Open forum, vol. 3, no. 1 (January, 1926)

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`THE OPEN FORUM

2

"Uncertainty has nothing to which it may bring converts"- Goldberg

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Vol. 3.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, JANUARY 2, 1926

This is written on the day before Christmas. It is

as lovely a morning here as one could wish to see,

apparently the prelude to a perfect California day.

I slept well last night. There is nothing the matter

with my stomach. My breakfast was a good one, and

sits well. I am at my desk at eight o'clock this

morning, so as to have the office to myself a little

while. On the personal side everything favors the

"Christmas spirit," and I might well write some nice

little litany, to be sung to the tune, "God's in His

Heaven, and all's right with the world."

But I am not going to do anything of the kind.

On the contrary I am going to say as plainly and

emphatically as I can that I think that one of the

things that is mainly the matter with the world is

just that sort of thing. All isn't right with the world.

And one of the most insidious and mischievous

maladies of the world is the ``sleeping sickness" of a

lot of passably fine people who want to be comfort-

able by believing that everything is right, or if they

cannot go quite so far in pipe-dreaming, must save

their comfort nevertheless by insisting that all that

is necessary to make things right is to repeat, "Every

day, and in every way we are getting better and

better.' Or else, `Let us follow the law of love and

we shall have a perfectly lovely world."

Here for instance is a beautiful card which has

been lying on my desk for weeks, with a small, em-

bossed wreath of green upon the upper left hand

corner, containing in golden letters against a back-

ground of blue the word, `Pax,' that is, "Peace."

There follows in large, clear lettering, this saying,

from Jane Addams, "Justice between men or between

hations can only be achieved through understanding

and goodwill."

Now what is the matter with that saying, coming

as it does from one of the best known and best loved

Servants of the common good in all the world? Well,

the matter is that it is "dope stuff." It lulls us to

sleep with a soothing sense of moral satisfaction

which is as unreal as the tears emotional theatre

goers shed over imaginary tragedies. Because Jane

Addams said it, the somnolent effect of it is all the

Sreater. There is no need to dwell upon the fact

that Hull House, Jane Addams' mighty monument,

has hot solved the problem of Chicago, or appre-

clably deferred the glacier-like movement of America

toward the abyss of imperialism. Neither need one

dwell on the fact that during the war, notwithstand-

ing her clearness of vision and her moral courage

compelled her to bear witness against war, Jane

_ Addams by the very warmth of her emotionalism

ee in a secondary propaganda of war

es : women's clubs, of which she confessed

fiains a er as heartily ashamed. I mention these

aa the to depreciate hex in the least, for she has

Hae oes HO confess her wrong, but to em-

euro utter inadequacy of the sentimental ap-

broach to social problems.

it : : `

4 ne churches trusted in the sentimental resistance

ar and it wag swept from under them like a dike

0

Barre sand. Whatever their basis of authority,

mA Cont Infallible Church, or an Infallible Book,

covery" Hevea Liberal Idealism, or "The New Dis-

Dreachment Mrs. Mary wKaker Eddy, or the pretty

Psychologist of the New Thoughters and the New

whelmed th a eps authority of the State over-

Bsa pint ee and Public Hysteria swept them away

autumn fcaite Sweeps the dry, dead grass of

more Rey it. The Catholic Bishops at Balti-

row Mise to prostrate themselves before Wood-

theological : asking only that he would spare their

er peo poe Re from the call to arms, and take

followed me cubs instead. The Protestant clergy

the Catholic i accepting the crumbs which fell from

thereby cet erarchies' tables with avidity, because

The Unitan own theological cubs also escaped.

ristian ae Christian Register vied with the

slavish bee Monitor, both of the same city, in

aS not ee Servience to allied propaganda which

's aristog Surpasscd since the belly-achers of Bos-

the g ee bowed themselves in the dust before

Drotestine wecY, Of King Cotton, and dragged the

8 William Lloyd Garrison through the

a

Gush, Again

streets with a rope around his neck. Here in Los

Angeles a Christian Science woman who dared to

attend our Christian Pacifist Conference was actually

excluded from the church for consorting with us,

though we were but doing eight years ahead of time

what several denominational conventions have done

easily enough this year, declaring that the church as

such ought not to have any part in war. And at St.

