The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-26

Sam for profits, rather than upon their own enterprise, progress and initiative
 The wool industry in Lawrence employs thousands of foreigners, largely Armenians and Syrians, spe- cialIy imported because they will work for almost nothing.
 But the conditions in the industry became more uncomfortable than even these people, accustomed to low standard of living, could accept, and a great strike has taken place.
 At an early stage of the proceed ings the militia were called into Law renee, and one, Col. Sweetser. took control in effect of the government of the city, without the formality. however, of putting it under martial law.
 One Joseph Ettor, an organizer of the Industrial Workers of the World, came to Lawrence to take charge Of the strike, most of the operatives be- ing organized under the auspices of that association.
 He appears to have conducted his agitation in a lawful manner for the laws of Massachusetts strictly forbid many lines of actions followed by strike leaders.
 But a woman was shot in the streets, and Ettor was arrested upon the charge that a speech made by him melted to her killing, and he is held without bail upon the charge of melting to murder.
 Now a most simple principle of equity requires that before one can be held for melting to murder it must be shown that there was a murc der.
 In the case of the woman who was killed there is no evidence as to how she was killed, or who killed her, or what for. There is a strong pre- sumption that her killing was an ac. cident.
 Again these strikers attempted to put themselves in a position to carry on the strike longer by sending their children to other cities to the care of families willing to take charge Of them.
 These tactics have been adopted from Europe, where they are prac- ticed upon the theory that the strike can be waged longer if only the fath- CT and the mother have to be fed, and sheltered.
 At any rate such tactics would seem to be entirely peaceful and law full, and it would seem to be well within the prerogative of parents to say whether they would or not have their children so cared for.
 Yet comes Col. Sweetser and the Chief of Police of Lawrence denying by sheer force the rights of the par ents, and causing the actual arrest Of some of the fathers and mothers who had determined to send their chill dren to Bridgeport.
 Such methods seem more appIica- ble in Russian than in this country. Here they are sheer folly. and the recital of them throughout the land will do more damage to, political pro- gress within conservative lines than can we'll be estimated.
 In proof of this belief the attitude of the Socialist periodicals of the country may De clIeQ. The Call, a Socialist daily of New York, prints the following:
 Here is an issue which the Socialist press and movement generally should push to the last extremity. That the rescue of these children has been the heaviest blow dealt to the exploiters is evident from the desperate attempt, in defiance of all law, they are mak- ing to prevent it. Their shame and infamy should be spread to the utter most limits of the country. Capital ism insists it's right to hold the children of the workers in a hunger stricken prison city, while So :ialism, and Socialism alone, determines that they shall be rescued. If we can get this issue clearly before the masses, it will prove a body blow to the damnabIe system of robbery, hunger and hypocrisy. of such force and pow CT as it has seldom received before.
 And that is the way the issue will be presented to the country.
 The fable was right, when it gave Midas the ears of an ass. The Law renee wool barons seem to be equip ped with extra long sets of aural ap-