The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-02-13
PACKERS CAUSED
RIOTS, SAYS LABOR
Flunkies Preached Race Hatred
to Break White and
Black Unions.
IMPORTED MANY NEGROES

IMPORTED MANY NEGROES
Union Men Had No Hand In Violence
Prevented Worse eicodshed by
Exposing Aims Of Profteers and
Politicians.
Chicago, Iti.-"The prof,teertne
meat packers Of Chicago" de-
clares a proclamation issued by
the Chicago Federation Of Labor,
"are responsible for the race riots
which have dis9raeed the city"
This labor statement shows that
the packers first brought In no
0roes ~ = means OF fio htinQ union
Ism among the white workers.
When the blacks also began to
organize under the direction Of
white unionists, city police and
special police were used to break
up the meetings When these
means failed, the politicians rep
resentin0 the big interests pro-
voked the violence between tho
two races. The ptotters even
burned homes OF white workers.
Union officers of both races worked
night and day to prevent the people
from being stampeded into further
madness and probably prevented the
situation from going as far as those
who made it hoped.
Press Also Guilty.
The proclamation reads in i. =. as
follows:
'Tne profteering meat packers of
Chicago are responsible for the race
riots that have disgraced the city.
1T is the outcome of their deliber-
ate attempt to disrupt the union labor
movement in the stockyards. Their
responsibility is shared by the daily
newspapers. which are kept subsidized
by the extravagant advertising con-
tracts of the pakers, particularly the
Tribune and the Herald-Examiner.
discriminating against union men,
they have fired them and hired non
union men in their places. In recent
years their principal recruiting points
for non-union workers have been in
the SOUTH and non-union colored
workers have been brought here in
great numbers, just as they are being
brought here now by the railroads.
or were up to the outbreak of the
race riots.
packers by starting to organize the
aelored workers.
"As soon as this work commenced,
the packers started to fight the unions
with foul tactics. They subsidized
negro politicians and negro preachers
and sent them out among colored men
and women to induce them not to
join unions. They had Y. M. c. A..
secretary on their stan and the two
present aldermen Of the second ward
participated actively in this campaign
OF the packers.
Long Preparation.
AT every opportunity the packers
| and their hirelfngs famed the fires Of
race prejudice and the fires Of preju-
dice between strike-breakers and Or
gan1zed workers, hoping for the day to
arrive when union white men would
refuse to work beside unorganized col.
| ored men, so that the union mon.
white and black, could be discharged
and non-union workers. white and
black, put in their places, until the
spark came that ignited the finder
piled by the packers and the race
riots ensued.
"The only thing that saved the city
from becoming a shambles Was Or
ganized labor. Night and day the Of.
ncials Of the stockyards Labor cpun-
ell toilsd and fought to hold In check
the forces Of organized labor-to show
them that the situation was tho result
Of exploitation Of white and black
workers alike by the criminals Of big
business and to prevent workers from,
assaultiug other workers.
Homes Set On Fire.
1T stands to the credit Of the union
workers Of Chicago that neither black
nor white union men participated IL
the rtotins, despite the lying accounts
published daily BY the kept press.
*'The rtotiug subsidized and then
someone fred tho homes Of hundreds
Of white workers back of tho yards
and their homes were burned to the
ground. The newspapers and thu
police. Jointly tools Of the packers
tried to convince the citizens tha,
colored workers had set fire to thesl
homes.
why? 1t 10 perfectly obvious that
the criminals that played race agains,
race until blood flowed in the street.
Of our city, had carried their worl
further and made this last effort t
1nAame the Polish and Lithuanian
white stockyards workers against thu
coiored workers."