The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-22

LuOuS1uO EdSSdlC BbTlk6IS 10 mail
tain the fight for the improvement of
their conditions to a victorious end
has not tagged, and the failure OF the
mill owners to break the backbone of
their Slaves" after a desperate cam
paign of twelve weeks, Is now obvious
to ell. Applying all methods within
their power, such as police, arrest,
clubbing, tails and the press, church
and the American Legion, the situa-
ton in Passa1c and In the vicinity Of
the striking areas assumed a different
Aspect Mayor Burke, OF Garfield, who
is In the employment of the Botany
mills, where six thousand workers are
out on strike, dug out an old, anti
Quated law, which was passed in the
state Of New Jersey in 1861 during
the Civil War, prohibiting demonstra-
tons, meetings, public, assemblages,
etc, etc. and authorizing a county
GheriR to dispense, arrest and shoot
anyone who fails to obey any Of these
provisions one hour after the reading
Of the riot act by the county sheriff.
On Monday April 18th, Mayor
Burke Of Garfield invited Sheriff
Nimmo of Bergen county to read the
riot act before the strikers and thus
to break mp their meetings, arrest the
leaders, prohibit picketing in what
ever form and proclaim martial law.
Under that law the strikers would not
be allowed to assemble, which would
mean losing contact with one another.
In the meanwhile the gates of the
mills would be thrown open and in
due time all the workers would return
to work at their oh conditions, losing
faith in the union and its leaders.
Then the workers would submit to the
will of the employers without protest,
and perhaps another reduction In
wages TO make up for the losses SUI
tanned during the strike. And Hurrah!
for the American flag, which flies and
embraces so many wonderful people
who are willing and ready to do any
thing to protect the profits of big
business, such we're the beliefs and
owners and their servants.
Right after the invitation, Sheriff
Nimmo, who presumably knew of the
plans Of Mayor Burke, Immediately
appeared with one hundred and fifty
sworn-in plain clothes men, armed
with riot guns, at big meeting, which
was held at Belmont Park Hall, where
over three thousand strikers were lis
tening to the speakers discussing the
arrest OF their leader, Weisbord, and
the atrocities and brutality with which
the police dispersed and broke up the
demonstration of the children of the
strikers on Saturday. The sheriff
jumped up on the platform, read the
riot act and ordered the peaceful gath
ering to clear the hall. In the mean
time the guerillas took advantage of
their power, which was intrusted to
them, and cracked few skulls of the
strikers with their nightsticks, while
the police were busy arresting the
speakers and the most active strikers.
Two days after martial law was pro
claimed and the riot act read a friend
of mine and myself made our way to
Passaic to see how the authorities of
Bergen county we're enforcing Flaw
and order"
At the headquarters of the union we
met several people, among them mem
bers of the Civil Liberties Union and
q number of the League for Indus
trial Democracy, including Norman
Thomas. The ladies and gentlemen of
the respective organizations came to
test out their rights as free American
citizens, not to violate the law and
order, oh no, but merely to see
whether 1t was possible to be arrested
for speaking to people who came vol
unfairly to listen and to discuss con-
stitutional rights in the great and free
democratic America.
At the Office Of the union there pre-
vailed a strenuous and nervous ten
sion as raid was expected any min
ute. All the leaders we're practically