The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-16
BEDFORD, THE GREAT EJECTEE.
Beiated Recognition OF One VINO Pro.
fOundly Influenced His Generation.

II
that no public meeting is quite sue
cessful until somebody has been thrown
out, it is imperative that the pioneer
ejectee OF Manhattan in the present
generation should receive the recogni-
ton that Is the due Of all founders OF
great popular movements.
There are now scores and scores of
hundreds of athletic citizens in New
| York whose sole purpose and object In
life is to be knocked on the head and
kicked into the street for disturbing
other folks. They travel in companies
| from hall to hall, unerringly injecting
themselves where they are not wanted.
| to earn the supreme delight of being
forcibly projected thence to the pave
ments, amid the envious cheers Of less
hardened lovers of the adventurous life.
All of them derive in spirit from
Bedford the Minute Man, once the most
consistent patron of the police who
kept order in Cooper Union.
Bedford the Minute Man may have
had a Christian name. lie may have
been an Industrious, loving son, a
gifted musician. a. mechanical genius.
Certainly he had n sturdy constitution
and an iron frame; OF else the police
are much more gentle In handling those
whom they eject from public gather
ings than the newspaper historians
would have us believe.
That he was of evil temper, of mean
disposition. OF bad habits, dishonest. or
inspired by Interior purposes. never was
alleged. But he had passion for
| attending meetings. questioning the
speakers. making addresses without in
vitatlon and creating disturbances in
| l,t,A ha 60. h.. ~
| It. He was not less willing to project
! himself into the affairs OF sucl. n two
/ handed organization az the Central
] Federated Union than the milder en-
/ vironment of Legislative hearing. His
stronghold was the exposure of plots
| against the public. lie minced no words
| In making his accusations. He knew In
| advance what his fate would be, and,
| in the minds of those who knew him In
/ his prime there Is no doubt that he
| enjoyed the excitement and notoriety
OF the violent experiences he so assidu-
| ously courted.
| he Il understood that Bedford the
| Minute Man was a sober and serious
citizen, not n drunken roysterer. He
could talk about the politics of New
| York and transportation problems for
hours. He once proved himself a true
| prophet when. after a speech occupying
two hours in It's delivery. he predicted
that the newspapers would not publish
il. They didn't.
Bedford was n Democrat. When II
was financially convenient he published
a newspaper called the Nini e Man to
exploit his views. on this he must have
spent considerable money. lie assailed
the late William G. whitney vigorously:
he pitched into Herman Metz when Mr.
Metz was Comptroller. and Mr.. Metz
added to the gayety OF nations by suing
Bedford for $4,000 for libel Proba-
bly, this pleased Bedford; hut his real
happiness was in being plucked up by
the police. hustled from n hall and
hurled into the street. In the process
he never stopped talking. and the con-
tinuity of his discourse never seemed to
suffer from what would have incon-
venienccd another man.
In the earlier days OF Bedfords ac-
t,vity the newspapers goodnaturedly
printed long and circumstantia1 ac-
counts Of his ejectments. But these be-
came so frequent that eventually they
assumed the aspect OF n routine happen
ing Less and less space was devoted
To them, and some news editors AT last
ignored them altogether. Instead OF a
gratifying quarter or half column the
crusader was finally reduced to such
unsatisfactory notices as tala:
AT this point Bedford the Minute
Man was thrown out. The speaker con-
tlrued:"
Young practitioners Of this sport do
not know the hardships that beset the
path OF Bedford the Minute Man.
To-day it Is comparatively easy TO be
thrown ont of public meeting. When
Bedford began his career II was n
thing more difficult to accomplish.
Particularly was II difficult to get
thrown out of Cooper Union. The
watchword of that historic hall was
liberty, it's guiding principle freedom OF
speech. No ordinary interrupter was
ever shown to the door. \ genius or
provocation was needed 10 produce the
desired result. Under the etiquette pre-
yailing there, ~ the po.iceman's hand
touched the shoulder of a vocal nuisance
In the aisle the pestered orator was
expected 10 thunder:
"Oficer, Finland that man! He is an
American citizen. ana mas right 10
speak"
But Bedford the Minute Man over
came all liberation. by persistence and
amazing longwindedness he finally won
his point. Out he would go. to the
; sweet music OF the inevitable "indig-
nant cries of Shame, Shame Some
; times he was arrested. but not always.
. Arrest meant that IA patrolTan mus'
appear in court against him. and a pa
trolman likes to 20 To court as much
az an Industrial Worker OF the World
likes labor.
That Bedford the Minute Man did
much to prepare New York for COM
! placent acceptance Of physical election
OF disturbers from public gatherings
, must be admitted. What had been I'M
usual and dramatic he made ordinary
, and tiresome. That Bedford should be
thrown out became matter OF routine:
the spectacle or record Of his eXtruslons
ceased 70 excite comment, tho public
, accustomed to violent dismission in his
case, came To regard It as regular
and 20 be expected detail OF every
properly conducted meeting
Thus Bedford the Minute Man bIaaeo
I the trail for great number OF less
worthy imitators, who profit from his
, labors and accomplish with ease and
! despatch that 10 attain which he was
y