The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-09
Local BOLSheUiSt
FLGUntS Red FLAG

Scimltar upon its espousal Of the cause
Of the enemies OF the United States,
but we must confess to surprise and
a certain kind Of admiration for its
open and repeated advocacy OF Bolshe-
vism. reserved for ~audacity and reck-
l~essness and a general Indifference to
consequences.
The News Scimitar editorial is de-
scribed as an instance OF capitalistic
newspaper Misrepresentation" and "in
the hope that it may penetrate the
wall Of cement. that incases the brain
Of the editorial writer Of The News
Scimitar," the Labor Review proceeds
to embcllish and elaborate upon the
beauties and virtues Of B~olshevism.
We refuse to be moved by the UNI
intentional compliment or intended in
suit. We are hard headed enough to re-
main Of the ~steadfast opinion that Old
Glory is the greatest flag that ever
waved over this or any other country.
Our devotion to the Stars and Stripes is
a matter of conviction for which we
do not have to account to any man,
Just as the Labor Reviews devotion
to the Red may be a matter Of con-
viction with it. We do not know
whether 1t will be required to give
an accounting or not. That is a mat
ter between It and theAfederal authori-
ties, and with which We have no con-
Germ.
AS to the charge that The News
Scimitar editorial was written without
the editorial in the Labor Review haV-
ing been read, We are able to state
that such Is not the case, and that
furthermore 1t has been preserved. In
| nTfRT 10 uiNp T-AAf that a. ~ rAnA
we shall quote some extracts from il:
"BolsheVism Threatening the World"
was the headline OF an article In the
Literary Digest last week. The first
sentence OF this newspaper article told
a truth that ought TO strike shame 10
the heart Of every American citizen,
II reads: "Hundreds Of soldiers, sailors
and marines broke through a Gordon
OF police surrounding Madison Square
Garden tonight and attacked interna.
tlonal socialists who had attended a
mass meeting at which 5olSheVlk doc.
trlneS were e~Kpounded,"
That the sacred uniform OF American
military forces should be dragged down
into the mlre by a mob Of men trying
to break up an orderly meeting In a
public hall is a disgrace so deep and
so shameful that It ought to call forth
bitter protest by every liberty loving
man and woman In America.
Now let us see about that orderly
lHttAlbB III u Iupitt nan at WHICH the
American soldiers "]dtsgraced' them
selves. The following on the subject
was aiken from the New York Sun
and is less sensational han stories
from other New York papers. 1t said.
The Increasing lnsolenoe and boIdness
Of the various anarchistic elements
that make up BolsheVlsm In New York,
together with the Increasing resent.
ment and anger Of soldiers and sailors
AGAINST soIshevIstic activities In Amer.
lea, threaten bloody riots.
This Is the measured opinion Of off,
elals not given to s~ensationalism, Unit.
ed States Marshal Thomas o. McCar.
thy and Assistant District Attorney
Alexander /. Rorke among them. II Is
probable, therefore. that action will
the near future TO prohibit such provo.
estiVe parades and demonstrations as
those Of Madison Square Garden on
Monday night and Palm Garden on
Tuesday night, II Is known the matter
Is receiving the serious consideration
Of Gov, Whitman, as we'll as OF Mayor
Hylan and Police Commissioner En-
right,
The authorities recognize the bottom
TACT, that the hateful conduct OF the
that the eolshevlkl would like nothinq
better than to provoke bloodshed and
general disorder. While soldiers and
sailors have no right whatever, the OF.
tctals state. to interfere In strictly
police work, nevertheless there Is sym.
patty for their attitude, which is sim.
ply that OF lmpuisiVe patriotism. The
difficult feature In this problem con.
Germs the attitude Of the police toward
soldiers and sailors. The police must
protect citizens and enforce order even
against mon In uniform. II BoIshevist
meetings and parades are to be per.
mltted II 10 Inevitable. officials recoo-
nlxe, that more riots must occur.
me remedy to be urged before Gov.
whitman and Mayor Hylan by various
prominent citizens 10 absolute prohIbI.
ton Of such meetings and deronstra.
tons. The argument Is made that there
Is plenty OF law to stop such perform.
anoes, since all such meetings have
been OF seditIous n dlsIoyal charae.
ter.
That ought to settle in the minds
OF the public the character Of the
meeting the Labor Review defends
But to get back to the expressions
from which We were quoting:
But let US not blame the soldiers who
SO far forgot themselves as TO brIna
such disgrace upon their uniform,
Ihetr minds nave been poisoned by the
CAPITALIST lies that have filled the
kept daily newspapers and "InspIredS
weeklIes and monthlles ever since the
working people Of Russia tried to es.
taellsh an honest government In that
unhappy country.
The. people referred to, Of course,
are those who betrayed the country
, INTO the hands Of Germany and caused
RUSSIA to be disposed Of as a factor i'm
the war The American soldiers with
poisoned minds, along with the allies,
. are at war with those who set up this
honest government in Russia. The
Associated Press carried a story a few
I, days ago stating that the Americans
> cut their way through a largely supc-
= TinF InFEn nhfhrn Innu ,a RA.1 - -
get a casualty list containing the names
, Of the soldiers with poisoned" minds
VINO opposed me supporters Of he
honest government in Russia. 1t
Z seems that the Bolshevists have been
mtsrepresented, "a the Labor Review
, continues.
, "eolshevIsm" means majority rule.
And that Is why the capitalists Of both
europe and America are fighting the
/ We don't care what their doctrines
! might be, They were meeting In an
Y orderly manner when a mob Of men
whose minds had been poisoned by the
capltallstle daily press broke into their
meeting, And that act Of hoodlumlsm
was virtually aIorIfled by the same cap.
= !.%taliStlc interests that were responsible
Tor u. HAVING deliberately fooled the
s puhIlc into believing that BolShevtsm
:, was a menace to the world, they kept
X up their deception by aIorifyina riot.
riot every 'SIS,er VIZ took par, IN that
a America has been fighting for In this
! war, which the president has summed
UP. In one phrase, ito make the world
safe for democracy"
The capitalist interests OF Europe
and America can lie until they destroy
civilization, II the people Of the world
are so ignorant as TO let them, but SO
l. iona as our present civilization docs
last, they cannot make really lntellIueni
Il people alority disorder when committee
; BY a uniformed soldier, and at the same
! time TX the charge Of disorder upor
. the peaceable people whose meeting
y was broken UP by the soldiers.
After defining Bolshcvism to NEAR
majority rule the Labor Review drop,
NJ the Russian and adopts the English
version, ~ in the following:
ar The Labor Review hopes tRat MA