Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-04-19


OF the law is an additional question.
Then there is involved the question
OF preserving the public peace, for dis
turbances often grow out of the nick
citing. Often, some woman passerbv. ok.
presses her disagreement with the ban.
hers the pickets bear by ripping them
to bits and the pedestrian and the mic.
ket have a scrimmage, with sometimes
regular ~old-fashioned hair pulling The
police patrol olangs up, both parties
to the quarrel are hustled off to the
station house. Relief pickets immedia-
teiy arrive. The police court gets ano-
Their case
The personnel of the picketing for.
ces furnishes an interesting study in
human nature. They are m appar-
entity from all walks of life. MANY bear
evidences of breeding, education and
social position. Others are women who
appear to be of the opposite types.
Every picketing campaign brings out
new charges that many pickets are
hired for the work by others who
are willing to provide substitutes and
do not wish to picket in the streets in
all sorts of weather.
The suffrage pickets who made n
record for getting arrested, tanning
the police court docket and finally hay
ing a hunger strike, patterned after
their British sisters, were composed
apparently of women of all classes.
Many whose names are nationally
known did picket duty, spent nights in
a police station cell and finally did
time in the work house. Some of them,
if the truth were known, were freed by
husbands who disapproved of their ac.
tons. There was more than one case
of a husband promising the authori.
ties he would undertake the response.
bility Of making his wife "be good
and more cases of stormy scenes at
the workhouse when the husband ar
rived to take the wife home over her
protests.
With the adoption by congress Of the
resolution for the woman suffrage am
endment to the constitution, the suf.
fragists laid off, but they had fired an
example in a local association of ne
groes who were demanding the dismis
sal Of a man of their race from the To-
cal school administration. So the negro
women in emulation picketed the
streets surrounding the school admin
stration buildings bearing banners.
Their picketing, however, was inter.
mittent, and the negro educator to
whom they objected still holds his lob.
British humor all but broke up the
picketing of the British embassy, with
its possibilities Of disagreeable incl
dents of an international flavor, when
on the first day, the embassy officials
sent out and invited the piekets in to
afternoon tea. 1t probably was a tenn
tation, for a cold raw wind was sweep
ing the city, but the leaders pulled
stern faces and declined the invitation.
The embassy is on Connecticut ave-
nue. in the heart Of the downtown bust
ness and residence district not far
from Dupont circle. The neighborhood
might be compared to Fifth avenue in
New York City in the fifties.
Thousands of shoppers, tourists and
government clerk and officials on their
way TO office pass by and for DAYS there
was always a small crowd watching
pickets and hoping for a serim-
mage, The old and deserted Austrian
Embassy. once the scene of social gales
les in the prosperous day of the Hans
burgs stands grim, silent and dusty
lust across the street Nobody knows
who owns II, now, il is a highly valu-
piece of property gone begging,
Not far away is the home James G.
Baldwin occupied while secretary of
state, Dolly Madison's house iSnot far
every building in the vicinity has hous.
some notable at some time or other
md the neighborhood is a playground
Tor the sightseeing wagons. The pro
pickets selected a battle ground
where there will be plenty of onlook-
.rs.
Ihe ttrst arrests OF the irish picket
srs were not unaccompanied by ele.
nents OF humor. The police captain
Who took them in was Robert Emmett
rosy-cheeked and b~lue-eyed.
who couldn't possibly deny he was a
on Of Erin. All the policemen on the
oh were o Connell's and Regans and
'laherty's or bore names unmistakahlv
Greek no Yiddish, Their com.
nents on the proceeding were neutral
md humorous.
The whole proceeding was conducted
n the height OF courtesy and polite for
nalisy. There was no come along. sou
IRE rinched." Instead. Captain Doyle,
'aised his cap. and with an engaging
said: Ladies. these are police
women who win place you Under ar
Werner, 1ia th.A s&h