The Topeka state journal., 1922-07-22
Formal Complaint for Arrest Of
Editor Sent to EmpOria.
Charged With Conspiracy
Under Industrial Law.
ARREST EXPECTED LATE TODAY
If Convicted 1t Means Fine Of
$500 and Jail Sentence.
Will Test States Right to Pun
ish Strike SympathizerS.

Armed with a formal complaint for
the arrest of william Allen White. an
emissary from the governors office
was this afternoon sent TO Emporia.
White will be arrested at once. He
is charged with conspiracy to aid the
striking shopmen under an anti
picketing provision OF the industrial
court act.
The charge against White is q mis-
demeanor. If convicted he may be
fined not more than $500 and sent to
Jail for not longer than six months.
The case will probably be tried in En-
poria during the October term OF the
district court. The action will test
the states right to punish a person
who displays signs expressing sym
pathy for strikers. It will be the first
arrest of the character under the labor
court law.
White to Remove Sign.
White will Immediately take down
his sign expressing sympathy for the
strikers. according to reports from EN-
poria. He has stated that soon as
arrested he will remove the placard,a
but will test the Interpretation which
Governor Allen has placed on the anti
pfcketing section of the law.
Judge James A. McDermott OF the
industrial court. the attorney general
and the governor were in confer
ence concerning provisions of the for
NAL complaint. As soon as the COM
plant was approved. Governor Allen
issued formal statement He said
that in his opinion all other signs in
Emporia will be removed.
All Cards Must Come Down.
THE strikers cards will have to
come down from every window in
Kansas" said the governor. He de-
clared ample notice has now been Civ
en- regarding the position of the state.
Now that warrant has been issued
for White other BE-
arrested.
Governor Issues Statement.
The governor in his formal state
ment said:
Il am sorry, of course, that my
friend Mr.. White refuses to distin-
guish the difference between free
speech and a direct and cunning vio-
lation of the law. I would be willing
for William Allen White to hang in
his office window any expression he
wished to hang there touching any
subject. I would trust absolutely to
his good taste and his citizenship as
an individual to KEEP him from violat-
ing any of the laws of the land. But
when he enters deliberately into a
concert with the strike leaders 10
carry on in Emporia a form of picket
ing which they have tried to establish
in all shop centers for the purpose OF
discouraging aid menacing the men
who are now trying to keep the trans
portation of This state moving, IT is an
altogether different matter.
MANY men. knowing of the long
friendship between Mr.. White and my
self, have asked II this will disturb
our personal relations. The friend
ship of all these years cannot be
broken by the difference in our opin-
ion as to what constitutes a violation
of the law.
Not Fighting Industrial Court.
"Mr. White declares that he is not
fighting the Industrial court act. I
believe this. Mr.. White helped to
frame this law and his attitude toward
it in the past has been helpful. be-
lieve he has taken a slant in this par
ticular situation without giving due
consideration to the serious results OF
his example in the matter
THE arrest of William Allen white,
which is the only arrest made thus far
for this offense, will provide a friendly
test of this feature of the Industrial
act. After the courts have interpreted
it in the light of this case, we will then
know just what the phrase of the law
prohibiting conspiracy against the
public welfare embraces.
I'm the meanwhile, IL IS the duty
of every law abiding citizens to obey
the Interpretation which the law Of
ficer of the state has given TO this pro-
vision of the industrial act. The strik-
ers cards will have to come down
from every window in Kansas"