Open forum, vol. 1, no. 1 (December, 1924)

Opposed to nothing that is good; afraid of nothing that is true.

THE OPEN FORUM

Vol. I

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, DECEMBER 6, 1924

No. 1

Rise and Progress of the American Civil

Liberties Union in Southem California

By Clin on J. Taft, Director,

Southern California Bran' of the American Civil Liberties Union

4

It is eighteen months since the big waterfr it strike

occurred in San Pedro but the events connec :d there-

with are as fresh in many minds as though hey had

taken place but yesterday. No act of vioince was

charged against the striking I W. W.-thai `as been

repeatedly admitted by Capt. Plummer, wi was in

charge of the harbor police. But hundredsof work-

ingmen were deprived of their constitutixal rights

nevertheless-arrested wholesale on iumped-up

charges without warrants, thrown into jcent/ and held

there in fearfully congested quarters, bru dly attack-

ed by officers of the law, and in every con /vable way

abased. All this was done to break the s'/.e, destroy

the morale of the men and teach them tl! (they must

not rise in revolt against the injustices 7 the system

under which they were being employecent

A group of citizens in Los Angeles 120 Pasadena

took cognizance of what was happeni, and think-

ing more of securing a restoration of (vil rights in

the community than of protecting th}'own reputa-

tions, they went to San Pedro and viertook to re-

establish liberty in that benighted difict. Four of

them-Upton Sinclair, Prince Hopkir' Hunter Kim-

brough and Hugh Hardyman-were !imediately ar-

rested (even in the act of reading "m the Bill of

Rights) and spirited away to he heldi tail for moey

hours incognito. The kept press ravi. o#@1 the butt-

ing in of these genuinely patriotic dtizens and held

them up to scorn, j

But the heroism of this.little goup brought a

wholesale reaction in favor of the reognition of civil

liberties. The six hundred strikes were soon re-

leased from `ail, free speech and the right of free as-

semblage were set up again in San Pedro, and by

means of a series of mass meetings held in one of

the theatres of this city the public was informed as

to the ruthless manner in which the big business in-

terests of the port had ridden over the constitutional

rights of the I W. W.

The final outcome of the protest meetings was the

organization of the Southern California Branch of

the American Civil Liberties Union. An office was

opened in the Wilcox Building, and the writer was

called from the pastorate of the Plymouth Congre-

gational Church, Los Angeles, to the directorship of

the new society. Affiliation with the National Civil

Liberties Union in New York was effected, and an

aggressive campaign was entered upon in behalf of

free speech, free press and free assemblage. Promin-

ent lawyers, clergymen, doctors and other profes-

sion/al people, together with a large number of people

in the ordinary walks of life, joined the new Union

ancl gave it their hearty support.

`As a vital part of its work the Union started the

Lios Angeles Open Forum in Music-Art Hall, 233 S.

Fisroadway, on the first Sunday night in September,

1923. Without missing a single Sunday night this in-

stitution has gone forward now for fifteen months,

giving a practical demonstration of the value of free

speech in a great metropolitan area. Matters of

country-wide and world-wide interest as well as ques-

tions of local significance have been discussed. In-

fractions of civil liberty of course have been aired

vigorously.

Moreover, committees have waited upon public of-

ficials again and again, pamphlets and leaflets have

been written broadcasting to the general public the

sort of justice that obtains here in California, clubs

and various organizations have been addressed, and

a continuous campaign in the interest of liberty has

been carried on.

Many others besides the I. W W. have appealed to

us for aid in the maintenance of their civil rights,

and we have gone to their help. As a Union we are

not interested primarily in the philosophy of this or

that group but only in securing a square deal for

all.

The work has greatly grown upon our hands. In

order to prosecute it more successfully we have of

late taken on a Field Secretary, Robert Whitaker,

who is giving himself to the task of linking up with

many communities up and down the coast.

Our latest venture is the publication of this weekly,

The Open Forum which we hope to make a great

power for the cause we represent in all this region.

The expanding work we are engaged in has necessi-

tated the removal of our office to the Tajo Building,

where we have two large rooms and fine facilities for

the carrying forward of a more aggressive campaign

along all lines. Another person joined our staff De-

cember 1st-Miss Delia Spencer, who will serve as

Office Secretary, .

Thus we feel fairly well equipped now for a ser-

vice in the interest of civil liberties here in Califor-

nia that shall mean the informing of the people as

to what is actually going on in their midst and the

eventual securing of the largest possible degree of

freedom from the oppressed. a p os

You can easily understand that our larger program

means larger expense and challenges you who love

liberty to a larger giving of yourselves and your sub-

stance to the cause. We feel confident, however, that

you will rejoice with us in the bigger opportunities

that are coming our way, and will rise magnificently

to meet: them.

S LET IN THE LIGHT

A month ago something over t hundred thousend

people in Southern California t*k the trouble to go

to the polls and record their di satisfaction with po-

litical and economic condition' in this community.

This is a fact of enormous sign `cance, offering nuch

hope to those of us who want! change in America.

But these two hundred the'sand people ar scat-

tered and unorganized; they "ill feel as ther did a

month ago, that they don't krw what to do ebout it.

They must be helped to find (fe, and the firs: step in

the process is to give them -n organ of opinion, a

means of voicing their ideas ind getting acjuainted.

