The Raymer enterprise. (New Raymer, Weld County, Colo.) 1910-19??, 1919-12-11
IMPORTANT IF TRUE


different face on the shooting at Cen
tralia, Washington. Early dispatches
tended to show that a group OF fam /
atics had fired on returned soldiers as
the soldiers marched down the street.
No motive was given except that the
offenders were |. w. w.
Now 1t appears that while the pa
rade halted few OF the marchers
rushed boarding house said to shell
ter workmen belonging to that or
ganization. The door of the house
was forced In before any shots we're
fired from 1t. Because OF the fact
that the marchers were the first to
start violence the coroner's Jury fall
ed to fix responsibility for the kill
ings and brought In an open verdict.
The |. W. W. may be very unde-
sirable organization. but its members.
II indeed the men who did the shoot
ing were members OF that organiza-
ton, can not be condemned for not
turning the other cheek TO mob at
tack. One OF the men who defended
themselves was hung later by Cen
tralia mob.
Every decent American must re-
greet that things like this are now
happening, and especially in this
case the death OF young men who
served In our army. For months
there has been an organized cam
paign to make the returned soldiers
believe that America Is seriously in
danger from radicals and that
force must take the place OF law, The
object OF II is cover for the war-made
trusts and other profteers which are
bleeding the country white.
The boys should realize that all
which glitters In the press and in
holiday oratory is not gold and that
the men now talking loudest for vio-
lence against minorities are those
who defended the proiiteers during
the war and thus made the war hard
ships Of the soldiers and the people
harder. THE Colorado Leader.
As with. everything appearing In
the Leader. the above Is important II
true.
We find it difficult to believe that
a group OF returned seyice men.
should make an unprovoked attack
upon any other group OF citizens who
were attending to their business with
no motive for the attack except that
they were service men
II was reported that the l. w. W
hall contained quite supply of high
powered rifles and ammunition. II
SO, We wonder why?
II the service men did make the
attack, as claimed by the Leader. IL
should be condemned, and we believe
that the Legion should cleanse itself
OF such stigma by prompt inyestiga-
iion. and II the report Is correct, by
punishment OF the guilty parties. II
II Is untrue, the party responsible
for the false report should be held
up to the scorn OF all fair minded
citizens. AT the very least.
The man who went to France TO
make the world safe for democracy,
should be the last TO eontenance vio-
lence against any innocent residents
OF his home country On the other
hand he will be pardoned II he refus-
es to run from LOT OF radical reds In
this country.
II We have been correctly informed
the soldiers held themselves with re-
markable conservatism In the Cen
tralia AFFAIR and 1t was surprising
there were not more victims Of mob
violence.
We admit we are prejudieed in
favor OF the service men when IL
comes to any conflicts they may have
with the. |. W. W. organization. 1t
will take something more than the
unsupported word of Mr.. Monroe to
remove that prejudice.