The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-02-02
Continued from Page One

SOulluuCu iIOIH aye VIC
him." Be l right or wrong in this
belief, | am American enough to be-
lieve and charitable enough to believe
that every man beneath the flag
should freely speak and write con-
corning his creeds or philosophy, his
theories of government, his ideas of
organization. Every man must hold
himself amenable to the law of the
land for the abuse of that right, for
the use of obscenty or banal person
alities. There is a well defined line
of demarcation in the right of free
speech. 1t does not include the right
to wantonly insult, use scurrilous or
obscene language in public places. 1t
does not include the right to utter any
thing under the sun in criticism of
human institution if done in language
not obscene, vulgar or scurrilous. Take
away that right and you have torn
from it's foundations the cornerstone
of democracy. Understand that plain
line of demarca ion and you will
understand why trade unionists uphold
zealously the right of free speech, by
anybody upon any subject. l concede
the same right for an Industrial
Worker of the World that l demand
for myself, the RIGHT to air my par
ticular beliefs, PHILOSOPHERS and griev-
ances.
The strike had been in progress
some little time when the activities of
the Industrial Workers were first
noticeable in Everett. Great pains
have been taken to create the impress
sion that the trade union movement
of Everett invited them there. That
is absolutely untrue. | cannot make
that too plain nor too insistent. They
came of their own volition and estab-
lished a small headquarters. They
shortly began street speaking and
this was Immediately resented by
many business and manufacturing IN
terests, who thought they saw in the
preachments more trouble on an al
ready afflicted community.
On February IS, 1913, drastic
anti-street speaking ordinance had
been passed. 1t forbade street speak
ing upon Hewitt Avenue from Rookie
Teller to Rucker, or upon any other
public place within one block north
or south of that avenue. On October
27, 1914, through the work of Com
missioner Salter, a new ordinance
was passed, superseding the old one.
1t allowed public speaking upon any
cross street, fifty feet back Of the
main street either north or south, save
upon South Wetmore, upon which
street there was a fire station, the
reason for this exception being obvi-
Gus. This was the ordinance in effect
when the crusade against the Indus
trial Workers took place. They chose
Wetmore Avenue, just north of
Hewitt, and were careful to place their
platform just back of the fifty foot
line. In the neighboring city of Sc
attic they have been holding their
street meetings for years in the lower
end of the city. The whole policy of
the authorities there was to let them
talk as much as they pleased as long
as they did not obstruct traffic. But
in Everett the situation was tense and
manufacturing interests involved in
this strike were in an irritated frame
of mind. The I. w. w. speakers de-
nounced the owners of the struck
plants for their unyielding attitude
and declared that they proposed to
help the single weavers win their
strike. This was where the shoe
pinched. Despite the state of public
feeling l am firmly of the opinion
that no trouble would have resulted
had they been undisturbed as long as
the language used was within the
bounds of public decency. The usual
crowds gathered, some people sym
pathetic, some hostile, the majority
merely curious. Men would stop and
listen a few moments and pass on, as
crowds do.
But certain citizens thought they
saw in these nightly meetings direct
menace to the city, perhaps an attack
upon life and property, | do not know.
At any rate they determined to rid the
city of the Industrial Workers of the
World and to the establishment of
many who believed the regular police
force amply able to quell any disorder
that might arise, the papers suddenly
appeared with a public call for citi-
zens to be deputized as deputy sheriffs
in defense of the peace of the city.
Several hundred citizens, including
men high in business and professional