The American Civil Liber"es Union is a group of

people who care about th fundamental rights of

American citizenship; that reedom of speech, press

and assemblage guaranteed,s under the Constitution,

and denied to us by oftilals representing special

privilege and private interiits. It is possible to look

at the activities of such a ivil Liberties Union from

two points of view. The'Jnion may take a purely

defensive attitude, conter'ing itself with protesting

against violations of cons`tutional rights and defend-

ing the victims; or the Uion may take a broader and

more constructive attitue toward its responsibilities,

and take up the task of ducating the eommunity as

to what Americanism tins, and what all American

citizens owe to their cent/ntry in the way of active,

constructive citizenship!

4

Looking at the mattf in this way the Southern

California Branch of i2 American Civil Liberties

Union has been for e past fourteen or fifteen

months conducting an "en forum in the city of Los

Angeles. Without esp ising all the ideas of all its

speakers or indeed an' the ideas of them, this or-

ganization has brougt some sixty or seventy speak-

ers before its audience and these speakers have set

UPTON SINCLAIR

forth their ideas and have answered the questions of

the audience. The public has found this worth while,

for large numbers of people continue to come.

It seems reasonable that out of this open forum

there should develop a paper to carry on the same

kind of work, reaching those people who cannot come

to the forum. The newspapers of Los Angeles have,

with rare exceptions, declined to report what is said

at the forum meetings; even when speakers of na-

tional reputation have occupied the platform, the peo-

ple of Los Angeles have not been given an opportun-

ity to read what they have said. So it would seem to

be in order for the Civil Liberties Union to do its own

journalistic work and report its own meetings.

A great many other opportunities of the same sort

are presented to us by the newspapers of Los Angeles.

It is supposed to be the rule that newspapers do not

like to give other papers "scoops"; but this rule does

not apply in Los Angeles, when the "scoop" has any-

thing to do with modern thought. If Los Angeles has

the honor of being visited by a distinguished soap

magnate or vendor of moving picture passion, this

great person is interviewed and given a chance to

set forth his ideas. But famous radicals, and even

liberals, come and go without anyone ever hearing of

them. The same applies to artists, writers, and dis-

tinguished people of all sorts who have any sympathy

with modern ideas. And of course the same thing ap-

plies to all news of radical and liberal gatherings, and

to announcements of this sort, It applies to a great

deal of the news of the world'of interest to labor and

liberal movements. as

It seems to some of those active in the Ame! can

Civil Liberties Union that it would be entirel "in

order for the Unian t take advantage of these tree

"se 9s" presented' bs the privately owned ang "i-

4

2

aut

t

vately managed newspapers of Los Angeles. As-

happens, their idea fitted in with one which has bee

simmering in my mind for many years, ever. since

wrote "The Brass Check"; the idea of a newspape

which should be an open forum in print, which shoulc

pledge itself to giving all sides a hearing on all ques-

tions which it discusses, and which should have' no

"policy" save that of fair play.

I am aware that this idea does not.sound so attrac-

tive to some minds as the idea of a fighting paper, to

go out and convince.other people of what we our-

selves believe. The method of the open forum seems

comparatively tame and uninspiring; but I think it is

in the long run .a far more dangerous "policy" to

those who have something they wish to hide. Prac-

tically nobody can oppose the method of free discus-

sion; that is, they cannot openly oppose it, and a great

many people will be convinced by it who are suspi-

cious of propaganda. I know that many times in my

own life I have been convinced one way by reading

a book which was arguing the other way; the insin-

cerities and evasions of the writer of the book were

so plain! And when the public is given a chance to

hear both sides, the truth will win quickly. *

This paper starts on a small scale, and it may be

amateurish in its general impression; none of those

having to do with it know very much about editing

a paper. But they will learn, and if you `are inter-

ested in the spread of sound ideas, get busy and help

put some into this paper. Make it your own paper,

make it what you want it to be, and then get behind

it and push it.

Many great things have Bort to vi

will be so with: this open f `at, if all those

rom one to fou'

sreby even the

`ive heed to the

who believe in the meth

their part.

all beginning. It -

assion will do (c)

oT af -

THE COST OF DEMOCRACY

BY DOREMUS SCUDDER (c)

With inited voices many centuries have dinged it

into our earns that "eternal vigilance is the price of

liberty." But the past has not been especially vocal

with insistence upon the equally universal and even

more important law that the practice of brotherhood

is the cost of democracy. -Here in Southern Califor-

nia, with our anti-syndicalist statute, and our Busick

injunction, with our Better America Federation, our

Ku Klux Klan, our other hundred percenters, and our

Merchants and Manufactures Association, with our

Big Business and Governmental spy system, our po-

lice third degree, our trials by torture, our holdings

incommunicado, our cruel and unusual punishments

and our imprisonments without trial, to say noth-

ing of the disregard by those socalled bulwarks of

freedom, our Courts, of the great basic rights guar-

anteed in the Federal constitution, we are slowly be

ing taught that no State can long continue to in-

fringe upon the liberties of even a tiny section of the

population without gradually toughening the con-

sciences of its citizenship, leading them to become

careless of these fundamental rights, and progres-

sively enlarging the limits of the section of the peo-

ple whose liberties may with impunity be curtailed

or denied.

In boyhood I remember the reception of stones and

vile epithets accorded to the Chinese as they disem-

barked in San Francisco and were driven in express

wagons to Chinatown. Way back in the last cen-

tury stones had greeted the "mickies" from Ireland

and the Italian "dagoes' equally with the Chinese.

