Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-08
ENFORCEMENT OF
LOYALTY NOW
IS A BUSINESS
Two Alleged Disloyalists
Tarred and Feathered in
Southern Town.

st. Louis, March S.-Enforced 10y
atty has been placed on, business
basis in Macoupin, Madison and Mont
gomery counties in southern Illinois
where the activities of pro-German
Ipropagandists recently became so pro-
nounced that vigilance committees in
numerous towns have forced hun
dreds of suspected persons to make
/ public manifestations Of their al
legiance to the government. In one
town two alleged leaders of seditious
movements were tarred and feather
ed. ~
] Branches of the American Defense
Society operating through vigilance
committees in practically every town
in the district have taken the lead in
stamping out disloyalty The first
move to oust the propagandists was
made in Staunton where an alleged
leader of the 1. W. w. and Chicago
attorney were escorted to the city linz
its. coated with tar and feathers and
started walking in different directions.
The reason for this aggression was
said to be the activity Of the men in
| d
thousand coal miners near Staunton.
On the same night more than one
hundred persons were made to sign
pledges OF loyalty.
News of the use of such stern meas
ures spread and within week Wor-
den, Mount Olive. Gillispie, William
son, Hillsboro and several other small
er towns made demonstrations. In
some of these towns scores of persons
were taken from their homes and re-
quested to make public profession OF
their loyalty. Several 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 other:
were compelled to play patriotic airs
on musical instruments. Protests
against such actions were construed az
evidences Of disloyalty. In several
lsuch instances arrests were made and
. federal charges preferred against thu
7 The most serious result Of the dem.
Illustrations was In. Hillsboro wher.
!llford Donaldson, 21 years old. was
tshot when thefT vigilance committe,
off,. W. w. members. Shots were ex
changed. Donaldson was killed ant
4. b. Emory. city marshal and Ernes
Flath were wounded. Later it wa
learned Donaldson had enlisted in th'
navy only few days before his deatl
and that his father was unacQuaintet
with any of the suspected persons:
, Members of the vigilance commit
tees deny that they counsel violence
They declare that their actions hav'
the approval of civic officers. The.
. insist that the district embraced b,
- Macoupin, Madison and Montgomer!
counties for some time has been thu
objective Of an active campaign b!
| o-German sympathizers.
AS evidence of their success the,
point to recent meeting of represen
tatives of more than 1900 member
OF miners union in Staunton. II
!, less than one week after two alleged
sedition leaders had been tarred AM
| feathered, the union voted a contribu
| tion Of $S10 per month for the Re-
Cross, purchased $1,000 worth o
| thrift stamps. reinstated all member
who had lost standing because o
| army or navy enlistment. arranged fo
payment of their dues during the pc
riod of the war, and ended mas
e meeting in such burst of patrioti
: fervor that the singing of the nation
\ al anthem was drowned in cheers TO
4 President Wilson and the government
Reports from other cities wher
: demonstrations were staged indicat
a that the same leaven of patriotism
! at work and that prospects are brigh
t for fulfillment of the wish Of loyal
v ty" leaders that the district 'be mad
. lone hundred per cent American"