The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-09

OA@N " 49, NN@~y = VI ANAAC ~
italst press that they, the Social
lists, would hold a free speech fight
in Plaza Park following their State
convention, the Socialist leaders
quietly folded up and stole away
without so much as a blush of
shame crossing their cheeks.
Originally, use of the park was
denied for public speeches as a
means Of muzzling Communists.
The Socialists, however, saw in it
a chance to make political capital
Dempster'S campaign has been a
wash-out to date.
we fully expect to be arrested"
said J. E. Miller Socialist Party or
ganizer, but we won't be in Jail
long. We have lawyers from San
Francisco and Sacramento ready to
defend us and post bond for us.
This ban on public speeches is a
violation Of the free speech clause
Of the Constitution and we are ready
to go to court to prove it,"
And with this brave declaration,
the Socialists girded themselves for
battle. Be it said in Miller's favor,
he, if not 0empster, was sincere.
Before the Communist or Socialist
conventions opened in the state
capital, Miller sought out the writer
and suggested united front He
did so, however, reckoning without
Dempster.
A committee from the Commu-
mist convention called upon the So
cialst convention and offered to
join with the Socialists in the free
speech fight. This offer was fatty
refused.
Now workers of Sacramento can
see which party displays bad faith,
which one may be trusted and
which one may not.
at T:2O am, ten minutes before
the Socialist free speech meeting
was scheduled to start, Raymond
Henderson, Socialist attorney Of
Bakersfield, with cops standing by,
rose to the platform in the park
and announced that there would
be no meeting in the park, but that
it would be held in the Plaza Thea
tire across the street. About a quar-
ter OF the audience, prompted only
by curiosity to see through to a
finish the Socialist trickery, re-
Sponded to Henderson'S invitation.
Meantime, despite the Socialist
Partys "holier than thou" refusal
OF a free speech united front with
the Communist Party, the latter
had modified to attend the meeting
and aid in any way possible. When
Dempster failed to speak, Louis
Lagomarsino, Sonoma County as
sembly candidate on the Commu-
mist ticket, took the platform and
in the name Of the Party started
speaking in defense of workers
rights to free speech.
Promptly the same bulls that had
stood by while Henderson publicized
the Socialist indoor meeting grabbed
Lagomarsino and over the militant
protests of the workers took him
to the patrol wagon. Then, before
Lagomarsino's comrades could fol-
low his lead, two rank and file
Democrats who had come to sup
port Dempster took the platform
and were also arrested. Even some
Democrats are more militant than
Dempster.
That James S. Dean, City Man
ager of Sacramento, elaborated
With the Socialists in their scheme,
was admitted by Henderson in his
speech in the Plaza Theatre.
Ladies and gentlemen" said
Henderson, ''we are fortunate this
evening in having the use of this
theatre. We called on the City
Manager again this afternoon
about our right of free speech in
the park and he still insisted he
would have to arrest us, but he
finally promised he would see
what he could do. He got us this
theatre to use this evening, and,
as we think it is much cooler in
here and more comfortable than
asking you to stand in the park,
we were glad to take it. 1 think
we owe cur benefactor a vote of
thanks"
While the City Manager was US
ing his kind offices to find thea
tire for the Socialist meeting, so
that he would not be embarrassed
by his cops being forced to pinch
Socialist speakers, the same city Of
fetal was intimidating the manager
OF Dante Hall, where the Commu-
nlSts were scheduled to hold a huge
convention rally the same evening.
The doors of the hall were locked.
The newspapers announced that the
hall had been denied to the Com
munists. Even this trick did not
prevent large number of workers
showing up at the hall. However.
from z o'clock on police were on
hand to intimidate the workers and
prevent them from assembling,
Rad RuiIdar nm Exvorx, D,,-x. /