Louis Elizabeth Towne, foremost among the New

Thoughters, said to me unctuously again and again,

"The voice of the majority is the voice of God,' and

rolled it out before the public as her social creed in

the crisis of war. Even the Quakers accepted too

casily their exemption from the dirty and more dan-

gerous trench-work of war and saved the war-makers

the trouble of salvaging their own wreckage by doing

the work for them.

And what the churches did, old and new, orthodox

and liberal, barking and biting as their economic and

political masters snapped their fingers at them, so

did the intellectuals and the moralists of the schools,

grovelling more basely, if possible, in the muck of a

bloody patriotism. The Wilburs, the Barrows, the

Nicholas Murray Butlers were as open advertise-

ments of the bankruptcy of ideology when a real

issue is on as were any of the parrots of the pulpit.

Nor were the rebels of rationalism exempt, wherever

their rationalism was an intellectual anti-religionism

divorced from understanding of the material process

and of economie law. They became rag-tag tailings

on the kite of the common wind-blown ideologies

which had carried aloft a little while before many

an ancient adage of peace and good-will and were

now in flames of artificial fire illuminating the

heavens with the wildest calls to war.

It would be largely so if war happened again.

Ninety-nine one hundredths of the Dollar and a Half

Platers at Peace Banquets now would be proving

again that "the only thing to do with a war when

you get into it is to go through with it," and that,

anyway, `this war' was different from all other wars,

and was the last and certain "war to end war."

On another page one of our contributors deals sen-

tentiously with the extent to which we "pray" for

this, that, and the other, and go right on doing the

same old stuff. And she comes to the lame con-

clusion, so common among us, that "if? we would

only get "into harmony with the cosmic conscious-

ness," or follow this or that bit of ideology, things

would be gloriously and immediately all right.

_This combination of spiritual anarchy and moon-

shine, putting the emphasis forever upon the mag-

nified individual and the glorified idea, is responsible

for more of the mischief in the world than down-

right wickedness. Downright wickedness is so ob-

vious even morons revolt from it. But they fall for

glorified moonshine as naturally as a child takes to

a toy balloon. And they cannot understand why

I. W. W. and other radicals cannot be nice, lady-like

sentimentalists like themselves, but must go about

stirring up almost as much trouble as did Jesus and

His disciples. And why should preachers leave their

pulpits to take up work for the `Reds' through such

"Bolshevik" organizations as the Civil Liberties

Union, and insist upon sending out literature which

you cannot read, and sleep at the same time? It is

terrible, of course, that a fine woman, of wealthy and

cultured antecedents, like Anita Whitney, should be

exposed to the fate of going to San Quentin. But

what business had she anyway tying herself up with

I. W. W. and Communists, and Irish rebels, and other

folks who are not satisfied to sing "the Lord is my

shepherd," while they are being fleeced or made into

mutton, but prefer to do a little shepherding them-

selves? Anyway, Miss Whitney, thanks to the pull

that position gives in "democratic" America, has an-

other breathing spell. Wherefore let us all lie down

to a good nap, after over-eating of Christmas turkey,

or the more appropriate fowl, goose, and let us hang

pretty texts upon our walls about "peace and good-

will."