But the nation gave these immigrants the ballot and

that quickly evened matters up by transforming the

newcomers into citizens able to defend their liberties

with their votes. The Asiatic was deprived of this,

the mightiest Americanizing force in our body poli-

tic. Hence next came the Sand Lot era and then the

long, black story of injustice to the Asiatic which

eulminated in the signing by President Coolidge of

the bill of last spring which snapped Asia's tradi-

tional and profound friendship for America and

united the peoples of the earth's greatest continent in

distrust, if not in hatred, of our country.

' The workingmen of California have little reckoned

what therhave heen doing during the past fifty years

in turning down the law of brotherhood through their

persecution of their fellow beings from the Far Hast.

But. now we begin to see at least one outcome in an

anti-syndicalist law administered with a rigor and an

injustice nowhere else in our country so much in evi-

dence as in California, in a blanket injunction that

laughs to scorn the constitutional requirement that

every accused person shall have the right to trial by

. an impartial jury, and in the wellnigh universal

`apathy of Californians upon the subject of the rights

Man. Is it any wonder that soon after election one

fur great dailies exulted over the fresh power for

ating union labor that the triumph of Coolidge and

jwes had handed our financial interests?

'There is only one slow painful journey up toward

`mew era of honest democracy, and that is the prac-

ce of brotherhood. As long as we continue to let

ace prejudice rule in California so long will the posi-

Aon of labor be precarious. While we exclude a por-

`tion of our population, however small, from the priv-

ileges extended to other men, we are going to suffer.

First the people of this state turned savagely upon

the Asiatic and treated him as a non-human. That

seared the public conscience. Next it was the I. W.

W's. turn to be rough-housed. Tomorrow it may be

all organized labor. And then whom? Everyone

who does not hiss the shibboleth of the majority. It

is an inexorable law-deny your brotherhood in your

daily practice and the enemies of democracy will get

you. ;

The remedy is perfectly simple. We can strike a

death blow at this process of losing liberty if we be-

gin at the bedrock principle of human solidarity.

The first decisive step will be to sweep from our

statute books every trace of racially discriminating

~ legislation; that means getting Congress to pass a

- provision like the following:

"All aliens, legally resident in the United States,

irespective of race, color or nationality, shall be

equally eligible to naturalization."

This would place Asiatics under the quota provis-

ion of our immigration laws and allow but a handful

to enter the country-in the case of the Japanese for

example less than 200 per year. This would annul

all our unbrotherly Asiatic legislation. It would clear

the air and galvanize into life the public conscience.

If any group in this ry has every reason for sup-

porting such a it is the California work-

ingman. If t ld demand that such a

law pass, Con; ite it.

INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP

The Monthly News Sheet ofthe International Fel-

lowship of Reconciliation has given the following

items in recent issues:

1. Belgium. September 218 was observed as

"Anti-War Day" very largely in Zuropean countries.

In Belgium the demonstrations were particularly

large, reporting participation of 52000 people in Brus-

sels, Liege, Ostend and Ghent alon. At Brussels, one

banner declared, `The proletariai of all countries

proclaims today its hatred of wa,' and a banner

carried by children bore the followng: `War kills

our fathers and our brothers, and sarves our moth-

ers to death."

The first International Congress cent Women Coop-

peratives at Ghent, in Se drew up a distinctly

pacifist program.

2 Denmark. First Scandinavian School Peace

Conference met in Denmark in August attended by

150 teachers from the four Scandinavian countries,

and urged a larger International Teach:rs Congress

to discuss education from the point of view of the

peace movement.

3 France. International Friendship Camp met in

the summer with 120 representatives from 10 coun-

tries. After a thorough educational program by

Frenchmen, Germans and others, the camp adopted

unanimously the following: "The cessation of war

in all its forms, religious, national, political, economic

and social, can only be brought about by creative and

educative action which aims at producing in the in-

dividual new spiritual values by the development of

self-sacrifice, fraternity and cooperation, and in so-

ciety new types of institutions from which the causes

of conflict contained in the present social and politi-

cal organization shall be excluded."

4. Germany. On the tenth Anniversary of the

Outbreak of War much more interest and will to

peace was noted in the commemoration programs,

than in previous years,

Several efforts and motions toward peace are noted

in the Catholic and Protestant churches.

The 23rd International Peace Congress met in Bar

lin in October; attendance 500; 100 of them foreigin-

ers. Both German and French ex-generals me

sized the opinion that nothing but total disarmament

can really indicate a will to peace.

5. Great Britain. The Fourth Annual Interna-

tional Democratic Congress for Peace met in London ~

in September, with 200 British and 200 foreign dele-

gates.

Inter-Allied Peace Week of Youth was observed in

September, and on Anti-War Day 113 meetings and

demonstrations were successfully held, having the

active support of Government circles, and both French

and German speakers talked from British No More

War platforms.

6. Switzerland. The First Voluntary Civilian Ser-

vice Camp was organized by conscientious objectors

and worked for two weeks in August. There were 19

men, English, Dutch, German and Swiss, working-

men, technical men, professional men. They spent

two weeks clearing debris from the Valles des Or-

monts and the stream bed, and rebuilding a bridge, for

those who had suffered from a recent avalanche.

Passing motorists inquiring about the work gave

money to help The local authorities entertained the

camp members at one meal at the end. No wages

were paid, and the members had paid their own travel

expenses. Similar services were projected for two

months this fall, to clear up the wreckage caused by

a terrible landslide near Someo in September.

ETHELWN MILLS.

