Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-09-06
THE PEACE DOVES
MEET IN CHICAGO
Saturdays Meeting Dispersed by
the Police, No Arrests.
SECOND MEETING HELD SUNDAY

Thompson Gives Police Protection.
Lowden Orders Militia out-Train
Delay Prevents Arrival of Soldiers
in Time to Act-Mayor May Be Ar.
rested and Deprived of OFFICE
Chicago, Sept. 4-The convention
of the American Alliance for Peace
and Democracy after having been
driven out Of Minnesota and Wiscon.
sin came to Chicago to do it's con
Venlng. The convention met on Satur.
day at the West Side Auditorium and
mad barely formed a temporary organ
lzatlon when First Deputy Chief Of
Police Westbrook appeared and dis
persed the meeting by authority of
Governor Lowden, having been unable
to get in touch with Mayor Thompson,
who was out of the city.
The peace propagandists, however
succeeded in getting into communica-
ton with the mayor and were assured
that they had a perfect right to hold
as many conventions as they wished
and he assured them that they would
be given police protection, Governor
LoWden to the contrary notWithstard.
ing. Thereupon arrangements for the
meeting held Sunday were made ard
Chief of Police Schuetler, acting IN.
der direct orders of Mayor Thomp
son, furnished a squad of police to
protect the convention from Interior
ence by the state authorities.
In the meantime Governor LowGen
attempted to reach Sheriff Traeger
who also was out of town, whereuDon
he sent General Dickson, with four
companies Of the Ninth immediately
to Chicago, but on account of poor
railroad connections the militia fail
ed to reach Chicago until after the
meeting, held under police protection
had adjourned
In addition to the Ninth under Gen
eral Dickson, the Second and Seventh
regiments of infantry and the Second
artillery were modified, while Chief
Schuetler had 1000 police ready to
protect the pacifists.
A clash between the police army
and the state troops was only avoided
by reason Of the fact that the soldiers
did not arrive until after the meeting
had adjourned
The action of Mayor Thompson in
defying the governor meets with uni
versal condemnation and it is said
that charges are to be filed which will
result in the arrest of Mayor Thomp
son as traitor to hil Country and his
trial by a military court.
1t is also probable that action will
be taken to remove him from the Of
fee of mayor
At any rate, it is certainty that
no more peace propaganda powwoWs
will be held in Chicago, unless Mayor
Thompson proves to be bigger man
than Governor Lowden and the Chi
cago police are able to rout the state
militia
Governor Lowden issued the follow
ing statement in explanation and JUS.
LITIGATION of his action in sending
troops to suppress the pacifist meet
ing:
The governor was informed about
noon Sunday that the so-called Ma,
tional Council of America for Democ-
racy and Peace proposed to hold an
other meeting in Chicago, the CT ef OF
police of Chicago having been in
structed not to interfere. This, If
course, was big surprise to aim.
Having no state troops in Chicago
at time the Governor tried to com
municate with General Carter, com
handing the central department At
Chicago, for the purpose of prevent
ing the meeting, he also tried to
communicate with Sheriff Traeger,
but was informed that the sheriff was
out of town and would not be back TN
til late in the afternoon.
He at once ordered the adjutant
general to proceed to Chicago with
troops to prevent the further contin-
uance of the meeting.
The governor is satisfied that this
meeting was designed for the purpose
of bringing on draft riots and OBJ
structing the government in other re-
spects. For that reason he felt that
he should use all the resources at his
command to suppress such meeting