The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-09

"You Have the Right to Speak, We
Have the Power 10 Prevent YOU

Have the Power 10 Prevent You"
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: Per-
NIT me to make n few on
the attitude of the Paterson authorities
toward the constitutional guarantees OF
peaceable assembly and free speech.
For many years previous to 1914 Pat
erson had been known throughout the
civilized world chiefly for two things
her great silk industries and as the
abiding place and stamping ground OF a
large number of anarchists.
The great strike Of the silk operatives
occurring in the early part of 1914
passed In it's early stages under the
control of the /. w. W. and was marked
by great agitation, starvation and suf-
fering Of the working people and large
losses by the trades people and land
lords of the SILK City. These d~eplorable
conditions were accentuated to a con-
siderable extent, however, by the great
brutality of the police of that city
toward the strikers and the virtual sup
preston at the latter stage of the strike
of the right of assembly and free speech.
The strike was finally broken, however,
but the I. W. w. gained thereafter a
large membership among the operatives,
and in many instances gained shop con-
troll Of the large mills and forced GER
N"''s as Wv "esN 'NoANS Va ~
operators.
The European wal and the consequent
slump in the silk industry. coupled with
the period of great unemployment re-
sulting therefrom, enabled the silk OPP
orators to discharge the leading spirits
Of the silk workers organization and
thus disintegrate and destroy the eff
fectiveness of the l. W. w. nuisance.
Thereupon. instead OF %benehting by the
t..,A- ,a,,-A, 49,. ~. a..ttra a.. .x.4lI
owners began a great cutting and slash
ing of wages, thousands OF workers
went on part time and the sufferings
OF these underpaid people were in
creased
In order to correct the dreadful in
huences of the past ungodly labor agi-
tation and help the operatives to bear
their poverty by directing their atten-
ton to another and better world. where
both poverty and strikes are unknown
and sabotage is not practised, the pious
people OF Paterson, and among them
several silk mill owners who are known
to pay the lowest wages. contributed
to underwrite the Billy Sunday soul
saving campaign. Sunday, as usual,
was "A great success. But, alas, such
Is the pervcrsity OF human nature that
when the stomach commences to meet
the backbone the mind tends TO lose
sight of the eternal ~verities, and In
the hope hat the prospects of another
strike would induce the silk operators
to increase their scanty wages. now that
business has become good In the SILK
Industry. the remnant OF the militant
/ W. w invited Miss f.. q, Flynn, n
labor orator Of great power, to address
them at a meeting in the union hall
called to consider a new wage scale
to be submitted to the silk operators.
The hail was closed by the police and
the auditors dispersed. and Miss Flynn
left, protesting that her constitutional
rights as "A citizen were being INVADED.
In THE Sun Of September 8 Miss Flynn
is reported as saying that when she
demonstrated with chief Bimson he
said You may have the RICH to speak.
but We have the power 10 prevent you"
This agrees with the previous newspa-
per reports Of the occurrence.
II is one Of the fundamental tenets
Of the ]. W. W. hat Might makes
right" This proposition seems to agree
perfectly with the views Of the Patcr-
son authorities. There Is no question
that the ]. ". W. is a grave men
ace TO the rights Of private property, as
the following excerpt from its preamble
shows The working class and the EN-
ploying class have nothing in common
. . Between these classes n struggle
must go on until the workers Of the
world organize as a class, take pos
session OF the earth and the machinery
OF production and abolish the wage sys-
tenn. II Is the historic mission Of
the working class to do away with capt.
talism."
The public advocacy of these doc
trines is. In Paterson and all other
cities containing a large working class
.--AI.g.. ,V.1InA aa "a sIFnuHh nf
the peace" or "inciting to riot" and
IL the speaker giving utterance to them
Is a]pplauded 10y the auditors the meet
ing Is treatcd 10y the police authorities
as "A riot.
Terrible AS these doctrines must seem
to all those who are striving earnestly
To bring about a better understanding
between the employing and the work
ing classes and To allay the class
hatred which Is becoming rampant
throughout the country by reason of
such agitation, II is perfectly lawful for
workingmen TO organize and to secure
as the result thereof as high a wage
AS possible. for labor. like articles OF
commerce. is a commodity. The riGh'
of pcaceahle assembly. however. ana tn
right Of free speech are precious h"rI'
tages Of the race which We must pre-
serve at any cost. The actions OF the
authorities backed by the mlli owners
must have impressed what 'hief Bimsot
called tho ignorant foreign element
nightly in favor Of the / W. w. doe
,rines that might makes right and tina
working people have nothing in com
mon with their employers.
The newspaper statements frequently
made that Paterson If "A hotbed OF an
archy are doubtless greatly exaggerated
but anarchical disregard by constituted
authority for law and the n~ulliicatioI
Of the great fundamental rights OF
peaceahle assembly and free speech
upon the part of public officials car
only prove OF assistance to the |. w. w
In tanning the flames of discomfort. ~
body of citizens backing public Officials
i'm such action can escape responSihNit,
for the results thereof. lie that SOW
eth the wind shall reap the whirlwind.'
J. STEPHEN popp,
pAssAIc, y. j, September =
~