REL an ST . gemreme corns

IS FREE SPEECH AN

AMFRICAN PRINCIPLE

Rev. Clinton J. Taft of the American Civil Liber-

ties Union says it is. Rev. Frank Dyer of the Wil-

shire Boulevard Congregational Church of Los

Angeles, says, not an out-right no, but he has pub-

licly defined his doctrine as free speech "within the

bounds of law and loyalty." So the two men will

debate the issue on Sunday afternoon, December 7,

1924, at Dyer's Forum, in the Ambassador Hotel

Theatre, on, Wilshire Boulevard, at 4:30 P.M. Every-

body is welcome.

4.

The Kingdom of love and good-will cannot be

estab ished on earth without human co-operation.

It will come out of the heart of humanity when man

unite" with his fellows to orgaize as constructively

and vigorously for the welfare of,all as in the past

he organized destructively and derely in war against

his Wowmen.-Walter DeVoe, /

, .. THE VIOLENCE

`OF THE RESPECTABLE

in land. As a matter of fact, however, the conserva-

tive: of the world, through the working out of their

polides, have killed more people and destroyed more

proprty in a single year, as for instance during the v

Napoeonic period of a century ago, or in the epoch

of thi recent European War, than all the radicals of ,

all cointries and all centuries have gotten away with

in ali time. And the daily program of the world

shows how easily and naturally the conservative

classe: run to violence, both in word and act. Contri-

bution to this column on the part of our readers are

invite.

ed Me ee

INGLAND CATCHING UP

LOND)N, Nov. 22.-London suffered nearly 10,000

street acidents, including 124 deaths, during July,

August ind September, according to police records.

Private utomobiles were the worst offenders, with

5974 accients and 55 deaths. Motorcycles killed 26

among thir 1997 accidents. Omnibuses had 2238 ac-

cidents wih 41 fatalities, while street cars killed only

two in 112 accidents.

yi Te a Ue

a

WAR !MPHASIS IN HISTORIES

A study { the emphasis on war in school histories

has recent]been made by the Association for Peace

Education | Chicago. Three investigators not con-

nected with. he association, were employed to make.

a scientific problem without regard

of the study or the use to be made

enty-four widely used elementary

American history and 24 volumes -

ipplementary readers'' were chosen

e objectives for the study were:

analysis of both texts and read-

per cent of the total amounts

ar and to peace material in each.

analysis of the space devoted

determine the per cent of ma-

e causes of war; (b) war ac

"fesults of war. Third, quantitative

analysis 3 the 1, ustrations of both the texts and the

readers to deter

and peace in ea.

the war lnateman hott of the word content and of the

ine the proportion devoted to war

Fourth, qualitative evaluation of

illustrations, in )ith texts and readers to determine

`he degree to whi the mind of the youthful reader

vould be influenctl."

The conclusions:eached were: "The average his-

tory text devotes adisproportionate amount of space -

to war. T.e amount of space devoted to

peice by both the txt and the supplementary readers

is dmost negligible: . There are practically

no illustrations of distinctly peace topics.

The war word conte t is on the whole nationalistic, -

biased, and, in manyzases, flamboyant. Fre-

quenily the sectariannd the sectional views, and the

prejulices of the autlprs are quite evident. The war

illustiations as a rulepicture only the glorified imag-

iningsof the artists. Very few histories even.

approach the real trut) about war. Histories

pay litile attention to 1e Edisons, the Horace Manns

and the Franklins; thy are too busy depicting the

overdravn exploits of he Lees, the Grants and the

Nathan Wales. . Much of the supplementary

reading naterial of an hstorical nature is neither his-

tory nor literature; it s untrue sentimentalism.'-

Seattle Union-Record, Nv. 18, 1924.

uS

LAW AN) ORDER

i

ladicalism and violence are supposed to go handy

O

1

Ss

J

gle oh ee: Geeel io endl PNM Geeks bel

IN THE STATE centF WASHINGTON a

Press reports indicate tat on November 10th, 225

members of the I. W. W. "ere loaded into six auto-

mobile trucks near Concre:, Wash. by Sheriff Conn

and a force of twenty-two sputies. The sheriff and

his men marched upon thebridge over Baker River

leading from Concrete to a: ydro-electric plant where

a strike was called about . month ago, and seized

150 of the strikers. The stikers have been charged

with obstructing traffic by icketing.

The national office of the merican Civil Liberties

Union promptly took Sheri Conn to task for his

exhibit of lawlessness, in he following vigorous

words:

"Such utter disregard of ly and order by an offi-

cer of the law is direct incition to mob violence.

If the strikers in obstructin traffic are violating a

law we urge you to use the ichinery of the courts

rather than illegal and un-A. `rican methods."

|

Some of the sublimest utterances. of Jesus came

Se forth out of the foolish and vicious at`acks upon him

a-

uF"

M

',

oneal ee ame

RET oR a OL RE i at eS

at, ah

ee.

Us Vs We

i

i

{

of the Scribes and Pharisees. of his time, as the

loveliest waterliles grow out of the slime and ooze of

' shallow ponds.

Likewise, the attacks of the Los Angeles Times and

the Judge Bledsoes `of our day and situation are

working out good. These have given us already

much of fine response on behalf of decency and

liberty. Our paper itself is immediately a reaction

to recent attacks upon those who are serving the

common good, the Civil Liberties Union, Roger N.

Baldwin, Rev. John Haynes Holmes, and Mrs. Kate

Crane Gartz in particular. It is fitting that Mrs.

Gartz should find here the utterance for her replies

to Judge Bledsoe and The Times which she cannot

get through the kept-press of our city.

