage state, in whlch
Il prowled the streets like a wild animal
that was chained and muzzled. but whose
master was ready to take off the muzzle
and LEI loose the chain at any moment.
And one morning the chain was
loosened. the muzzle slipped off, and this
great mob. disappointed at not winning
the strike in two weeks, started out TO
spread terror in the city. 1T succeeded
in wrecking all the streetcars bearing
mill operatives to work. 1t succeeded IN
preventing $4,000 skilled operatives going
to work. IT succeeded in injuring many
women who. were going TO work nv
cumming on them, knocking them down
and kicking them. and tearing from their
hands their lunch baskets. It succeeded
IN thoroughly frightening many school
children who were being conveyed TO
school in an electric car by driving them
out of the car. taking the lunch baskets
away from them and stamping on the
lunch baskets until baskets and con-
tents were ground into the snow and
slush Of the street.
Then this huge mob of the dozen DIFF
ferent tongues went growing on its way
TO its various meeting places, where IT
was told that IT should he prepared TO
come out earlier thai ever the next
morning before it was light and go a
step further than it had already done
toward striking terror into the hearts OF
the mill owners. the mill operatives VINO
wanted to work. the widows who wanted
TO work, the little children who wanted
TO go TO school and the silly mill opera
tives of the English speaking races who
had built little homes for themselves.
and who thought liberty meant care
fully avoiding interfering with the rights
and liberties Of others.
Police Showed Little Activity.
The police force of the city showed
very little activity in protecting the nom
striking operatives and the passengers
on the electric cars, whether through
fear of the mob sympathy with II or q
realization Of the sheer helplessness OF
a few score policemen surrounded by
nearly ten thousand wild-eyed men and
women who could be reasoned with in
English. not understanding It, if they
would then be reasoned with in any lam
guage-which is doubtful
The few companies of militia who were
on duty at that time were confined to
the streets surrounding the mill dis
tricts. and while the militia could sec
the raging mob destroying the windows
in the trolley cars, driving out their pas
sengers and viciously assaulting every
man and woman who was carrying a
lunch basket, they also, like the police.
made no effective move to put stop 10
the brutal assaults and destruction o.
property.
1t was after this demonstration OF
what this peaceful mob could and
would do whenever its leaders advocated
little more direct action" after hear
ing reports from hundreds of peaceful
working men and working women VINO
had been numerically assaulted, after
hearing of the openly expressed inten-
tions of the leading spirits OF the moi
TO make Lawrence sorry city that
night to destroy the city's gas supply
To come down on the main business
street the next morning and break every
etorn window on IL and loot the stores
that leading citizens threatened to cal
for the Mayors resignation IL he did not
at once appeal to the Governor for more
troops. that such appeal was made. and
by midnight enough additional members
OF the militia were hurried to Lawrence