The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1920-11-24
DESTRUCTION
OF PROPERTY
DENOUNCED
Widespread Criticism of
Dictation That Presumes
to Coerce Patrons of
Stores in Their Shopping
Freedom.

Enlightened as to the fact that there
is no strike in Hammond as far as the
department stores are concerned be-
cause many OF the clerks involved did
not go out and because fully 75qs OF
the store employees have been back at
work for sometime and because many
OF the pickets now patroning tho
streets were never employed in the
stores has convinced the general pub
lie that the situation is vastly differ
ent to what they had been lead to ex-
pect The articles in these columns
on the wages. hours and working con
ditions have. 1t is pointed out. knocked
the props out from under many Of the
arguments and propaganda emphasiz-
ed by the so-called strike leaders
Public sympathy is not generally with
these leaders because il feels that the
situation should have been cleared up
long ago.
ACT WIDELY DENOUNCED.
Sharp condemnation, condemnation
that is almost city wide is voiced at
the tactics employed to intimidate the
department stores in the destruction
brought about IN the smashing Of plate
glass windows in one Of the affected
stores. The stones hurled through
the windows went wide or their mark
because the owner OF the property
will have TO repair the damages anu
not the department. store Every
business man and lover OF Hammond
no matter in what station OF life who
has been interviewed by Times report
ers on the window smashing has been
unsparing in denouncing the wanton
and unlawful act. such cowardlY
man do more than anything else to
lessen the faith Of law abiding people
in union labor. If the property was
destroyed by sympathizers with the
pickets 1t hurts their cause inestimab-
ly and their friends shcpid b The hrst
to ferret out the guilty and punish
them. Other acts OF violence and
coercion have been committed. The
affected department stores have been
placarded with stickers announcing
what II is asserted q wholly untrue
statement, namely, that the stores are
unfair to organized labor. The OBJ
noxious and vile stink bomb. another
internal weapon OF strike sympathy.
has been used against one of the
stores.
HOW FAR WILL THEY GO:
Another solid and substantial citi-
zen only interested in the welfare OF
Hammond bitterly criticized the
smashing Of the windows and asked,
Where is 1t 10 end, this destruction
or property, how far viii these mis-
creauts go in their attacks. what may
we not expect next and viii they stop
at the destruction Of propertyY'
Tk"-e is no question buc that tee
real sentiment Of the people has been
brought ont BY the smashing }! the
department store windows anI they
are not slow IN fixing the blame for
.he gituation. reporters who havo
travei-1 heats over the CITY have not
found a single person TO a ,prove -
this latest phase OF the boycott and
some OF them go a long way in ad-
vocating ways : nd means to sas mat
there is no further recurrence ot such
acts or any other deeds OF violence
that might follow them.
PEOPLE ARE TIRED or TT.
In fact citizens are joining in a pro
test against a continuance OF the
striking. picketing and boycott with
its attendant evils. People are tired OF
being hindered In their desires TO shop
where they want. they are tired OF be-
ing molested on the streets and jostl.
ed by pickets. Employees of the al
fected stores are tired OF being met
with foul language and abuse. There
Is a widespread protest against the
dictation that presumes to coerce the
patrons OF the store, and it is reported
that the unions are threatening others
than union families If they patronize
the stores. when their rights arc In
fringed upon and their freedom of ac
tion assailed it does not take a people
long TO rise UP.