----#

JUDGE B. F. BLEDSOE,

Los Angeles, Calif,

Dear Sir:

I wish to thank you for giving me the kind of

publicity I like to have-that of standing for the

rights of mankind in contra-distinction to man-made

governments, which Thomas Jefferson said were a

necessary evil. Even you, a judge, do not seem to

have heard that our sacred Department of Justice is

being investigated, and that the Supreme Court of the

United States is in disrepute because it fund a

technicality by which it could over-ride the will of

Congress and the people on the Child Labor Law.

You do not even stand for Civil Liberties. Because

just now it happens to be the I. W. W. wio need

defending against the "red army" of the poice and

the District Attorney, you try to discredit tle cause

of free speech, and the people who sacrifiie them-

"slings wa ehalf of the disinterested masses. To you,

women who Con vt themselves with bridgeplaying,

dancing, cultural clubs,ete., are more dese'ving of

praise, than those who seen... lighten the burden

of the exploited. To me there is nothing" satisfy-

ing as to work in the class struggle, the | -uggie to-

ward a world free from that poverty an injustice

which we have today.

Roger Baldwin is one of the finest type cent young

men we have in the United States today, an if he

spent one year in jail for being a consCintious

objector, the disgrace is on the blind power, who

put him there. If he said anything about the ght

to advocate revolution, he said less than Abtham

Lincoln and our own Declaration of Indepenayce

have said. But Baldwin himself is a Pacifist. 7eg,

we are "arrant Pacifists!"" we do not believe in -ar

. aS a means of settling international disputes; we 3e

that it only unsettles them.

Bertrand Russell asks, "Why is it that a man wi

murders one man is executed by law, while a ma

who by preaching patriotism causes millions to kil.

millions is universally respected?"

And as for John Haynes Holmes, any man who

condemns him for saying, "that war itself is a wrong,

is a crime" confesses himself a blind patriot, willing

to see blood shed to protect a superstition.

As for K. C. G., she still stands by her statements

and sentiments about war, and judges in general, as

tools of the vested interests. It is a well-known fact

that rich and poor do not receive the same brand of

justice; Supreme Court Justice Taft has written a

whole big book to show us that. It is called "Justice

and the Poor." Have you read it? Please tell me,

and tell the public through the "Times."

Even your friend, Dr. Patton, who leaves us at your

behest, believes the Criminal Syndicalist law "a mis-

take." Surely advocacy of a change in our industrial

relations, or even in our government, (such a govern-

ment as has been exposed to us recently), could not

be considered a crime; And why should you arrogate

to yourself the privilege of believing in force and

violence, and decry it in men who have a real griev-

ance? But I will tell you a secret; the workingman

does not believe in force and violence; they have

learned, long before men of your class, that it does

not pay.

You say we can accomplish everything by the ballot.

You forget the presidential nomination of 1920-de-

cided by five men around a table in the Blackstone

Hotel. Also the unseating of five Socialists in New

York, duly elected by the ballot. I could go on re-

futing each statement you make, but it is useless;

our psychologies are different. Suffice it to say, we

are content to belong to the intelligent minority

] hoping to augment our numbers by education, not by

ii

ao (

Los Angeles

OPEN FORUM

MUSIC ART HALL

233 South Broadway

SUNDAY NIGHTS, 7-30 O0x00B0CLOCK

PROGRAM FOR DECEMBER, 1924

Dec. 7.-`The Present Hour in Russia,' by J. Coving-

ton Coleman of New York City. Mr. Coleman is

just back from an extensive observation tour in

Russia. He is thoroughly informed as to exactly

what is going on there. AS a representative of the

New University Movement in that country, he was

privileged to look into affairs as no ordinary trav-

eler would be. His message therefore will be of

the most intense interest to all who want to know

the latest word in regard to a much-misunderstood

land. Music by Mr. and Mrs J. A. Elfenbein-vocal

and violin selections.

Dec. 14.-"Prospects for the Formation of an Amer-

ican Labor Party,' by Fred W. Jackson, editor of

"The Labor News" of Long Beach. With the ap-

proach of the January conference of Progressive

Political Action interest in this subject is naturally

growing more keen. Mr. Jackson was an ardent

supporter of La Follette, and is competent to set

forth his ideas of the new party in an interesting

way. Music by Sander Shor, violinist.

Dec. 21.-"The Sacco-Vanzetti Case'-a protest meet-

ing. Robert Whitaker and F. G. Biedenkapp, rep-

resentative of the International Workers' Aid will

be the speakers. There should be a great attend-

ance at this meeting; the case to be discussed has

elements of vast significance, and should be un-

derstood by everybody. Music by Miss Etta Gor-

don

Dec. 28.-"Making a New World by Co-Operative

Production," by Albert F. Coyle of Cleveland, O.,

editor of the "Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-

neers Journal" and Executive Secretary of the All

American Co-operative Commission. A great even-

ing is assured with this wide-awake young man as

the speaker. He was the opponent of Theodore E.

Burton in the recent Congressional race in Ohio.

His work in behalf of co-operation has been brii-

liant and effective. The musical program will be

furnished by Max Amsterdam one of the first vio-

`linists of the Philharmonic Orchestra, and David

Klatskin, pianist.

force and violence. You cannot Keep us from doing

that, hard as you may try.

Sincerely,

KATE CRANE-GARTZ.

S

a

LOS ANGELES TIMES,

Los Angeles, Calif.

