Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-07-18
NOT a YEAR ron WoBRLfEs.

Down in South Dakota they are haviag a little
experience with men who are said to Be in most
cases members Of the i. WV, who have invaded
some of the towns and villages and have assumed 4
threatening attitude. Men who appearedto act as or
cancers OF the groups have been active for some
time past trying to induce farm laborers to
refuse to- work for less than four dollars
per day, with board and lodging, the prevailing
wage being three dollars. One man has been
arrested on a charge of criminal syyndicalism, the al
legation being that in order to enforce the demand
Tor greater wages he had destroyed property or in
cited others 70 do so.@ Threatening demonstrations
were made by crowds Of transients who assembled
in the neighborhood Of the Jail where this man was
confined, and men have appeared in the vicinity
from various quarters in sufficient number to in
|dicate that they were assembling in pursuance Of a
common understanding and for a common purpose.
The sheriff at Aberdeen, where these occur
Fences have centered, has taken the, proper course.
He has sworn in deputies from the local population
and with these he has kept the crowd of strangers
moving and has broken up large bodies into smaller
groups. There will be the usual protests against
infringement of the constitutional rights of the in
|%dividual. Many lawbreakers are quite familiar 4with5
certain theories of constitutional rights. Their atti-
|tude with reference to these rights, however, is
often strangely inconsistent. Denying to those
whom they wish to coerce the right to the posses
sion Of their own property in peace, and denying the
right Of the individual farmer and the individual la
.borer to make such terms relating to employment
as are mutually satisfactory, assuming the right to
break and burn and ~terrorize at will, nevertheless,
when they are cornered and brought to book for
their offense, they are prompt to appeal to the gov
Iern1nent OF the country for protection in the exercise
their own constitutional liberties. The c%onstitu-
ton is a thing to be scorned and condemned when it
stands in the way Of the realization of their own
lawless purposes, but when they themselves are in
it is a veritable tower Of strength.
Whether or not the incipient rioters in South
Dakota are members Of the I. w. w. is a matter Of
MINOR Importance. 1t is often difficult to ascertain
and who is not a member Of that abominable
organization. But when, on. any pretext, especially
IN these times, men assemble in crowds and attempt
to terrorize local residents into furnishing food
without payment, or when they attempt to inter
fere with the orderly progress Of any industry, their
case demands instant attention at the hands Of the
public authorities.
The farmers Of the northwest have enough to
endure Just now without being subjected to the in
tolerable %exactions of the wobblies. Whenever these
appear they should be kept on the move, and if as
%sistance is needed in getting them in motion, it
should be promptly given. There will be scant patti
..ence with any holdup game on the part of profess
'sional loafers this year.