Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-26
KANE D|SAPPO|NTS
ULTRA-RAD|CALS
U. S. Attorney, Who Resigned,
Urges Political Reforms, but
Only With Ballot
SOCIALISM COMING, HE SAYS

81 am radical in good many
things. ] am free trader. think
it awful to be otherwise.
but remember, please remember,
we are going to get things by the bal
lot sooner or later. And when they are
achieved by the ballot they are solidly
achieved
A big crowd gathered in the Central
Branch y, M. @. A. last night to hear
Francis Fisher Kane set forth some
of his thoughts on government.
But the few ''long- haired men and
short haired women" in the audience,
who attended with the thought that the
United States attorney who had just re-
signed would be ultra radical in his
remarks, were disappointed.
And Mr.. Kane made but slight refer
ence to his resignation as United States
attorney for the Eastern Pennsylvania
district.
The resignation may be accepted by
President Wilson today.
Several times NJ. Kane was inter
rupted by persons eager to induce him
to commit himself to radical views.
Woman Interrupts
A woman arose once during his talk
and shrilly demanded to know why the
government was afraid of the Com
munist party.
IF the government is so big and
just, and the party so little and in
significant, why should the government
be afraid?" she asked.
"Why not face the little organization
and be as brave as those Communists
who 60 to Jail for their beliefs? I,
for one, am ready to So to Jail for
communism - she cried
"Tbe government. will he overthrown
some day because il is not just
The Communist and other radical
sympathizers in the audience cheered
the woman loudly as she sat down. Then
they waited eagerly for Mr.. Kane to
answer her questions.
They were disappointed In reply
he said that he had set forth his
thoughts on the matter in his PAM
phlets containing his letters of resigna
ton to President Wilson and Attorney
General Palmer.
He explained he could not supply
them with copies at the time, because
the demand was so great that the first
edition" already had been exhausted.
Withholds Her Address
The WOMAN gave her name as Esther
Spector, but refused to give her ad-
dress, acting on the advice of an at
torney who has been prominent as
counsel for radicals, who sat beside
her.
During his main speech Mr.. Kane
spoke of general reforms to be put into
effect in the existing order of things.
He said he had been asked to speak
three weeks ago before some of the
| interesting things which have happened
" tn IN fipn
committee.
He said the purpose of the law was
| to protect society, and was asked eff by
our present methods this was being
| done"
He pointed out the injustice of the
| present bail system "by means of which
| the rich man is not taken to prison
awaiting his trial while the poor man
who has few friends and no property
must wait down below
Detention Necessary
| Mr.. Kane said men who went to jul
came out worse and be advocated some
| system, which he did not define very
clearly, whereby those men. instead
of being made worse when they came
out, would be made constructive citi
Zens. He said that while some place
of detention was necessary it should be
made us habitable as possible. He said
prisoners should have fresh air, read
ing matter and other desirable things.
He referred to the many problems which
confronted the country and concluded by
saying that the thing to be strived for
was 1.-THE protection of society"
The attention of the audience was
first focused on the matter Of real in
terest when a man in the audience asked
Mr.. Kane if he believed that "perse