Dear Sirs:

Of course you cannot refuse to print my answer

* Judge Bledsoe, herewith enclosed, after having

"en him the opportunity to express his opinion of

0x2122 principles. I heard, some time ago, that your

SNay double column editorial was written by a

"Rarend." If that is true, it is high time that he

dr0ieq that clerical title also realize that it is such

edittgis that make "fire-brands."

ae r your editorial in this morning's Times, re-

wae ie Civil Liberties Union, allow me to say that

its Viqnce does not surprise; your paper has al-

ways Stq for hatred and abuse of people who stand

for - ber order of society than the one you so

frantical yphold. The whole world is aware of

this; YOUrg hissed and booed wherever your name

is mentioy in "high" as well as "low" society. So

condemnat, from you is high praise to those of us

who receivy :

We of thn

`ivil Liberties are Pacifists; we do not

believe in fc,

: or violence as you war-mongers. As

for substitut,

"red" for "red, white and blue'-

well, this cheg ig not true of the Civil Liberties

Union. But it were true, it would mean simply

Inferveonalis instead of narrow nationalism. `If,

as you say IN Ys noem, "There is only one God over

all"'-would it centojow that there should be one

flag, provided thas meant "All humanity is one?"

But such an idea...ifes the selfish interests.

I shall continue }aige my voice in indignant pro-

test against eVer}, justice that comes before my

eyes, regardless of Wr aknise:

Shrely,

,KATE CRANE-GARTZ.

as Sea

yw FROM VARIED VIEWPOINTS

Lawful Los Angeles

A Letter to the President of the Los Angeles

Chamber of Commerce by the Director and Field-

Secretary of the Southern California Branch of the

American Civil Liberties Union.

Los Angeles, California

November 18, 1924

Mr. William Lacy,

President Los Angeles

Chamber of Commerce

Los Angeles, California

Dear Sir:

We note with interest in the morning papers of this

date your appeal, on behalf of the Chamber of Com-

merce of Los Angeles, to the insurgent farmers and

business men of the Owens River country, on behalf

of orderly and lawful procedure.

In particular you say that "any attempt to enforce

claims by unlawful means is a blow at the very foun-

dation of government."

And you further add that "this community will

stand for justice to all through legal means, and will

always deal along lawful and orderly lines."

Later, in the same communication, you remark,

"The proper method would be to come to us for a

discussion thereof, and not to resort to force and

violence and to disobedience of the orders of our

courts of justice."

Without in anywise espousing the cause of the

Owens River Valley people, into whose case we have

made no particular inquiries, and without consenting

to the course which they are now pursuing to main-

tain their contention, we may perhaps be allowed to

remark that when you speak of their disobedience of

"our courts of justice' you may in their opinion be

using the possessive pronoun more emphatically than

you are prepared to admit. They seem to think that

the courts to which appeal has been made are "`ours,"''

that is your's, more than they are the unprejudiced

servants of all the people, and of the poor man's

claims as well as the rich man's power. But this is

merely an aside so far as we are concerned.

What does concern us is that the doctrine of law-

abidingness and quiet, non-violent appeal to amicable

discussion which you seem to support so heartily in

this letter has been persistently and openly scouted

by powerful groups in this city in their dealings with

certain of our own residents who are in no such posi-

tion to defend their rights as the Owens Valley folks

seem to be, and that you have raised no voice of pro-

test whatever against the resort to violence and out-

rageous illegality in these instances.

You made no protest whatever when the outrage at

San Pedro was committed on the 14th of last June,

though it was abominable beyond anything that has

happened in this State these many years.

You have made no protest when workingmen have

been cast into prison without indictment and without

accusation, nor have you taken note of the fact that

in this city, which you boast ``will always deal along

lawful and orderly lines" these workingmen have lain

in jail by the score for weeks at a time waiting to be

summoned before a magistrate, only to be dismissed

after they had been held thus in durance vile because

there was absolutly no evidence against them. Within

a period of less than five months these men have suf-

fered this injustice in such numbers and at such

length that the total of their period of incarceration

runs up to more than ten years in prison.

You have been strangely silent about the manhand-

ling of these common workers, and the manner in

which their rights have been contemptuously set

aside by the officials of the law, although they

have borne themselves with a self-control and for-

bearance which has elicited national and world-wide

comment.

We are no more espousing these men as to their

opinions and their particular tactics than we are en-

dorsing here the Owens River protestants. But we

venture to suggest that your protest against lawless-

ness outside of our city would be vastly more effect-

ive and convincing if it were accompanied by a more

consistent course with respect to the lawlessness in-

side our city which is making us the mockery of the

earth.

Cordially yours,

CLINTON J. TAFT,

ROBERT WHITAKER.

Editorial Note-At this writing no acknowledgment

of this letter has been received, nor has any answer

been made thereto. The Owens River Valley folks

have, however, by "direct action' of the most unmis-

takable character, proved that they belong tu che re-

spectable classes who can resort to violence without

going to San Quentin for "from one to fourteen years"

for it, and can persuade thereby even the Los Angeles

Chamber of Commerce to give heed to their cause.

}

|

=~

{

ens

_ Beach.

THE OPEN FORUM |

Published every Saturday at 506 Tajo Building,

Los Angeles, California, by The Southern California

Branch of The American Civil Liberties Union.

MANAGING EDITORS

Robert Whitaker Clinton J. Taft

LITERARY EDITOR

Esther Yarnell

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Kate Crane Gartz J H. Ryckman

Doremus Scudder

Ethelwyn Mills

Upton Sinclair

Fanny Bixby Spencer

Leo Gallagher

Subscription Rates-One Dollar a Year, Five Cents

per Copy. In bundles of ten or more to one address,

Two Cents Hach.

Advertising Rates on Request.

