The Omaha guide., 1935-10-05

activity here, 7 can't protect you, I'm
sorry to admit"
A fellow standing near put in,
@Chief, I heard a man down the
street say he'd Ike to punch this fell
Ter right then"
Yes, they won't tolerate your ac-
tivities- Our workers and niggers
ere satisfied. We don't approve Of this
kind of writing, though it's not un-
lawful Now II you had advocated the
assassination of myself or President
Roosevelt we might have accommo-
dated you in your test Of the ordi-
nance
I started TO leave-tentatively. He
reached out a cordial hand Others
left. Reporters rushed out to peck
out their afternoon stories. Chief
Hollums became confidential. "You
and I both know we have a wonder
ful country here, with radios and
bathtubs in every home Why, Roose-
velt has brought about a revolution"
I hadn't come to argue politics or
economics 'Chief Hollums, I'm in
terested at this time in the abuse OF
civil liberties. This Downs ordinance
is used to stifle militant labor ac-
tivity."
HolIums ignored the remark and
went on about our wonderful country
where workers are % ignorant they
can't be trusted with just any kind
of literature. why, / was in Russia,
and you don't know the poverty they
have therel"
1 inquired when he was In Russia
His answer was Sin 1922. I observ-
ed that there had been a revolution
since then and some changes, but he
interrupted me 70 say that Birming-
ham workers were too well off to be
affected by a~gitators.
Although Hollums had admitted he
couldn't protect us-an open Invita-
ton to violence such as we feared
Governor Graves next day pretend
ed that we were in no danger and
refused us police protection when we
reported that our car had been fired
upon five or six times, two bullets
hitting the fender. "A frame-up for
publicity" he told the press, and Of
Tered as proof the fact that we could
nat give the license numbG OF our
assailant's car or other details. When
you see a man pumping lead in your
direction, you don't take out q pen
ell and pad to jOt down license num-
Der, make Of car, or color Of the eyes
Of the men il it, Instead, you are
hypnOtized by the murderous mein
of the individual with the gun in his
hand. The Governor investigated u
rather than the law1ess v~igilantes re-
sponsible for the shooting. His dis
trict attorney and highway patrol
men held Us for eight hours in a
small-town hotel lobby while a crowd
gathered to eye Us malevolently. At
ter being denied protection, we left
our own a to be brought on by an
attorney and took bus, taxis and a
train until we had crossed into Ten
nessee.
We had been on our way to Mont
gomery to ask Governor Graves to
veto the Alabama anti-sedition bill
that lay on his desk This measure
made it unlawful, among other
things, for two or more persons to
-congregate on the street under Ger
tain circumstances, on for anyone to
have III his possession literature adj
vocating the overthrow Of the gov
eminent by force OH violence. SINH
lar bills have been patterned after it
IN other states. On the next day after
the shooting Governor Graves veto
W the measure, declaring, 'FWe have
sufficient laws to curb radicals now.
But he vetoed it one day too late, and
it became a law.
By this time the suppression Of
civil liberties in Alabama had been
given q lot Of publicity. Most Of the
newspapers Of the state, while not
concerned about the rights Of work
ers, denounced the gag measure. The
American Legion, which had had the
Lii introduced, piped down. Chagrin-
ed the legislators repealed the law.