The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-07-15
LABORITES IN 4
GRAND WOOP ON
MONTANAPRISON

Great Falls, Mont.-The state Of
Montana has a law prohibiting the
display of red flags. The city fathers
Of Great Falls thought they would go
the state n better, by prohibiting the
display of all banners in parades. But
city fathers may be over jealous in
following a fashion. That is what hap
pened at Great Falls. The workers
determined, prohibition or no prohibit
ton to have free banners. And they
got them. -
The story, written for the American
Civil Liberties union by the secretary
Of the local lodge of the Brotherhood
Of Railway carmen, runs as follows:
I'm regard to free speech in Great
Falls, they tried to slip it w on us.
Recently all the affiliated crafts of
the city met at Lyceum hall, and de-
cided to have a parade in protest
against the shooting Of our brothers
in Butte, Mont. An ordinance, how
ever, had been passed, prohibiting any
person from carrying a banner. A
fine of fifty dollars, or six months in
Jail, was imposed OF any person who
violated this ordinance. But there
was no fine imposed on any of the
street car directors or representatives
OF other companies displaying signs.
Defy Mayor.
"When he heard of our plans, the
mayor promptly notified us that some
of us would get hurt if we tried to
carry banners. We paid no attention
to this threat. Instead, 1900 smelter-
men, $50 carmen, $50 machinists, 200
boiler makers, $50 sheet metal work
ers, and about 1000 railway shopmen
turned out and paraded through the
city, each man carrying a banner, on
which was inscribed: we demand
free speech and free assemblage. We
6emanS eaas sAe esesnDpsses1D u vae
Anaconda Copper Mining company be
put under arrest for shooting peaceful
pickets.'
CAS- the parade proceeded the police
began to make arrests, taking about
ten men at a time and locking them
up. But the 5000 strong kept on
marching, paid no heed whatsoever to
the police. When we were through
parading the streets. and thought the
police were tired locking us up ten at
a time, we decided that the other few
thousand not arrested should also go
to Jail. We all went to the Jail and
demanded to be arrested. 1t took
twenty-five clerks to get all the men
registered, and at that, only about a
tenth of them We're finally registered.
Jaiier Is Astounded.
The city attorney demanded bail.
One of our lei told him that he
would have a sweet time getting it.
All the men said they would stay in
Jail. They demanded supper immedi-
ately, to the discomfort of the taller.
The papers the next morning stated
in big headlines that $50 'Bolsheviks'
were arrested in Great Falls. But
they failed to say that these men went
to Jail themselves, with about four
thousand waiting outside to get in.
zone Of the leaders had his trial
May 25th. The judge found him not
guilty. His Honor stated that the city
ordinance was a ridiculous one and
void, and freed the other men.
"There is no such thing as a banner
ordinance in the city of Great Falls
any more The mayor and his alder
men have backed down completely.
Besides labor was so aroused that we
elected three men on the citizens
labor ticket to the city council.