Of course the cry of intolerance will be raised be-

cause we insist upon a realism which takes everyday

facts into account. In truth, however, The Open

Forum has avoided from the first the sectarian and

the partisan and the factional emphasis. We have

insisted that these pages are not the place for con-

tentions among ourselves as to tactics and theories,

just as on the other hand we have tried to avoid

giving much space to the struggles within the capi-

talist order between prohibitionists and anti-prohibi-

tionists, religionists and anti-religionists, McPherson-

ites, Shulerites, and all the rest of the dealers in

verbal froth and frappe. There are two things for

which we contend. First, for freedom of discussion

of public issues, and the right of those who prefer

economic organization and industrial action rather

than moral preachments and political programs to

follow out their preferences in defense of human

rights. And beyond this we are seeking for realism

as against mere talk. We want facts. And we want

people to know the facts. Let me drop the "we,"

into which I unintentionally fall at times, a piece of

sham in itself, and say quite frankly, "I." Much help

I have had from the other members of the editorial

staff of The Open Forum, but of necessity most of

the work of shaping its policy has been mine, and I

am more immediately responsible for it than anyone

else. And I am tired of "preaching," even if I find

it hard to set forth my preference for "reality" with-

out "preaching" to that end. The thing I am driving

at here is that it is not a set of ideas, but a certain

attitude of mind I am seeking to foster and create.

} ds not claim that my mind is any better than any

other man's mind, and take little stock in "natural

superiorities" of any kind, individual or social. They

are mostly bunk. Neither do I claim for any opinion

of mine any infallibility or finality. But there is a

certain "approach" which seems to me tremendously,

tragically uncommon in practice and important in

effect, and that is the approach to our social and in-

dividual problems by way of a scientific stressing of

facts as against a sentimental stressing of abstrac-

tions and sentimentalisms.

A single illustration and I am done. Our stenog-

rapher in the next room is skilled in the use of shori-

hand, and in the use of the typewriter. I write

long-hand, and I also run the typewriter. But she

has the touch-system, and plays a typewriter as one

might play a piano, whereas I have the old-fashioned

way. of picking out the letters one at a time with one

finger of each hand. Now I can make considerable

speed, generally at the expense of legibility, in

writing long-hand. Also I can get up a good speed

with the typewriter. But my long-hand is not in it

for speed with her short-hand, and my "hunt and

pick" way of going at a typewriter bears no compari-

son with the "touch-system" of the properly trained

operator at the keyboard. That is not to say that

there is anything the matter with my fingers, or with

my mind. It is my system, or want of system, which

is at fault.

And that is what is the matter with the thinking

of a lot of our "best" people. There is nothing the

matter with their minds, except that they keep them

too far away from their bodies. Naturally their

mental faculties are good. But their "system" of

thinking is as antiquated as my way of pounding a

typewriter. (The machine, if you please.) They

refuse the method of science, for the want of method

of the sentimentalists. Consequently, even when

they do state a body of facts they end up in a swamp

of sentimentalism. They will analyze an interna-

tional situation with something of real acumen, as a

preacher did in my presence the other night, and

then finish with a sentimental slush story about

mother love, which in itself is one of the sloppiest

subjects in the world. All I am pleading for is

reality. It is the unreality of the religious cults, and

the educational chatterers, which is responsible for

most of the abuses of the world. To recall again

John Haynes Holmes' succinct review of Pappini's

Life of Christ, ``Mush, gush, slush," is to get a proper

description of ninety-nine one hundredths of the talk-

ing and writing of the intellectual and moral leaders -

of the world. The need of the hour, and of every

hour, is the emphasis and understanding of fact. ;

R. W.

When Bedacht and his three fellow delegates re-

turned from the Chicago convention, their report was

laid before the Oakland branch of the Socialist Party

and it was decided to re-organize along the new lines.

This was in late September. The organization meet-

ing was set for November 9, 1919, and the place of

meeting in Loring Hall. The full discussion of the

whole matter appeared in The World and was thus

broadcast over the State.

Miss Whitney, having been a member of the Social-

ist Party, went along with the others to the conven-

tion, She was given two committee places, on the

credentials committee and on the resolutions com-

mittee. Other than serving on these committees she

took no part in the organization work, and was given

no official appointment.

The police knew the meeting was going to be held.

