The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-18
WORKERS PARTY
IN WILKES-BARRE
FACESSTIFF FIGHT
Mayor Is Encouraging
Mob Violence

WILKES BARRE, Pa, Feb. IT,
I'VE will make every effort to hold
our meetings in Wilkes Barre in
spite Of the efforts of the mayor and
the American Legion to stop us,n
said Herbert Benjamin, organizer Of
the Workers Party in Wilkes Barre.
The Workers Party was prevented
from holding one Lenin memorial
meeting here recently by Mayor Hart
and the American Legion, but an
other was successfully held despite
the opposition of the mayor and the
Legion. Plans to hold other meet
ings in the near future are being
made by the Workers Party.
CappeIlini Anxious.
Rinaldo Cappellini, president of
District No, 1 of the United Mine
Workers of America, is very much
interested in the outcome Of this
fight A victory for the Workers
Party would seriously interfere with
his efforts to perfect organisation of
the Lewis machine in this district.
Cappellini is more responsible for the
election of Dan Hart as mayor of
Wilkes Barre than any other single
individual.
Legionaires Active.
The American Legion is initiating
a rule of mob violence and terror in
this city in the hope of intimidating
the workers into accepting without
protest the deprivation of their fun
damental right to meet and speak as
they will. We will not be intimidat-
ed. On the contrary we have just
begun to fight, 1t is the duty of the
mayor to enforce order and to pro-
tect us in the exercise of our consti-
tutlonal right, instead, he is encour-
aging mob rule and melting to riot.
The mayor has no power to issue or
withhold permits for public meetings
and we will set no precedent that
viii constitute the recognition of such
right, Not permit but the police
protection to which we are entitled,
is our demand
Party Making Progress.
Our party members have been max
ing fine showing during the entire
period of the fight, they have not al
lowed the Legion to intimidate them
in spite of the many threats and
hints of violence which the press has
been publishing almost daily since
the fight began, and which are still
appearing. The unusual expenses to
which we have been subject are be-
ing met by voluntary contributions
of the comrades in the entire sub
district,
Branches and individual members
IN the anthracite region as we'll as
IN other sections of the country can
assist In waging this fight by sending
contributions to the treasurer of the
committee, J Miller, $40 Barney St.,
Wilkes Barre.
Detectives from the PHILADELPHIA
office of the department of justice
are here and are busy giving out in
terviews to the local papers in which
they say the whole hard coal region
is honey-combed with red organizers.
Challenge From Reading
READING, Pa, Feb. lift the
action of the mayor of Wilkes Barre
in stopping the Lenin memorial meet
rs ~ tHS bStlSot VI tHe american
Legion is to go unchallenged the la
Dor movement of Pennsylvania might
as well go out of existence says the
Reading Labor Advocate, official or
gan of the Socialist Party of Penn
sylvania and the Federated Trades
council of Berks County. It says:
eff the American Legion and
similar organizations are to be given
the right to determine when working
people can hold meeting, it is GER
tain that no Union meetings win be
permitted in times of industrial strife.
1t is time for all those, who value the
precious rights for which our fore
fathers sacrificed so much to make a
linal stand against this sort Of official
tyranny, which has gone unchal-
lenged far too long.
Such officials should be held
liable in damages for all losses re-
sulting from then refusal to obey
the laws of the State. BY united ac
tion we can soon build up public
opinion, that will compel the restora-
zion of our rights. Let us do it now
before it is too late"