The Connecticut labor press., 1919-10-25

| OSCd they IOTPOT
 the old saying that the Hood of the
 martyrs IS the seed of tke church.
 There hasn't been home searched or
 an illegal arrest made that hasn't helped
 the strike. There hasn't been a club
 that has come down on a defenseless | m1ll-worker that hasn't sent men hurry
 ing to get out their union cards. r
 Take the case of Clairton for in
 stance-this was the town where the
 union had got no foot-ho1d-the watch
 full authorities had kept the "agitators"
 out. C"Agitator" is the company's 1 name for all members of the A. F. of L. l who try to get their fellow workers to l join a union.)
 There were no halls in Clairton that
 could be rented. All permits were de- nied and street meetings were broken 1 up. That is to say, the fundamental l rights of Americans were sweepingly 1 denied. There is no right of free 1 speech and free assembly in the steel
 towns. When the people in Farrell want to go to meeting they have to go over the Ohio state line into America ] and the other evening four thousand of l them walked over to hear Foster speak. Thereaare plenty of steel towns not in Anerica and Clairton is one of them. After time the organizer hired ' CTS. But man in Clairton can't ask a ! few friends to lawn party on his own property-the Cossacks rode down the i strikers and broke up the meeting. The miIl-workers didn't know that it was un- American to strike and they had put ] up an American hag-this the Cossacks tore down and the flag was tranpled under the horses hoofs. This started trouble for there were some ex-serv1ce men there as there are i'll all working mems crowds. The af1davits sent to the
 Senate abound in statements like:
 s'The state troopers rushed on the lot
 and the people started to run away but
 when said state troopers rushed to the
 platform and tore down our flag, the
 men became incensed and some ex-sol-
 diers, seeing our flag being insulted and
 def1led, rushed at said troopers III de-
 fense of our flag and started the excite ment and almost caused riot and loyal l citizens were greatly incensed. There l was no provocation for said interteT- ence and riding over women ana ch1l- dren.' (Signed) Mihon Terzlch.
 Before this happened the organization
 made no headway in Clalrton but tne constabulary had made an irresistible | argument rushed away from the | riot to get their union cards.
 ne -SIdLG COAStdDH4cAS 'oAS 0 SRNS@ did looking body of men in their stS2s.rt | dark pray uniforms and helmets but | with their riot clubs three feet long they are terror incarnate to the work ers-they are in the steel towns III many f cases not because the town authorities asked them but at the request of the Company. So brutal have they been ,that one can explain their acts only on the theory that they were acting under orders Ito throw scare into the Work- CTS" from the start, or else that tney were deliberately trying to ncite rot. How else can one account<for the tear7 ing down of the nag or the Ineioenr Braddock? There was a mission III Braddock in the S1ovak church and the men were coming out from instruction at about 9-the Cossacks ssTode them down-not only that but they rode their horses up the narrow church steps. Inc men controlled themselves-they didn't attack the Cossacks, and they did noth- ing in anger or reprisal when the Cos- sacks rode down crowd ot babes or the first grade who were going home from church. No assembling in crowds IS allowed in Braddock along which runs the Baltimore x Ohio railway. A tall fence separates the street from the tracks and children play here for nothing on wheels IS allowed here by city ordinance. Since the strike one of the mill owners drove his car down this street scattering the children in front of him. Behind him for his protection rode two of the steel grap troopers but they weren't needed any more than they have been any time. The men are out to win the strike by F peaceable means in spite ot thugs, gun men and state constabulary.
 The worst of the terror is over now. The people have been "~acifed. They realize that they have no freedom-no fight of free speech or assembly. There are communities where for steel work CT to belong to the A. E. of l.. is to lay himself open to arrest and lmpr1son- merlt.
 The search for concealed weapons Z still affords pretext for the con stabu1ary to break into houses at night, smash open trunks and boxes with hatchets. Yesterday ]. went to the house If a Sloyak woman who had called her husband when the Cossacks came crash ing in whereupon the trooper struck her across the face with his gloves.
 These outrages and more besides, p were testified to before the Senate com nitte and, as the witensses piled III, III .easeless procession before the senators, he outstanding fact about them was .heir defenseiessness. How small they seemed to lift their feeble hands against he Giant of Steel-the Giant which can command not only the mills but the courts, the police and the pressl
 There was one thing more outstand- ng than their defenselessness and that vas their steadfastness as they are lighting one of the greatest battles of all History and fighting with no other weapon than their unshaken courage.