The Irish standard., 1919-11-22
Radicals In Action

Striking evidence was brought home
to the country on the anniversary of
the Armistice that dangerous men
were at large in our country. We
have been so accustomed to the clam
or against radicals that we have been
rather deaf to timely warnings, and
it remained for Centralia, Washington,
to bring the country to its senses. A
procession of returned soldiers was
celebrating the day, and, passing by
the local headquarters of the l. w. w.,
were fred upon from the second story
windows and the roofs of the ada
cent buildings. Four men were killed
outright and five seriously injured.
Not since the bomb outrage in San
Francisco has the country witnessed
a more cowardly and diabolical at
tack. It sets one to speculating about
the depths of human depravity. There
seems to have been no immediate
provocation, and there seems to be
evidence to show that the attack was
premeditated. Some of the murdered
men and other citizens of Centralia
had been active in an effort to rid the
community of undesirable citizens.
This seems to be the only possible
explanation for the dastardly on
slaught. which is hardly less barbar-
GUS than the night attack of band of
Indians.
Companions of the murdered men
and the citizens succeeded in arrest.
ing seventeen members of the l. w.
w. The infuriated populace, moved
by the slaughter, took the local Sec
retary, one "Brick" Smith, and
lynched him. 1t was, at least, giving
the radicals a dose of their own medi-
cine; and while such lawlessness is
to be lamented, it is easy to under
stand how an infuriated mob will de-
mand an eye for an eye and tooth
for tooth. It is now time for action.
The country must realize that there is
a real social poison at work. It has
attacked, in an insidious manner. our
labor unions and working people, poi
soning their minds with revolutionary
arguments and literature, and in every
city is spreading it's germs of destruc-
tion. A social body, like the human
system, is safe only so long as it sue
cessfully eliminates the poison that is
within it. Let us in a lawful way
purge the body polite of this social
poison by deporting promptly all alien
radicals and by placing those who are
native born or naturalized citizens
where they will be out of harm.
Several Of our progressive cities
have shown real prudence in rounding
up the radicals within their midst.
It's a strange collection of humanity,
and whether 1t can best be explained
by original sin, personal depravity or
faulty environment is a question for
the psychologist. Not only the mem.
bers Of the Russian Communistic So.
ciety, but big "Jim Larkin," who has
been posing as friend of ireland, was
gathered in. Not only dangerous lit.
erature, but counterfeiting outfits.
were found and confiscated, giving
every evidence that confirmed and
clever crooks and criminals were at
work. They are not only, as one OF
them said, "boring into the labor or.
ganizations," but are seeking among
the discontented of all classes. Truly
they are wolves in sleeps clothing
Public safety demands that they
should be recognized and given Justice
The time for mercy, kindness and pa
tience has passed. Let the country
act with promptness and rid itself OF
this rubbish.
The officers of the Miners Union
are to be congratulated on knowing
how to make virtue of necessity
It looked for q short time as though
labor leaders were bound to make q
head-on collision with the government
with disastrous results. We are glad
to hear Mr.. Lewis, who a few weeks
ago showed symptoms of becoming an
autocrat. say: I'VE are loyal Ameri
cans and cannot fight the govern
ment." If he said it, it shows at least
that there is noble side to his nature
That the coal workers have real
wrongs and genuine cause for com
plant no one will seriously doubt, but
that they should take the unoffendine
public by the throat and say, Freeze
or comply with our demands" is an
other question. The tail must not wae
the dog is homely philosophy, but q
very practical truth. Even one-hali
million miners cannot bully Uncle
Sam. Let us hope that both capital