Saturday, December 6, 1924.

UPON THE WINDS OF SPRING: 1919

By Mary Craig Sinclair

I feel the terror in the world tonight-

Unbridled lust for power, and bridled lust

The dust

Of perished legions drifts upon the bright

More cold but no less merciless.

And tender wings of spring, a seal, blood-red,

Upon man's last insanity. Surcease

Of war? Ah, so they thought! To purchase peace

For aye, with their young blood! Ah, so they said!

But peace is not upon the winds of spring.

. The nostrils of new wars flare wide, and sniff

The dust of heroes greedily, and fling

An evil breath upon the world-and if

I chance to laugh because the spring is here,

Pain stabs my heart and binds the wound of fear!

SZ

gay

LONG BEACH ALIVE

"The OPEN FORUM is not a new idea at Long

Such a discussion center has been carried

on for sometime in that community, a meeting being

held every Saturday evening in the Municipal Audi-

torium Annex, At the same place a SOCIAL STUDY

CLASS meets on Sunday evenings. Robert Whitaker

addressed this SOCIAL STUDY CLASS on Sunday

evening, November 30th. His subject was "RE-

LIGION AND REALTY." The room was crowded,

and the meeting, as a whole, most enthusiastic. Mr.

Whitaker will speak for the Forum Meeting there

Saturday evening December 20th, on "THE MES-

SAGE OF THE PILGRIM FATHERS TO THE

AMERICAN OF TO-DAY."

PEYTON RANDOLPH TALKS

Peyton Randolph, who was introduced to the

audience as "a scion of the old Virginia family of

Randolphs, so famous in American history," gave an

address on WARS; PAST PRESENT, AND FU-

TURE" on Sunday evening November 30, at Music

Art Hall, 233 South Broadway. The subject, which

is serious enough was very ably handled, and -so

lightened up with the natural wit and naivete of the

speaker that the audience were kept on the que vive

throughout the evening, Later, we are glad to an-

nounce, Mr. Randolph will speak for us, at the same

place, on "THE MAKING OF THE GREAT AMERI-

CAN FORTUNES."

Ww

a

THANKFUL -- JUST THANKFUL

By Robert Whitaker

Thankful-just thankful; not that I have more,

While others lack life's reasonable return;

I count it more than all I have, to yearn

That everyone might have unstinted store,

But I am glad, whatever be the score,

Because mine eyes are open to discern

The whole earth's loveliness, because I learn

That life itself is one great open door.

An open door to self, that wondrous world

That,calleth for a wiser gratitude

; Than self-applauding or abasing mood.

And, through the self what vista is unveiled,

"When once the thankful quiet hath prevailed,

7

A boundless canopy with stars impearled.

~BRISBUNK

We need the word because the thing is here and is

so far without any word that aptly and adequately

describes it Plain bunk we know; that is ordinary,

obvious nonsense. But there is a high power foolish-

ness among us that is not so easily recognized, and

which has as yet remained unnamed. Its best-paid,

best-known, and its ablest representative, probably, is

Arthur Brisbane. Therefore the stuff may well be

dubbed-Brisbunk.

* * *

Brisbunk is not ordinary nonsense. It is clever,

scholarly, and over large areas really reasonable

teaching and preaching. Some of the best things that

are said in our day are said by the apostles of Bris-

bunk. uch an apostle was Theodore Roosevelt in his

day. Such an apostle was Woodrow Wilson. Such an -

apostle now is the Rev, Frank Crane; not to mention.

a,good many other Reverends who are more or less re-

nowned than he. Such an apostle is the famous au-

thor of the famous lecture "Acres of Diamonds" which

is one of the ablest and most popular epistles of Bris-

bunk that was ever spoken or written. Such also is

that other famous modern epistle by one of the high-

est of the highpriests of Brisbunk, Elbert Hubbard's

widely circulated essay on "The Message to Garcia."

these are all rare combinations of ability, real acu-

men, and genuine inspiration of a certain kind, with

mischievous shallowness and a more mischievous

egotism of the individual and the social type.

* * *

Downright wickedness is not half so dangerous to

the world as half-way goodness. The failure to rec-

ognize this fact is the main thing that is the matter

with out accepted moralities and our respectable

righteousness. Much of it is far more mischievous

than outright vice. The same thing is true with re-

gard to truth and falsehood. Outright falsehood, of

which we have always a vast supp!y;, is not after all

anything like so much to be feared as half way truth-

telling. :

It is the good that men do which enables them to

get by with their more or less unconscious services

to the dominant wickedness of their day.. The good

Slave-holders kent slevery goine- not the bad ones.

Good Czars and Kaisers are more to be feared than

fools and outright knaves in such high positions.

Likewise it is the liars who mix their falsehoods lib-

erally with real wisdom who are the damnation of

the world. If the pulpit of our day wasn't saying

so much that is fine and high and worth while it

wouldn't get by with its cheap lying on behalf of the

collossal social iniquities of the time. - Sheer lying

falls to pieces of its own want of cohesiveness. Mix

it with the cement of individual sincerity and social

respectability and intellectual dignity and you can

build a defense therewith for the most damnable in-

stitutions that ever cursed the world.

* % *

That is precisely what the Brisbanes of every gen-

eration do. They feed their fellows on Brisbunk, apt

paragraph, persuasive saying, sententious wisdom

while glossing over or apologizing for the things cent

special privilege wherein is the menace of destructis

for themselves and the civilization in the midst*

which they live. One may grant them a large ra-

sure of personal sincerity and altruistic impulse. he

more they have of this the more dangerous thgare

oftentimes. The misguiding of man is done fazlore

by men who want to guide them right than "8 by

men who deliberately purpose to guide them;rong.

