Pueblo chieftain., 1921-08-18
BY frederic ]. Haskin.

Ry Frederic j Haskln
New York City. Aug ls-if you a,e
IN New York and feel az itres,si,o, hai,ots
impulse 20 tell the world your oeIiefs
Ii and opinions, SIM ply mount soap poN
and go tc 1t. No ope will stop you,
Some wil even pause and listen 70
, ou-with curiosity II not with inter
est Nowhere is it easier 10 a'tra..
a crowd .han in New York De your
remarks ever so futile and your styie
VI delivery ever so anaemic. you VIII
nevertheless be sure of an auflence,
and a much larger enc than II you haa
hired a hall. l.
This summer soap box ora:ory Is
something of a nov>ty after o,ls
period OF absence During the var, the
| by war charities of one kind an an
other which used the street as stage
| for their various drives. With their
brass bands, and pretty girls and UNI,
forms the lone. unadorned orator couiu
| not compete, Besides II was not az,
ways safe to attempt II nolliVia "a ! !
| cloauencn, however innocent, was re-
.,arded with deep suspicion by the au-
! ,horities. who even objected to tine
silent distribution OF that eloquent
loocument-the Declaration OF lnue-
lpendencs.
Then, too, there VS. a distinct laek
| Of this type of orators Most OF them
l
army or IN Fort Leavenworth or IN
holding Gown jobs paying fat wages.
| II is doubtful II the causes they
championed suffered very greatly by
their absence. Socialism, indeed, seenl-
ed to benefit by It. acquiring a new
lhgnity far above the level of the soap
box as its exponents became able 10
afford hair cuts and clean collars,
| some sail that soap box socialism had
disappeared forever.
They were wrong. however II Is
back again this year. as Vehemunt ana
las picturesque as bcfore-the lons
hair and the soiled collar included. Yet
there are slight signs of improv ar'snt'
| Sometimes in place OF soap box y
sturdy table or even pushcart Is used
Along the streets OF New York "nr
! American democracy is coming In foT
.il the old pre-wsr criticism in addi-
ttion to a brand new supply created rs
A. result OF the war II is more enter =
tanning than 1t used to be polr Nj.
| Woodrow Wilson. for instance, sea- IS
to have contributed great deal 10 The
soap box socialist.c cause. He has
become the great arch villain Of their
faith. giving IL the same 'ur4 OF
| tlanity To- so long a period.
Sometimes. however. former presi-
cent Wilson escapes and tho blame
for everything is suddenly thrust upor
| the prolefarlaf. as was the caHe fNe
other night when onN histrlonis soar
noYer in the Bronx waved his arms
| Scitedlv in the air, and thuudereu.
| "Ah. wher ~ comes 10 placing he
blame for the present iutoloranle con-
ditions slashed wages.
slow stnrvation-I want you. gentle
men, to think"
| He pa ;scd Ths crowd looked alarm
cd II was a hot night, and they ha J
not gathered there to think But the
sos p boxer Immediately came to their
rescue
| 1T is vc-the working people-vlo
Sre TO blame" he announced oitterly.
| We have the numbers. We htvt ;He
strength to smash this rotten system
and get a fair deal : crushes Us be-
cause We let II. Yet. mark ne, tie
time Will come when We viii riss up
AS one man"
oh. it too hot" said a weary voie,
LA the crowd
Then an old negro standing 1e1r tae
reporter poke.
Dis sho' am de orstinist summer l
"r"r se-'i. hr declared. Don have t
80 L chuch '
| soap HoS User.
Tho socialists by no means hold he
lead In tho long string NJ soap box plat
forms which stretches all t'e WY
from asth Street OF trc west Side M
thru Harlem and tho Bronx Tho'nr-
ii-sociallF's are iu~. as numerous.
while anti. prohibiuonists have whole