Scott County kicker., 1912-03-09


Mass. The strike had a peculiar
origin. The workers are men
women and children Of 15 differ
ent nationalities and of more diff
ferent religious beliefs. And they
we're not organized.
The state had passed a law re-
ducing the weeks work from SO
to 54 hours. The workers were
averaging less then a dollar a
day. Although the product Of
these mills is highly protected by
the tariff the workers are the
poorest paid. Quite all are for
eigners from countries where the
standard OF living Is very low.
They were induced to come here
by agents OF the textile trust
who promised good Jobs and good
nay.
The slaves worked on uncom-
plainingly until the new law took
effect and their meager pay en-
velopes were two hours short.
First they muttered then they
talked and in a few hours S 600
were marching the streets pro-
testing against the reduction.
They knew little or nothing of
the power OF organization Yet
the very conditions forced them
TO seek it. As they marched their
ranks swelled until they number
pd 25 600. BY this time organi-
zers appeared and the strike was
declared.
Then came the Democra tic gov
ernor, Foss, a mill owner, with
state troops. The Republican
mayor set his police force in ac-
ton and the city was filled with
spies and detectives to "discov-
pr" dynamite where they had
planted it-and trouble began.
Against all these odds the
workers stood firm. But the bit
ter cry Of the children for bread
grew stronger day by day. The
workers felt they could get along
If only the children were cared
for. Sympa thizers in neighborine
cities volunteered to care for the
children and arrangements were
made to ship them out.
ssss
4 week ago Saturday many
children Of the strike with tbeil
parents were Nt the station te
be shipped out. The mill owners
lid not want the children t.
leave-thereby hoping to force
the workers to submit. WheI
the train pulled in the police tori
the children from their parent:
and locked them in a room. Tht
mothers became frantic at th:l
attack in free America" anG
many were arrested The Appea
to Reason says:
The blackest page in all thu
four hundred years OF American
history was written February "a
1912. Russia has it's Bloody Sun.
day and the United States now
has it's Black Saturday.
On that day the police uudel
orders issued by q Republican
mayor and the soldiers under or.
ders issued by a democra tic gov
ernor by command OF the repub
ican and democra tic mill owners
~ Lawrence Mass assaulted tht
working class mothers OF thai
city clubbed them until the bloot
flowed tore Their children from
their arms threw them shreikinf
with freight and terror into pa t.
rol wagons and carted them tt
the police station and jail fol
seeking to save their offspringl
from starvation
This is the story OF civilized in
humanity flashed over all tn,
wires and which has no parable
in all the pages o. history.
The twenty-five thOusa nd men
women and children working IL
the cotton and woolen mills o
Lawrence victims OF these repub
6can and democra tic slave-pens
have long been ON strike and lit
orally starving by inches Pitt
less as savages the mill owner
applied the hunger lash sparinf
not even the babies demanding
the unconditional surrender o
the slaves
In the very last extremity anG
in sheer desperation an attemp
was made to save at least th'
little children who were shiverina
in the cold and crying for bread
Sympa th;zers strangers in near
by cities-touched by the heart
rending scene - opened thei
hearts and homes to the littl
boys and girls that were beinl
tortured and murdered by tn
Lawrence mill owners arrange'
for their transportat.on-afte
securing the consent OF thei
heart-b broken mothers and faith
ers-and prepared to receiv
them when the news was flashe
to them that the enraged mil
Owners-who scented possible de
feat in the removal o! the starv
ing bab.es-had commanded tn
police and militia to assault tn