Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-04-07
ANTI-UNIONISTS TO
AGAIN INTRODUCE
C0NSTABULARY BILL
(By MARTIN A. DILLMON)

1 iBN MARLIN a. DILl4AONI
Notwithstanding several unsuccess-
| full attempts to secure a publicly
financed stnke-breaking agency in the
form Of State Constabulary, power
full corporation influences, the one
big union Of bankers, open shoppers,
ct al, are at work at this time, mobol-
izing their forces for a greater effort
than ever to secure the passage of a
State Police bill during the next ses-
sion of the Illinois Legislature. Il is
not too early for the lovers of decency
and orderly government to begin or
ganizing their defense, now.
The most highly organized gang of
Dlutoeratic lobbists in Illinois history
will infest Springfield during the 1922
session of the legislature in further
ance of constabulary bill. Unless
the general public is awakened to the
grave situation, the deal may be put
over.
The Typographical Union has its
44-hour fight practically won; the
| nationwide drive against the labor
movement has come to a well de-
served failure and organized labor is
still doing business at the same old
stand. Those who started out to put
union labor out of existence have
merely made fools of themselves. But
the gang that engineered the con-
spiracy are no cutters, it seems. A
| mounted and armed mob of State
| Cossacks turned loose in the COM
munity with almost unlimited author
| ity would constitute a considerable
| acceerating force behind the fading
drive to enslave the workers and
make serfs of them. This is the para
mount object back of the State Po-
lice movement, as | see it.
Volume /, page 81, of the final re-
port of the Federal Commission on
Industrial Relations contains an in
dictment of the Pennsylvania State
Constabulary. This quotation from
the report has been used times with
out number in campaigns against
strik breaking at the expense of the
state, but it will bear repeating here.
Coming, as 1t does, from a govern
mental body as the result of an inn
partial investigation, it is signifi-
cant; it gives true picture of the
State Police in action, and gives an
idea of what the people of the State
of Illinois can expect if these direct
actionists are turned loose in their
state. The Federal Commission says:
"The commission devoted a great
deal of attention to the question of a
State Constabulary as a method of
policing industry. Extensive investi-
cations Of the organization, person
mel, and activities of the Pennsyl-
vania State Constabulary were made
and number of witnesses were
heard at length. The findings with
regard to this particular police organ
ization may be briefly stated: 1t is
an extremely efficient force for
crushing strikes, but it is not sue
cessful in preventing violence in con-
nection with strikes, in maintaining
the legal and civil rights of the par
ties to the dispute, nor in protecting
the public. On the contrary, violence
seems to increase rather than dimin-
ish when the Constabulary is brought
into dispute; the legal and civil
rights of the workers have on numer-
GUS occasions been violated by the
Constabulary; and citizens not in any
way connected with the dispute and
innocent of any interference with the
Constabulary have been brutally
treated, and in one case shot down by
members of the Constabulary, who
escaped punishment for their acts.
Organized on strictly military basis,
it appears to assume in taking the
field In connection with strike that
the strikers are its enemies and the
enemies of the state and that cam
paign should be waged against them
as SUCH"
The citizens of Illinois might well
review the findings of this Federal
/, investigating body, and then decide
! for themselves whether they desire
that the much praised and whitewash-
ed State Cossacks bill be enacted as
urged by the One Big Union of En-
ployers. If the citizens do not desire
, a repetition of Pennsylvania history
in Illinois, they should let their pro-
, test be heard now; they should
write their Representatives and Sena-
!. tors and urge action against the bill
/ Initiatory defensive steps should be
taken without delay. When this
fight comes organized labor should
be in a state Of preparedness and il
position to defend its rights against
any encrcachE.ent by the already am
!, ply protec ec alliance eff anti-labol
; Influences