Those who lead the blind into the ditch a7 them-

selves blind first of all. And the most appale fact

about it all is that their blindness proces often

from the glare of the very light in which);?Y Seem

to walk.

* % * 5

This column will contain from week t `eek BRIS-

BUNK clippings and brief comment ther4. Readers

are invited to send us in quotations frcentq writers and

speakers which they feel fall within poundir category,

and their own remarks upon such itey@S they send.

But remember to make your commen'ief, a line or

two, as we have more sermons and@ys of length

on hand then we have time to read R. W.

The Presbyterians have annow@ that last year

it cost them $457 to save each scentthat was brought

into the church. This prompts, t/ S0x00B0mewhat contra-

dictory questions-(1) first, wal worth it-all this

money to bring a soul to Presby!anism ; (2) second-

ly, is this all a soul is worth/Whichever way you

"Damaged Goods," novelized from the

"Jimmie Higgins," a novel of the World War, a

THE CHURCH OF THE

|

|

NEW SOCIAL ORDER'

This church, which originated in Los Angeles, i

not quite like any other church of which we hayp

knowledge anywhere else in the world. Its stat

ment of belief is the shortest, and the least religions

in form of any known religious organization. Here jj

is, in four brief paragraphs. It is used, not ag

creed, but as a "responsive reading."

"My country is the world, and all men and

women are my brothers and sisters.

"The greatest thing in the world is the unsel-

fishness which seeks first the common good.

"The supreme authority is reality. To under-

stand reality is education, and to sit at the feet

of reality is devotion.

"All that we know about destiny is that death,

and the renewal of life, are always with us,

There is always judgment ahead, destruction for -

all that is unfit to survive, and there is always

the promise of more abundant life."

The originators of the new movement are J. Hads

How, known for his work among hoboes and for the

unemployed, Clinton J. Taft, Director of the South.

ern California Branch of The American Civil Liber.

ties, aid Robert Whitaker, Field Secretary for the

above iamed organization and for the Fellowship of

Recondliation. The place of meeting is in Cleveland

Hall, Walker Auditorium, 730: South Grand, Los An.

geles. The hour of meeting is at 10:45 each Sunday

morning. There are no theological tests, orthodox

or liberal. The new church is a free fellowship of

those who believe that the present social order, the

profit system, is doomed and dying, and that a new

social order, a real industrial, world democracy js

on the vay. And its spirit is that of allowing to

everyone fullest liberty in giving the message of the

coming change,

Sunda} next Robert Whitaker will speak on

"LABORS BONDAGE AND THE WAY OUT." -Every

body welome,

=

FREE VICQ%uN LESSONS

T: talented Children of Parents who

are unable to pay

Max Amsterdam

Prominent Violin Teacher and Soloist

2406 emple St. Po CR ed a ED Rexrel G0G8

Reasonable Rates to Beginners

300KS BY UPTON SINCLAIR

"wamonart,"

an economic interpretation of literature

ay. whe Tarts: $2.00 cloth, $1.00 paper. (Ready in

Foruary, 1925.)

sr: Goglings,'' a study of the American Schools, $2.00

oth; $1.00 paper.

"ne Goose-Step," a study of American Education :

joth; $1.00 paper.

re above two books in combination:

paper. .

Singing Jailbirds,"' and "Hell," two dramas; paper-bound,

25 cents each, eight' for $1.00.

`They Call Me Carpenter: A Tale of the Second Coming,"

cloth $1.50, paper 75 cents.

"The Cry for Justice: An Anthology of the Literature of

Social Protest," cloth $1.50, paper $1.00. :

"The Book of Life,' a. Book of Practical Counsel: Mind,

Love and Society. Price $2.00.

$2.00

$3.00 cloth; $150

play by Brieux;

cloth-bound only, $1.20.

"Sylvia's Marriage," a novel; "hard covers," $1.00.

The following at $1.20, cloth, and 60 cents, paper; any

three for $3.00 cloth, $1.50 paper.

"The Brass Check: A Study of American Journalism,"

"The Jungle': A novel of the Chicago stock-yards,

"100. Per Cent: The Story of a Patriot."

"The Profits of Religion': A Study of Supernaturalism as

a Source of Income and a Shield to Privilege.

"King Coal': a novel of the Colorado coal country.

The following at $1.50 cloth, $1.00 paper:

"Manassas," called by Jack London, "the best Civil War

book I've read."

atne Metropolis,' a picture of the "Four Hundred" of New

ork. :

Hye cute! of Arthur Stirling,' the literary sensation of

1908.

"The Fasting Cure," a health' study.

The following at $1.00 in "hard covers" :

"Samuel the Seeker," a story of Socialism.

,

im4r 1 best seller

in Russia, Italy, France, Germany and Austria.

UPTON SINCLAIR,

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

Hind soerewith:$ tin. baw. assDayIMent LOR Jee

Yearly

Six Month subscriptions to THE OPEN FORUM.

Thrize Month.

Names' ie. 3 PAC a he a be NL ate

AGOTOSR: | fp Ts culbds adem ie vals bade Stee

TAG BUS ee ane Ts ina ise. a iinet ars

put it, it's a poor way in whito interpret religion.

Linotyping and press work done in Union Shops'

The make-up is our own.

-John Hayes Holmes. /

ir

|

`

Tt Ad

in

tk

it

re

tl