Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-09-03
TROOPS TOOLATE
Continued from Page one)

mayors action this morning immedi-
F tely q, operations were made to hold
the meeting which had been prevent
Cd in Minnesota, North Dakota, and
Wisconsin and had been forbidden as
and disloyal by the gov
ernor Of illinois.
Unje Police Protection
Assured of the protection of the po-
lice. the delegates gathered shortly
alter noon at the West Side auditori-
I'm, IL the heart of cosmopolitan
\ score of patrolmen were
on guard inside and outside the build
ing and 50 mora were held nearby to
suppress any disorder. Nearby streets
We1' utterly deserted. as the delegates
took their places and were called to
order h$- seymour Steadman, former
ScclailSt candidate for governor of IL
linols. aS temporary chairman.
In the meantime Gov. Lowden had been
notlned of the defiance of his orders and
called Adjutant Gen Dickson of Illinois
into conference 1t was found that as
most of the Illinois national guardsmen
had been federalized, the governor had
no troops'at his disposal in the Chicago
Maj. Gen. Carter commanding the Cen
trail Department. to obtain his permission
TO use federal troops but he could not be
found in time
Four Companies Assembled
AS Gov. Lowden considered immediate
action necessary, four companies of the
Ninth Regiment of the Illinois National
Guard who had not been federalizel were
assembled at Springfield ana started for
Chicago in special train al SIS o'clock
with orders to make the run in four
hours. Adjutant General Dickson. who
accompanied the troops, had orders to
break up the meeting at once on his ar
rival in Chicago despite the action OF
the police and the mayor.
National Executive Committee
The pacifists appointed a national exec
utive committee as follows Seymour
Stedman of Chica go J. n. Works, former
United States senator. of Los Angeles !.
James H Maurer, Reading Pa, member
of the Pennsylvania Legislature; Prof
Scott Nearing of Toledo: Jacob Panken
OF New York; Morris Hllquit, New York
Prof. H. W L. Dara. Columbia UNIVERSE
ty; NJ A. Towhey. Toledo: Mrs. W. l..
Thomas. Chicago. national secretary Of
the Womans Peace Party: George Roew-
err, Boston; Frank Stevens Arden. Del
Leila Fay Secor, New York: Rebecca
Shelley. New York; Elizabeth Freeman
New York, and Dr. H. W NAltz, Cleve-
land.
Later committees were appointed on
Z
revolutions and peace terms
Plea for Free Discussion
Rabbi j. L. Ma2ncs of New York
then delivered an address in which he
said
Through free discussion the Amer
lean people might. while helping de-
mocracy throughout the world devel-
op rather than restrict our democracy
here at home. Is it worthy Of a de
mocracy that citizens holding diver
gent views be driven from place TO
place to find opportunity for discus
sion that they be threatened with i'm
pr!sonment, that they be spied upon
and raligned because, in these mi
raculous days of change of death and
life and misery and hope as lovers OF
America and their fellow men they
speak and labor and struggle for de-
mocracy ard peace"
W. f. Mason. congressman at large
from Illinois. the next speaker, de-
clared there was more misery in the
country than al any time since Bunker
Hill. But no worse thing ever hap
rened in the history Of the United
States" he said. than is happening
now, when people like you are branded
AS criminals and denied the right OF
free assembly," He also declared that
the only people who welcomed the
war We're the bankers and editors.
and denounced concentration and the
sending of troops to France
Elk Senator Works said: Il have
never seen the time when the gov
ernor Of state issued instructions to
prevent the assembly Of peaceful peo-
rle. ! wonder if democracy in this
free republic is dead. We are not
here to attack the government, but
to defend it. Gov. Lowden should sand
troops here to protect US. II he fails
this meeting will result in bloodshed
and roting."
Only Action at the Polls
The remarks of all the speakers
drew wild applause from the delegates
about 300 Of whom were in the audi
forum. When Chairman Stedmau
announced that troops were on their
way to break up the meeting, one dele
gate proposed that the pacifists re-
main in their seats until ousted by
the soldiers. Mr.. Stedman said that
the meeting would have to adjourn
before o'clock as the lease on the
hall ran out at that time and tina,
the troops were not due to arrive un.
til some time later. He told the dele.
gates that if they challenged the au-
thority OF the state at this time they
would be destroyed. He declared tina,
their only possible action was at the
polls.
I'VE have accomplished our pur.
pose" he said, in announcing an ad.
journment at $50 o'clock. But the
adjournment is taken because oul
lease on this hall has expired. Ou,
next meeting will be announced Sc.
cretly by heads of the organization.
Chief Of Police Schuettler tonigh,
said that the police had placed patrol
men at the peace meeting to prevent
the possibility Of an attack on the
conference by mob He explained
. that the meeting had been authorized
nv Meycr Thoporcop ,pd {bot ordo,