The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-06-11
The Steel Trust
Victims Appeal;
Hearing Later

The case of the six men arrested
on May 9th in Duquesne for try
ing to hold a meeting under the
auspices Of the American Federation
of Labor came on for a hearing in
the Pittsburgh County Court on May
25th The men had all been SEN
fenced to thirty days in the County
Jail, and they then filed notice of
an appeal and were released on bail.
A decision is expected about June
18th.
The case is an important one. 1t
is doubtful if there has been an is
sue presented in any court in the
country more vital TO organized la
Dor than this one of the right to
free assembly.
on May 9th in Duquesne, p, for try
remembered, passed an ordinance
providing that "the Mayor shall is
sue permits for public meetings
after he has been satisfied that it is
not detrimental to the public inter
est He therefore becomes the sole
Judge. In an interview he has
stated that he thinks meetings of
are detrimental "to the public in
terest." So he issues no permits.
And no meetings can be held.
1t might be worth while to note
again that the Mayor is James S.
Crawford. He is also Councilman
He is President Of the City Council
AS a councilman he introduced the
anti-free speech ordinance, AS Presi-
dent of the Council he signed the
ordinance. As Mayor he approved
it. AS Mayor he ignored three ap-
plications for a permit to hold a
meeting AS head of the Depart
ment of Public Safety he ordered his
Chief of Police to arrest any one
who tried to speak. Assisted by
the mill police of the Carnegie Steel
Co., the State Constabulary and the
regular force of the city the chief
arrested Rev. William NJ. Finke, J.
L. Beaghen, James G. Sause, Bozo
Damich, John Olchon and R. W
Reilly. The cases were heard by
James S. Crawford who is Police
Judge. The prisoners refusing to
pay fines Of $4,000 and costs i'm
posed were sent to the County Jail
for thirty days by James S. Craw-
ford, Committing Magistrate.
James S. Crawford is also Presi-
dent of the First National Bank of
Duquesne and brother to the Presi-
dent of the Portvue Tin Plate Co.
He introduced the ordinance, signed
it, approved it, enforced its provis-
ions, tried and jailed the violators.
1t may be just a coincidence that he
has the same views on what is
"deterimental to the public interest"
as the Steel Trust. Neither can toll
crate the A. F. of L.
Crawford on the stand acknowl-
edged with becoming modesty that
he was Lord High Everything in
Duquesne. At the trial it was shown
that other meetings had been held
in Duquesne. No permit had been
asked for. There was no Interior
ence. Crawford nor his chief of po-
lice knew anything Of that. They
were NOT A LABOR MEETING.
One was for the promotion of the
sale of Polish Liberty Bonds
Attorney L. X. Porter, one of the
leading members of the Pittsburgh
bar and Brother of Stephen j. Por-
ter, Chairman of the Foreign Rela-
tions Committee of the House of
Representatives represented the Ma
tional Committee for Organizing Iron
& Steel Workers, Albert DeSilver
represented the American Civil Lib
critics Union of New York City and
M. w. Acheson, Jr., represented the
Pittsburgh branch of the same or
ganization.
They presented a clean, unequivi-
cal issue They demanded a clear
cut decision. They stood pat on the
proposition that the guarantees of
the State and Federal Constitutions
securing each citizens the rights of
free speech and assembly were not
subject to qualification, limitation;
regulation, abrogation or suspension
by any Court administrative official
or legislative body in the land. Either
these fundamental rights were in
alienable and indefeasable as de
clared in the Bill of Rights or else
they were mere "scraps of paper"
and were subject to the whim and
caprice of a pig-headed representa-
tive of the Steel Trust who happened
to hold about all the political offices
in the City of Duquesne.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR OR
CANNING IRON K STEEL
WORK Frs,
204, McGeach Building, Pittsburgh.
Pa, Jay G, Brown, Secretary
Troacurar