New-York tribune., 1918-01-14
Flogged Minister
Denies Pacihsm,
Blarnes Financiers
The Rev. H. S. Bigelow
Says He Was Whipped
by Railway Men

Herbert S. Bigelow, a clergyman
Of Cincinnati, who was taken to
the Kentucky side Of the Ohio River
and horewhipped last October, de-
MED last night at meeting called
by the National Civil Liberty Bureau
in the Liberty Theatre that he was
pacifist or had been whipped for that
reason. The men who whipped him, he
said, were creatures of "the financial in
terests of Cincinnati" The Financial
interests ," he declared, were his foes
because he had opposed the city's street
car franchises. His audience acclaimed
him as n hero, nevertheless. and ap-
rlauded when he said he had opposed
the entry Of the United States into
the war.
"Some have called me a martyr to
the cause of peace" he said. ~ am not
a pacifst and could not have been pun
ished for that. The men who struck me
down knew full well that, however
baseless the charge, the general public
would assume that | must have been a
traitor or scditious person.
DisapprOved the War
"I was one Of those who disapproved
our countrys entering the war.
favored a direct vote on the war by
every man and woman, but our c )in-
try had not developed democracy to
that point. Congress has spoken the
will of the nation (cres of "No"). l
once having been made on the question
of war. | am for my country, right or
wrong"
The speaker described how he had
aroused the hatred Of the financial in
terests," and declared that ha was
proud of it.
"Thev did not dare lay hands on me-
he continued. until war began. Then
they chose the pretext that ! was a
pacist to horsewhip me, knowing that
the country wo>'d Historically assume
that I deserved it,"
When Lincoln Steffens, the first
speaker. mentioned Herbert Bige'ow
the audience arose and cheered When
he mentioned the late Tom Johnson
OF Cleveland, there was prolonged ap-
p'ause. When he mentioned Newton
D. Baker there was brief applause
Asks Congressional Inquiry
l.. Holingwood Wood, who presided
SAID the meeting WAS called to back ur
american liberties in war time" by g
national campaign to demand a Con.
gresslonal investigation of the causes
OF mob violence and the denial of con.
stitutional rights, particularly as they
affect labor
petition circu atcd at the meeting
, to which signatures will be sought ir
, a nationwide campaign, will be pre-
, sented TO Congrs ss. 1t reads, in part
The war has necessarily brought some re
strictions on our constitutional rights of free
dom OF speech press and assemblage. Blu
these restrictions. we submit. have gone ia
beyond the limits necessary for the successful
conHuct of the Indeed, they tend rathe
to hinder effectiveness in the war b,
creating. they do, widespread social ant
industrial unrest.
Mob violence, spurred on by the utter
ances NJ men-many in positions of high re
spcnsiblhty- IS replacing in instance after in
stance the orderl.' processes of democratic in
stituions. Exploiting business interests ar,
OF patriotism, while robbing the consumer
and pilins: up huge war profits. The Postof
flee censorship. under which scores of paper
have been deprived OF their second class mail
ing privileges, is destroying the institution O
Il free press
We are therefore constrained to petitio,
Congress in the interest of liberties guaran
, tCed by the Constitution asking that an in,
mediate Congress ional inquiry be made int
, the actua! facts Of these violations of consti
tutlonal right. mob violence and censorship
and particularly the efforts to use the war q
Il means To crush labor"