The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-13

Y SO1liAAAANCCC VI IllC O1Iy COUu@
'ublic hearing of the Krewson
val of the free speech rostrum
from Public Square.
More than 300 persons jammed
the committee room in City Hall,
necessitating the transfer of the
hearing into the council chambers.
Cited by the Legislative commit
tee, Mayor Davis was the first to
speak in favor of removal of the
rostrum. Amidst patriotic fiag-wav~
ing and demagogical oratory he
made a vicious attack on the labor
movement, stating it was time to
take official steps to control the
radical movement. With typical
fascist slandering reminiscent Of
Hitler's Reichstag provocation, he
claimed that the same radical groups
clamoring for free speech were the
ones who years ago placed bomb
under the bed of his four year old
child intending to blow her to
pieces.
He emphatically stated he opposed
free speech to foreigners" and all
those, who would condemn the gov
eminent or its policies. In spite Of
all his vicious ISLANDERS he felt COM
PEELED to sound a note of retreat
and stated that he did not intend
to abolish free speech as the Knew
son resolution stated, that he only
proposed to have the rostrum re-
moved from Public Square for
aesthetic" reasons.
Cheer Communist Speaker
E. G. Greenfield, chairman of the
Small Home and Landowners Fed
Grafton, launched a sharp attack on
Mayor Davis in the name of the
10000 members of his organization.
THE small hone-owners who carry
the greatest burden of the cost of
the city administration were never
asked whether they were native or
foreign born, citizens or non-citizens
when it came to pay their taxes"
John Williamson, District Organ
Party sharply repudiated Mayor
Davis references. and implications
concerning the bomb attack, stating
that individual terrorism, as is uni
versally known, is contrary to the
aims and principles of the Commu-
mist Party. He quoted published
statements of the mayor from the
local press about his intention of
smashing and destroying" the Com
munist Party He made it clear that
the real issue was not Mayor Davis
versus the Communist Party but to
withdraw all civil rights from the
people who are suffering starvation,
who are being evicted, to prevent
strikes and picketing, and demon
STATIONS for adequate relief.
He was cneered and applauded
when he exposed Davis attempt to
draw a red herring over the issues
facing the workers and rob them of
all civil rights. He countered Davis
patriotic flag-waving by quoting
from the 9th Convention Resolution
of the Communist Party, showing
the Communist Party as the only
party that carries on the fight for
the American traditions of free
speech and the right of revolution
as stated in the Declaration of In
dependence.
He endorsed Krewson's resolution
in the name of the Communist Party
but asked that it be amended so as
to retain and reiterate those Sec
tons of the Ohio Bill of Rights that
refer to the rights of assembly, par
ade, petition, etc. He closed with a
warning to the mayor that others
also tried to crush the Communist
Party but they didn't succeed either.
Relief Issue
Frank Rogers, acting secretary of
the Unemployment Councils de-
clared that the workers have a right
to suspect Mayor Davis because they
know his record. He ordered the
massacre of the workers on May LIST,
119, and in the great steel strike.
Mayor Davis ordered the brutal at
tack on the unemployed and small
home-owner on Oct. 90, demanded
the removal of the rostrum immed-
lately following this attack. The
real issues are cash relief, food, coal
and clothing, he said, and called on
the people to challenge Mayor Davis
by tremendous mass demonstra-
ton and city-wide relief march Sat-
urday, Dec. %, l pm, on Public
Square.
j. G. Campbell, announced in the
name Of the American Legion, said
he was for free speech but only
when in favor of the present gov
eminent and that no others have a
place in the United States, but must
be put on boat and shipped back
where they came from.
This last remark caused an up
roar among the audience. Many
present Immediately demanded the
floor and out of the uproar We
mans indignant voice was heard:
MY family has lived here over $50
yeers-where to you want to deport
me?"
W. G. Sandberg, secretary OF the
LID. remarked that the Legion has
no monopoly on the American Flag
that many others fought under it
too. The workers are just as coed
Americans, but they have broa@cr
point of view, they do not intend to
permit the United States to remain
the paradise of the bankers and cap
italists and let the workers starve
to death.
After Councilman Krewson am
ended his resolution to read that in
stead of the council protesting the
intended removal of the rostrum"