Fenton Thompson had first notified Chief Lynch,

and then had asked District Attorney Ezra. Decoto

whether or not he should arrest the members. He

was quoted as follows by a reporter of the Oakland

Tribune:

"Thompson said that he had informed District

Attorney Ezra Decoto that the meeting was to be

held and that Decoto had said: `Go carefully, I don't

want to clog the calender.' "

This was after the storm was raging. On this par-

ticular Sunday, November 9, 1919, Thompson himself

thought so little about this small group of Social-

istically minded dissenters being harmful to the

peace and welfare of the community that he took his

day off, as usual, but sent one of his men to keep an

eye on what was done, and, as we have seen, had

the matter of the red-draped bookcase attended to.

Even then Thompson did not think anything un-

lawful had occurred at the meeting, which was essen-

tially no different from any of the Socialist meetings

that had been held from time to time in Oakland.

It was not until the public storm was raging nearly

two weeks later that anyone was arrested for having

gone there.

What is "criminal syndicalism?" . What is it the

jury had in mind when it convicted Miss Anita Whit-

ney of this crime, for which she is under sentence

to serve from one to fourteen years in San Quentin

prison?

When it passed that statute the Legislature in-

cluded in the law a definition of the new crime, which

read as follows:

"The term criminal syndicalism as used in this,

act is hereby defined as any doctrine or precept ad-

vocating, teaching, aiding and abetting the commis-

sion of crime, sabotage (which word is hereby de-

fined as meaning wilful and malicious physical dam-

age or injury to physical property) or unlawful acts

of force and violence or unlawful methods of ter-

rorism as a means of accomplishing a change in in-

dustrial ownership or control or affecting any po-

`litical change."

Crime, sabotage, acts of force and violence, terror-

ism aS a means of bringing about a change in in-

dustrial ownership or any political change!

Did Anita Whitney, or did any members of that

convention in Loring hall commit any of these acts,

or propagate any doctrine which advocated them?

Since the record of that meeting was public, and

there was a trained observer there who later became -

a willing witness for the police, one can find an

answer to that question in the record of the case.

This witness was Ed Condon, newspaper man. He

was asked the following question by Attorney

Thomas O'Connor:

O'Connor: `Now, will you turn to this jury and

tell them everything that you heard Anita Whitney

say and do in that convention? (c)

Condon: "Well, when the convention opened the

convention was called to order and Miss Whitney,

the first time I noticed her was when she was called

upon for the report of the credentials committee, so

she got up and gave and read it to the conventioa,

and after that she took her seat near the center of

the body, and that was the last I saw of her in

the morning session, except that I noticed that she (c)

took her seat and that she did not go in or out

during that morning session.

"Then in the afternoon session I did not notice

her until after the resolution committee was called

upon .. . the resolutions committee was still out

and somebody went out to see when they would be

in, and at that time a person who I believe was Miss

Whitney came to the door and said that they woulda

be ready to report in about five minutes."

The testimony is that Miss Whitney was a member

of both the credentials and the resolutions' commit-

tee, that she helped on these committees in the draft-

The Story of the Anita Whitney

By C. E. KUNZIE

FOURTH INSTALLMENT

ing and rendering of their reports, and that she took

`no other part in the convention.

She made no speech, she advocated nothing, she

asked for nothing. Her only connection was as a

member of these two committees.

O'Connor: `Up to this point, let me ask you, was

there anything said or done by Miss Whitney which

excited your especial interest as having been in vio-

lation of any law?"

Condon: `There was not, no sir."

O'Connor: "Did you hear Anita Whitney that aft-

ernoon make any speech?"

Condon: `No sir, I did not."

O'Connor: `Did you hear her say a single word

other than that they would be ready in five minutes,

after she had read the report of the credentials com-

mittee?"

Condon: "I did not.'

O'Connor: `And that is all that you can tell the

jury as to the activities of Miss Whitney on that

Cayaten

Condon: "That, is, yes."

