Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-01-26
BOARD SAYS. NO"
LisRARY TRusrEGs REFUsE LEG
Tu&g ROOM TO RioksR.
Msstins Of Committee Of Forty.eisht
Advertised For Tuesday Night, Must
Be Held EisS~hsrs--Library Not
Open TO Meetings Of Any Political
eanlxatiens Board Dsoldss.

| post poned or another hall secured. The
library board. at a called meeting held
late Saturday, decided that no meet
tnrs of a political character should be
held in the library.
When arangemants were made Tor
the meeting DR.. Cora Williams Choats
president OF the board. was not advis-
ed as 70 the character OF the meeting
being led to believe that the gathering
was planned for the purpose OF discus
sing means of reducing the high cost
| OF living.
! When advertising matter was sent
thru the mails Saturday, extending an
! invitation to the public TO attend the
meeting and presenting the purposes
and platform of the Committee OF FOR
! ty- eight. Mrs. Choate discovered that
the meeting was political IN character.
! She called a meeting and after discus
sing the matter briefly members OF the
! board voted to return the money paid
for the rental of the hall and TO noti-
! ~ the committee that the lecture room
was not 70 be used for political gather
| ingsc OF any character.
Rev. A. w. Kicker to Speak.
| Rev. A. W. Kicker, OF Des Moines. is
said TO have been the promoter Of the
meeting and was TO have delivered the
address. Arrangements for the meet
| ing at the library were made by Mrs.
Flora stone who said she had receiv-
| ed a letter from Rev. Mr.. Kicker ask
| ing her TO secure a hall and attend 10
| the advertising. Having known Mr..
Kicker for some time. Mrs. Stone as
scented, not knowing the real character
| OF the meeting.
| Mrs. Stone told DR.. Choate the meet
ing was for the purpose of devising
means 10 reduce the high cost Of Nv
| ing and so far as she had been advised
It had no political significance.
Two members of the board were un-
able 10 attend the meeting Saturday
afternoon, but the action in prohibit
ing any political gatherings was taken
BY Or. Choats, Rev. ]. ]. Fitzpatrick
and George II. Spencer.
Open to Community Gatherings.
The lecture room is open 10 COM
munity gatherings and meetings tend
| ing to better community conditions,
| but the board always has avoided let
! ting It for the use Of political parties.
/ In making its decision to return the
money for rental the board did not
prohibit the meeting OF the Committee
Of Forty eight because of its charac-
ter. but made It plain that as polit-
| ical organization the committee should
be treated as a partisan body working
| in the interests of party politics.
! Notices sent out Saturday set out
| that the purposes and aims OF the
Committee of Forty eight will be ex
planned" at Tuesday nights meeting.
| The notice promised fullest opportun-
| ity to ask questions Of the speaker"
The letter bore the typed signature of
Rev. Mr.. Kicker.
| Platform of the Committee.
| Accompanying the notice Of tho meet
ing was a pamphlet briefly outlin-
| ing the platform Of the committee Of
Forty eight, adopted at the first ma
! tional conference. held at st. Louis.
Dec. 9-12.
The organization was investigated by
, the Greater Iowa Association shortly
after its birth at St. Louis, and was
declared to be composed Of the most
radical desertsrs from the several po-
litical parties, Kicker, whose career In
Iowa Is known to all newspaper read
ers, and Jim" Pierce, publisher of the
Iowa Homestead. are listed as mem
bers of the committee.
The notice says this meeting has
been arranged by Marshalltown men,
bers Of the committee" but local rest
dents said to be affiliated with the or
| ~ ,t1l
the meeting or the committee.
Want Political Prisoners Freed.
The st. Louis conference adopted a
resolution on political prisoners
among other resolutions of similar
character. which in tone at least IL
similar to propaganda of the I. W. w
sent out from the Chicago headquart.
ers and given publicity thru the press
This resolution follows:
Resolved: That political prisoners
and all imprisoned in violation Of
their constitutional right Of free
speech. should be Immediately releas
ed"
The discussion Of the land question
In the printed arguments OF the orga.
nization is equally as appealing to the
mind of the most advanced socialist.
| Meeting Announced in Churches.
Ministers Of the city were asked by
phone Saturday night to announce the
meeting from the pulpits Sunday
morning. Announcement was made II
some Of the churches and. in one cast
at least, without the minister having
time to advise himself as to the true
character Of the meeting. In this par.
ticular case the minister today said
that had he known the purpose Of the
orga nization at the time or that 1t hat
any political significance no announce.
ment would have been made. It was
explained to him that the meeting wal
called solely to get representative cit.
| liens together to discuss the high cos,
OF living and other timely subjects
The meeting was represented to be 8
conference
Mrs. Stone Refuses Money.
Mrs Stone said today she had beer
rendered the money paid for the use o,
the library room but that she had re.
fused to accept 1t, She explained tina,
the money did not belong to her and
that Mr., Kicker might take such &C.
ton as he saw TT on his arrival.
Mira, Stone said she had been ask.
ed by Mr.. Kicker 70 provide hall and
had been furnished the money to pay
the rental. She declared there was nc
Committee Of FORTY eight organization
IN this city and that she had acted IN