The Connecticut labor news., 1922-08-04

Undoubtedly there are certain per sons in Herrin, Ill.,, who, if they have consciences, ought to regret their part in bringing about the riot which cul- minated in many deaths. Creating riots to break strikes is nothing new, especially in Illinois. The pages of Illinois history are blackened here and there with such crimes.
 Let me tell you of an effort to ere ate riot in Chicago in 1oo6. Happily 1t failed.
 The teamsters were on strike, many thousands of them. The Chicago Employers Association had made up it's mind to break up the various teamsters' unions. Its first move was to try to have the militia called out. Charles s. Deneen was then governor He refused to accede to the demands of the Employers Association. There fore 1t was necessary to create a situation that would compel him to act
 Representative of the Employers Association requested the governor to give them a hearing at 80 o'clock on a certain day. A special train was to leave Chicago at 2 o'clock on which would be many prominent citi- zens of Chicago who were willing to act as a committee to urge the gov ernor to order out the militia.
 On the morning of that day the Bankers Association made an appro- priatoin of $5o,ooo to aid the Elm p1oyers' Association in breaking up the teamsters' union. Of course, that was not the reason given. It was stated that the money was to Joe used to aid in restoring Flaw and order" The newspapers made much of the action.
 Tom Barrett was sheriff. After the strike began the officials of the teamsters' union had requested that he appoint strikers as deputy sheriffs to prevent violence. He had refused to do this, but on the day mentioned he sent a message to the teamsters, headquarters advising the officers to send all the teamsters that could be notified to the county building and he would make them deputy sherifs as had been requested. Quite num- Der went to his office and waited to see him. The county building and the city hall were, in those days as now, practically the same building. Along about 2 o'clock some 30 or 40 wagons loaded with strikebreakers were driven into the streets surround ing the city hall and county building and permitted to stand next to the curbing Herman Schettler was then assistant chief of police. l asked him what was going on. He said:
 "I have no idea 1 am frying to find out myself what those wagons are doing here. Somebody Is look ing for trouble"
 I went around to the Randolph street side of the county building and just as I was passing the entrance 1 met the chairman of the State Board Of Arbitration, MT. John A. Shadley. He had been delegated by Governor Deneen to keep in touch with every move made in Chicago in order thar he might be in a position to give proper answer to the requests tor militia. The governor was cold blooded politician who did not intend to permit political enemies or any one else; to injuree his political stand ing by deceiving him into sending the militia to Chicago. Shadley told me what was going on. Just then sev- came out of the county building, hav- ing left the sheriff's office. One of them said:
 Sheriff Barrett sent for us to make us deputy sheriffs. We sat around in there and waited. We were re- peatedly asked my more teamsters did not come; that he wanted as many as possible He even urged that we telephone to the various headquar- ters and again ask them to come. It looked suspicious. Then we looked out of the window and saw as many wagons loaded with strikebreakers in front of the county building that we began to think that there was some scheme afoot for our undoing."
 All this time Barrett was sitting in his office with a telegram already prepared to send to Governor Deneen when the psychological moment ar rived This would be when 1t was