The report of the credentials committee was of

the ordinary perfunctory kind presented on such oc-

casions. The report of the resolutions committee

carried the heart of the whole matter. One would

naturally expect to find in this report such advocacy

of crime or force or violence of which the prosecution

accused the Communist Labor Party. There were

six resolutions.

The first gave recognition to `the value of political

action as a means of spreading communist propa-

ganda" and urged that the working class, in addi-

tion to developing their economic strength, also de-

velop their political power.

The second complimented the workers for their

stand on the proposed Plumb plan for the control

and management of the railroads, but pointed out

that the labor problem could only be solved through

the collective ownership of all means of production.

The third was denunciatory of the action of the

government in carrying on -"`an undeclared war

against Soviet Russia" and doing so without sanction

of Congress, and demanded the withdrawal of Ameri-

can troops from Russia, Mexico, Hayti and San Do-

mingo.

The fourth extended an invitation to the Socialist

Labor Party to join its discussions with the Com-

munist Labor Party.

The fifth endorsed industrial unionism, and the

sixth recommended that the new party use its

strength and energy in organizing and educating

workers to force the release of "political or class war

prisoners."

All these resolutions were adopted with the ex-

ception of the first, for which was substituted by the

convention the national party's program.

Taken in their entirety the resolutions were more

radical, no doubt, than either the Republican or

Democratic national conventions would have adopted

for their political programs, but they were not a whit

more radical than many a California Labor Union

or group of organized labor men have frequently

adopted. But such as they are, these resolutions pro-

vided almost the sole legal basis for Miss Whitney's

conviction.

The organization meeting of the Communist Labor

Party at Loring Hall, for the mere attendance of

which Miss Anita Whitney is sentenced to serve

a prison term, was without question a very tame

affair, as the evidence brought out at the trial

proved.

The police who knew about it before hand did

not then think it required their interference, and

we have the statement of Fenton Thompson, the

police detective, on record that he had been advised

by the district attorney to "go carefully" in the mat-

ter of making arrests. .

What was it then, that changed this situation, that

later caused some ten members to be arrested, and

three of them sentenced to long prison terms?

The real answer immediately carries one back to

the year 1914 when war came with such appalling

swiftness upon the people of Europe. Later one

learned that there had been a tinder pile there long

in the gathering, and that a royal assassination car-

ried out in the town of Serejevo had been the match

which touched it off.

In Alameda County there had been an accumula-

tion of tinder and the particular match which touched

off the situation there was without question the shoot-

ing up at Centralia, Washington, where on Armis-

tice Day four ex-soldiers were killed in a raid upon

the I. W. W. Hall.

Case

It will be recalled that on the same day CX-SOldiy

in Oakland made a raid on Loring Hall, and ty

burned the wreckage of that raid in a street fi

The public read of both episodes the following atte

noon in the Oakland papers, the Oakland raid treate|

almost as sensationally as the Centralia affaiy.

Naturally, no fine distinctions were drawn by the

press between I. W. W. and Communists, anq the F

public mind was quickly fanned into a white heat of

indignation. To make matters worse, the firs; tril

under the criminal syndicalist law to be held ip the

state was just getting under way in Oakland, with

James McHugo, I. W. W. secretary, as the defenday;

and on top of that the great shipyard strike, with |

which was coupled the metal trades strike which tied

up most of the iron foundries and shops, was ;

proaching a climax.

On November 12th Police Commissioner fp

Morse was quoted in one afternoon paper in Oaklani

as follows:

"The time has come for Oakland to realize that i

must prepare to meet radicalism face to face,"

And in the same paper appeared this:

"Members of the American Legion have taken y

the cudgel against any complacency on the part of

the city government toward radical strongholds 4

leged to exist here."

The reason why Loring Hall had been raided wa

thus explained: "Leaders in the raid said that the

members of the Communist Party at a meeting Sup

day night draped red banners over the American fl

Os. C80 ee eee SO ee ES Set, a eee Cr eek Cee eee eee

and made speeches advocating revolution to replaw

this government with a Soviet patterned after that of

Russia."'

