New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-21
Turning From Patriotism
To Mayor Van Lear

With the ink hardly dry on their
patriotic resolutions. and wildly wav-
ing flags, the conference tonight
greeted Mayor Van Lear, pacifst and
Peoples Council Mayor of Minneapolis.
with the greatest enthusiasm. He spoke
against concentration Of power for war.
arguing that his experience as "A labor
ing man had shown him that whenever
rights were surrendered II was difficult
10 get them back. He told of his grad
uSl realization, as workingman. that
there was a connection between politi-
cal power and the police abuse of men
on strike, which led TO direct political
activity BY labor. The laborer on the
farm or i'm the city must get into poll
tics for his own protection. II pleased
him 20 see that the farmers were at
4ast awake. There was no sedition in
Van Lear'S remarks, and there were no
Interruptions of his speech by citizens,
who were said TO be present in the
great audience for the purpose Of stop
ping him If his speech became disloyal.
1t was merely an ordinary attack on the
"capitaliStic classes" He was loudly
applauded when he said that while il
was considered traitOrouS to petition
against conscription of men, it was
NbHSlutltu NGls paw iON4N " pcbANlNH
against the consumption Of wealth.
President A. c. Towlney of the league
followed Mayor Van Lear with a speech
on the next step in the peoples fight"
He began with denunciation OF the
profteers, who he said were such brake
on the conduct Of the war that 1t would
be better TO buy them off with $4,000
100000 outright than have them OBJ
structing the war by taking II through
profits.
The profiteers were responsible for
the fact that bread costs twice as
much in America as in Germany, and
as long as that was the case 1t would
be exceedingly difficult to convince Ger
mans of the beauties of the American
brand Of democracy. He compared
profteers TO battlefield ghouls, and put
in the same class the men who engi-
neered the kept press and lied like
hell men who lie by Wholesale
Stirred TO fury by the hostile stti-
tude of the papers of Minneapolis and
st. Paul toward the league, Townley
became almost dclirious in the fury Of
his attack on the press. He was in
terrupted with cries of "Sit down. and
"La Follette!" and had difficulty in pro-
ceeding to say that La Toilette, "the
man who fears nothing in heaven or
hell, and has been more lied about by
the kept press of America than any
other" would speak.
When Senator La Toilette, whose
speech had been looked forward 10
as the great oratorical event Of the
convention, introduced as "Our Hero,
rose to speak, he faced an audience Of
near ten thousand people. The band
played America" and there was a
frenzy of cheering and flag waving.
There were cries Of "Hurrab for Bob
La Follette." answered by "Hurrah for
President wilson," and the speech was
delayed by near fight in one of the
galleries.
Some of you" fairly Kissed the Sen
ator. "who stood up when the band
played that magnificent hymn of lib
erty have forgotten is meaning in your
new-found patriotism, that you profess
but do not feel. You have donned the
livery OF heaven to serve the hell of
big business"