The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-07
POLICEMAN TURNS
TABLES ON LEGION
AT NIAGARA FALLS
Cop They Called Puts
Them Out


failed to break up the Lenin Memo
rial meeting here because of the tact
and courage of the chairman who
took them on in debate, instead Of
rough and tumble, and completely
routed them. And the cop they
called to close the meeting chased
them out instead.
The ex-service disrupters, a dozen
strong, attended the Hippodrome
Hall memorial meeting, which the
Workers Party had organized and
sat down together, with two secret
service men at their sides, whisper
ing advice in their ears. A resolu-
ton for the recognition of Soviet
Russia brought them into action.
Legionaires Oppose Russ Recognition
When the ex-service men voted
against the resolution vociferously,
the speaker, Louis Slotkin, thought
there might be some misunderstand-
ing, knowing that there were many
foreign-speaking Socialists and Com
munists in the hall, so he called for
ia count Of the vote. This same group
voted in the negative again, where
upon they were challenged by the
chairman, Peter Hansen, Of Buffalo,
to give reason for their opposition.
They at first refused, but after Slot
kin made second speech explaining
the reasons why the United States
should recognize Soviet Russia, a
hostile speaker of their number arose
and hurled rapid fire of questions,
grounded on the fiimsy lies of the
capitalist press about the working
class government Of Russia. The
spokesman was evidently quite sim
cere. He had simply swallowed that
bait of the capitalists, hook, line and
sinker, and after his questions had
warmed him up a bit, ne delivered
himself Of an impassioned speech of
appeal to the audience to convince
it Of the errors of its ways. The
audience laughed at him but Slotkin
took the questions, one by one, and
answered them out of his fund of
knowledge of the meaning of Com
munism, and its beginnings in Rus
STA, so that the Legionaires had not
a word of comeback to offer. Their
spokesman, in his Henry Dubb-like
way, contented himself with invec-
tives about the wrong-doing of the
"Reds" in trying to Undermine the
It was pointed out to
him that ex-service men had very lit
tie for which to thank a govern
ment that had sent them to France
to lay down their lives, while at
home it permitted Big Business to
rob the nation wholesale, and when
the soldiers returned, jobless and
penniless. had not one cent to spend
on a soldiers bonus.
Out In the Open.
s"We are not out to undermine
the government" said the chairman,
"for we work in the open. But we
agree with the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence-a document in whose
principles even you 100-per Ameri-
cans profess to believe-when it says
that whenever any form of govern
ment becomes destructive of the life,
liberty and happiness of men, it is
the right of the people to alter or to
abolish it, and to institute a new
government which shall function in
its interest. And for my part, I
prefer a workers and farmers gov
eminent operating in the interests
of TIE great mass of the population,
the working class, than a political
government corrupt to the core,
which serves only the interests of a
small group who own everything,
and do nothing" The audience APP
plauded.
Cop Chases Disturbers Out.
He was followed by Joseph Sgovio
Of Buffalo, who took the floor in de-
Tense of the resolution to recognize
Soviet Russia, but about this time the
ex-service men, who had already
risen to leave the hall, began pass
ing personal remarks to embarrass
the speaker, and policeman who
had been summoned by the Legion
aires, dispersed the crowd.
For a wonder, the bluecoat took
the part of those holding the meet
ing, radicals tho they were, and the
defenders of capitalist reaction were
the first to have their oratory nipped
in the bud, and hustled out of the
hall.