The fact that this was not true, either as to the

flag or the speeches, was not, of course then kno

to the public, and one can imagine what the effec

was of these `"`wild'"' stories.

The immediate effect was to bring out a numbel

of "alibying" statements from certain officials.

Fenton Thompson explained he had taken a day

off on Sunday, but had protected himself by reportitt

the meeting to both Chief Lyneh and the district a

torney.

The district attorney denied he had urged Thom

son to "go carefully" and made an explanation of lis

position. "I gave no instructions to Fenton Thom

son that he was or was not to raid the meeting of tlt

Communists," said Ezra Decoto. "It is not my bi

ness to police the city."

Commissioner Morse on November 13th announ0!

that a "loyalty police bureau" was to be formed #!

once, with Detective Thompson in charge. But tli

did not satisfy certain interested groups, and 0 u

following day it was announced that "Oakland VH

lantes will curb Reds if police fail."

Also on that day a delegation of "citizens" callel

on Morse demanding what he was going to do abot

the matter which was so heatedly agitating the publi

mind.

On November 15th the city council was stampete

into issuing an order to the police department! i

"exterminate anarchy" in Oakland, and the Americil

Legion came forward with an offer to recruit ot

thousand men to help in this work of exterminatt

Also the council passed a drastic ordinance which a

hibited any sort of public meeting without 4 ye

permit. Suppression of the Socialist World ve `

manded on the ground that it had criticised Presid?

Wilson and had printed "A lot of Russian news. to

Affairs in Russia were a factor, without "ue 4

for at that very hour there were in progress 4

major drives against the Bolshevists, Yu wid

Vilna, Denekin in the South and Admiral Kole

Omsk in Siberia. It was at the very height and i

anti-Bolshevist feeling. De Valera at Portia

the Irish flag torn from his automobile.

l

" (

On the 17th there was formed the Le ,

Americans" in Oakland with Dr, C. L. Tis net f

president. And that same week the shipyard aa

and metal shop owners announced the laune

sl

On November 20th the and

the "American plan." `

arrests were made of some of the Communis

had attended the Loring Hall meeting, six 1 oath

The hysteria began to subside, and on No

24th the city `council refused to pass the a at

"Red" meeting ordinance. In explanation of }

ae Sees nad een

tion Commissioner Morse explained it te aa

Clea

HH

purpose. Already the question was erm

whether or not Anita Whitney was to be "hie sit

to speak before the Oakland Center. Pie Anil

charged atmosphere and almost in a day

free 0x00A7

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ees r . ; coe pect

Whitney case, involving a question of 1

denicenth |

tg wit)

pees pee a an a eee Tk GeO ed ns 8 ee

became a community issue.

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gem oh eee ging, ST rye ye ig em ee ea pe ee OA:

Sa eg ree OO rl Pine pe a Se ae RS ee re

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ical

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"Much interes

asked. Both

Newby vs. Bledsoe

By J. H. Ryckman

ate before the City Club the other day be-

ge Bledsoe and Nathan Newby on the

yndicalism law attracted a large crowd.

t was aroused and many questions were

speakers claim to be democrats. Judge

as a learned lawyer and judge of 25 years'

ai e on the bench made the best possible

ee, in support of the law, but it was lame,

Ba and inconclusive from the standpoint of

tc jan democracy. He was utterly routed by

Liivoy at every crucial point. Mr. Newby aimed

:. ine of logic and ridicule at the very heart of

e Menem when he said this vicious law as ad-

Beisel by the Courts is a ee departure from

ine cherished traditions of English ane American

criminal law in that, so far from pee as always

heretofore, that guilt is personal, it pee gta

most dangerous principle, called constructive guilt or

the deb

criminal S

"guilt by association regardless of intention. Scores

of young men have been sent to oa for long

terms, who so far from having Ce eee an overt

act, had never read the literature of ee ys W. W.

and were wholly unaware that the PreAes ou was

ever under the ban of the law or that any of its mem-

pers had ever been charged with crime. :

Ag ex-Senator Kehoe, who introduced the bill, said

-the other day in an interview: "It was never intended

to make convicts of people for mere membership in

an organization ..... Tt athe wl We We inal

under it are there for mere membership ..... and

nothing is in the record to show guilty knowledge

and intent, I think they are wrongfully in prison."

