The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-03-08
ENFORCED LOYALTY
ON BUSINESS BASIS
In Three Counties in Southern Illinois
Pro-German Propagandists Have
Been Forced to Make Public
Manifestation of Allegiance
IN
to Government.

st. Louis, March s. Enforced loyalt,
has been placed on a business basis il
Macoupin, Madison and Montgomery
counties in southern Illinois where the
activities of pro-German propagandists
recently became so pronounced that Wig
! lance committees in numerous towns
| have forced hundreds of suspected per.
sons to make public manifestations OF
their allegiance to the government In
one town two alleged leaders of sedi.
tIous movements were tarred and feath.
cred
Branches of the American Defense So
| ciety operating through vigilance com
mittees in practically every town in the
district have taken the lead in stamp
ing out disloyalty. The first move to
GUST the propagahdists was made in
Stanton, where an alleged leader Of the
|. w. w. and a Chicago attorney were
escorted to the city limits, coated with
tar aud feathers and started walking in
different directions. The reason for this
aggression was said to be the activity
of the men in causing dissenson among
several thousand coal miners near Staun.
ton.
On the same night more than one hun
dred persons were made to sign pledge
of loyalty.
News OF the use of such stern meas.
ures spread and within a week Wordeu,
Mount Olive, Gillispie, Williamson, Hills
boro and several other smaller towns
made demonstrations. In some Of these
towns scores of persons were taken
from their homes and requested to make
public profession of their loyalty. Sew
eral men were taken from their beds
and. kneeling on the sidewalk, were
forced to kiss every star in the flag
Some were made to sing the national
anthem while Others were compelled to
play patriotic airs on musical instru- |
ments. In several such instances arrests
were made and federal charges preferred
The most serious result of the dmon- |
against the men.
strations was in Hillsboro where Cliff
ford Donaldson, u wars old, was shot /
when the vigilance committee called at /
his fathers home IN search OF |. W. ". /
members Shots were exchanged Don I
aldson was killed and +. b. Emery, city I
marshal, and Ernest Flath were wound +
ed. Later is was learned Donaldson had 1
enlisted in the navy only a few DAYS be- /
fore his death and that his father was
unacquainted with any Of the suspected
persons. II
Members OF the vigilance committees
deny that they counsel violence. They
declare that their actions have the APP
Droval of civic officers. They insist that
he district embraced by Macoupin, Mad
son and Montgomery counties for some
lime has been the objective of an active
by pro-German sympsthizers.
As evidence of their success they point
o recent meeting of representatives of
more than 1000 members of a miners
miou in Staunton. In less than one
week after two alleged sedition leaders
,ad been tarred and feathered. the I'M
on voted a contribution Of $50 per
month for the Red Gross, purchased
i 600 worth Of thrift stamps. reinstated
N members who had lost standing be
suse Of army and navy enlistment. ar
anged for payment Of their dues during
he period Of the war. and ended a mass
Meeting II such burst of patriotic fer
or that the singing Of the national an
hem was drowned in cheers for Presi-
en- Wilson and the government.
Rrports from other cities where dem
nstrations were staged indicate that
he same ieaven 81 patriotism j. a. work
"a that prospects are bright for : ful-
liu1sut 81 ne Nish 9; Loyalty leaders
Ia the di<irirf o. uade "ono hundred s
or cent American.