The Montana nonpartisan. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1918-192?, 1919-02-01
SPITE IF GANG OPPOSITION DUNN, MILLS, MARTIN
AND KENNEDY SPEAK TO CAPACITY HOUSE
Commercial Club efforts to stop meeting fall flat Gang rule
dead for ever.
lin Speakers stand haiorm
Every che echo Sad day

IF this short sighted stupid |
commercial club after having
promised the Equity $250.00 to-
ward the expenses Of this Coop
erative Congress now withdraw
it because the last evening of
the convention was extended to
the Nonpartisan league and Or
ganized labor then we shall have
to take these great gatherings to
some other city in the state
Thus r. B. Martin in making an
appeal to the tremendous au-
dience which packed the Palace
Theatre on Friday night, Jan.
"a, to listen to the representa-
tives of the League and labor.
That this hint was we'll taken
by the powers that be in Great
Falls is clearly demonstrated by
the capitulation of the kept
press, who devoted five columns
Of clear and unbiased statement
of a gathering of workers and
farmers for the first time in
the history of the morning pa
per's career.
Rumors of Violence.
For many days before the meet
ing ugly rumors had persistently
circulated to the effect that the
meeting would be broken up by vio-
lent disorder and that the returned
soldiers would be used for this pur-
pose and it was further intimated
that the Commercial Club and En-
ployers Association stood behind this
move which must have resulted, had
it occurred, in forever blackening
the reputation which Great Falls has
earned for being one of the most
hospitable and level-headed cities in
the state of Montana. The agents Of
disorder were doomed to disappoint-
ment however because the temper Of
the audience and the enthusiasm
displayed was sufficient warning
that there would be no tolerance Of
mobster autocracy.
The Soldiers and Sailors.
Although tremendous efforts had
been made to keep the returning SOL
diers from participating in the meet
ing, a large number voluntarily oc-
cupied the platform amongst whom
could be noted smart officers uni
forms and it must have been sad
surprise to those who had calculated
that soldiers were not men to see
the khaki of the United States land
service blending with the navy blue
of our sea fighters. One of these
salts who had helped to convoy five
separate armadas of United States
troops safely to France, remarked
at the end of the meeting that "al-
ways and everywhere would those
who had actually participated in the
grim struggle with German Autoc-
racy be found actively assisting in
the destruction Of autocracy at
home"
Labor Takes a Hand.
The Equity Society having extend
ed the i1kitation to organized labor
to participate on Friday evening, w.
b.. Dunn, representative from Silver
Bow county, was invited to address
the meeting and it was around this
fact that the threats of disturbance
centered. Mr.. Dunn is thoroly hat
ed by all the reactionary gang who
do the bidding Of the Copper Com
pany and has three or four times
been compelled to defend himself
against their assaults upon his per-
son in Butte. He has at various
times literally carried his life in his
hands while fighting for the miners
and their. wives who dig the millions
of dollars out of the hills of Butte
which go to make the beautiful pal
aces, the steam yachts and the mon
key dinners of the multi-millionaires
who live far away from the misery Of
that great sulphur blasted mining
camp crouching down below the
pure snow covered high hills.
It had been said in the pool rooms
and barber shops that Mr.. Dunn
would be subject to bodily harm II
he criticised the government. Or
ganized labor of Great Falls and the
organized farmers Of Montana to-
gether with large number of re-
turned soldiers and sailors were of
the opposite opinion and the Cas-
cade Trades and Labor Assembly
came to the conclusion that if De-
mocracy was to grow and flourish. it
rested upon the right of any citizen
anywhere too openly criticize and
discuss an act or ruling or law which
their elected representatives, both
in the state and national capitol
should make. 1t was the unanimous
opinion that eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty and liberty of action
and Of speech should never again be
suspended in the state of Montana If
the labor movement could prevent it.
Many trades unionists do not agree
with Mr.. Dunn and openly say so
but they do agree on the fundamental
character of the rights of free
speech. The Assembly therefore ad-
journed its regular meeting and pro-
ceeded to the Palace Theatre where
lit Occupied the platform determined