But even this is not as favorable to the victims of

this law as the rulings of Judge Willis in the first

case tried in Los Angeles County-the case of

Steelik-where Judge Willis held that mere member-

ship was not enough to convict nor opinions that the

defendant held in the absence of convincing proof

that the defendant had committed one or more of

the acts condemned by the statute.

Here it may be said that not a single act of force,

coercion or violence was ever proved against any of

the defendants in any of the numerous trials under

this law. Judge Wilbur, however, when the Steelik

case went to the Supreme Court, held as Mr. Newby

pointed out, that Steelik was guilty merely because |

_of his membership, although there was no proof of

any act of force or violence on the part of the

defendant.

This decision of the Supreme Court, announcing

this amazing doctrine, it may be noted, is a mere

majority opinion, written by Judge Wilbur and con-

curred in by only 3 other justices-Sloan, Shaw and

Lennon. It has been used ever since by the lower

Courts to justify in the most arbitrary manner all

subsequent convictions. And so the law thus con-

strued has been the law of California ever since and

80 construed no law like it has ever found a place

in the statutes of this country since the Alien and

Sedition laws of 1798 drove the Federal party from

Dower in 1800 and made that great democrat, Thomas

Jefferson, president of the United States. When Mr.

Newby quoted Lincoln on the right of a self-governed

people to revolutionary activity, Judge Bledsoe was

thrown into a state of panic and could not come back.

Lincoln said in his first inaugural:

`The country with its institutions belongs to the

People who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow

_ Weary of the existing government, they can exercise

their constitutional right of amending it, or their

_ "volutionary right to dismember or overthrow it.

"+ Tf by the mere force of numbers a majority

stout deprive a minority of any clearly written con-

oe right, it might, in a moral point of view,

justify revolution."

Well may it be said if Lincoln were here now giv-

i utterance to such sentiments he would be in San

avi ne Would Jefferson for saying: "To suffer

field ` magistrate to intrude his powers into the

Mops `sca and to restrain the profession or

ledene ao of principles on supposition of their ill

sve 2 a dangerous fallacy, which at once

fideo of a liberty, because he being, of course,

rule of jud at tendency, will make his opinion the

tents " gment and approve or condemn the senti-

differ ads only as they shall square with or

ful Durpos his ae. It is time enough for the right-

interfere e ot oh government for its officers to

'ainst pe euron principles break out into overt acts

Charles Ke and good order." ,

Jail in C eating Hughes would barely keep out of

alifornia if he were to say what he said in

len, ,

New . of the elected Socialists excluded from the

ork Legislature in 1920:

in

~ guilt

"Tt is the essence of

the institutions, of liberty that it be recognized that

is personal and cannot be attributed to the

holding of opinion or to mere intent in the absence

of overt acts,"

Daniel Webster would have a close call, too, for his

liberty. He said: "A free government with arbi-

trary means to administer it igs a contradiction.

A free government without adequate provisions for

personal security is an absurdity." Mr. Newby also

quoted from associate Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes,

who said: "I think that we should be eternally

vigilant against attempts to check the expression of

opinions that we loathe and believe to be fraught

with death unless they so imminently threaten imme-

diate interference with the lawful and pressing pur-

poses of the law that an immediate check is required

to save the country .... With effervescing opinions,

as with the not yet forgotten champagne, the quick-

est way to let them get flat is to let them get ex-

posed to the air." Mr. Newby called attention to the

despicable character of the three witnesses, Dymond,

Coutts and Townsend, on the payroll of the district

attorney of Los Angeles County at $300 per month to

prove the character of the organization for acts of

terrorism by testifying to what they themselves did

in that line, but without in any case in the remotest

way implicating any of the men who went to prison.

The character of these witnesses is shown out of the

mouth of Judge Plummer of the District Court of

Appeal, Third District, affirming the conviction of

three members of the I. W. W. for mere membership.

Judge Plummer said: `Townsend was allowed to

and did state sufficient to show himself to have been

one of the most reprehensible characters thinkable.

He stated on the witness stand that he had never

told the truth before in his life. He admitted par-

ticipation in numberless atrocious offenses. It is un-

fortunate that any one confessedly guilty of so many

despicable crimes must be used as a witness." And

they listen to this gratuitous insult to the organiza-

tion from the mouth of the Court in face of the fact

that these stool-pigeons had wormed themselves into

the organization to spy upon the members and get a

case against them and had utterly failed to be able

to testify to a single act of violence or even incite-

ment to violence, but only as to membership, which

every accused member admitted on being taken into

court. This is what this high-minded Court said to

justify itself for letting in the testimony of Town-

send: "It may be that if the I. W. W. organization

is a criminal conspiracy in its essential fundamental

principles, doctrines and advocacies, no other kind or

character of testimony or no other kind or character

of witnesses may be had from its membership." And

to this pass has come the administration of justice

in the courts of California and Judge Bledsoe defends

it, while scores of men are in prison and Miss Whit-

ney is at the gates.

SOVIET WAGES RISE OVER 10 PER CENT

MOSCOW-(FP)-Following the general improve-

ment of the economic situation in Russia, wages are

raised 10 to 20 per cent in nearly every branch of

industry, according to the new collective agreements.

The woodworkers union gets a 12 per cent raise. A

15 per cent raise goes to building workers. Average

wages over all trades for the year 1925-26 are esti-

mated to be 25 per cent higher than 1923-24, and 15

per cent higher than 1924-25.

MEXICAN TALKS U. S. EMPIRE

NEW YORK-(FP)-The United States is the

greatest of the five empires now dominating the

earth, Jose Miguel Bejanaro, commissioner of agricul-

ture and colonization for Mexico, told the Pan-Ameri-

can Commercial Congress. The Mexican's frankness

on U. S. imperialism did not sound well in the ears

of the commercial delegates.

"If once the people become inattentive to public

affairs, you and I, Congress and Assemblies, judges

and governors, shall all become wolves.'"-Thomas.

Jefferson.

If my soldiers were to begin to reflect, not one of

them would remain in the ranks.-Frederick the

Great of Prussia. :

"Sound doctrine" is whatever you have been accus-

tomed to since childhood. .

We Pray, But-

The article which follows has been in type for

weeks. It was crowded out when first set up by a

rush of other more important material. Later it was

found that the manuscript had disappeared, and with

it the author's name. We have held it hoping that

some word would come from the writer to remind

us of her name. Also it has been held back for a

time when I could deal with this and similar com-

munications and articles in an editorial way. It is

given place now because the writer has aptly stated

the want of harmony between the wishing and pray-

ing of the folks who want a better world, and what is

actually going on among us and around us. The con-

clusion of the article is in my opinion weak and in-

consequential, as is nearly always the case with

writers in this vein. I am treating the matter at

length in the first page article this week.

RoW:

"There are none so blind as those who will not

see," for "The Light shineth in the darkness, and

the darkness perceiveth it not."

We Pray for Freedom, and are slaves to our own

appetites and emotions.

We use the word Equality, and allow the suppres-

sion and condemnation of our weaker Brother or

Sister.

We Pray for Humility, and are intolerant of our

Brother's opinions and beliefs.

We Pray for Wealth, and defraud our Neighbor of

a well-earned wage.

We Pray for Liberty, and listen to the tale of slan-

der and immorality. ;

We Pray for Health, and pamper and tolerate the

greed and desires of the physical body.

We Pray for Intelligence, and are ignorant of the

mine of wealth Within, the Wisdom of the Soul.

We Pray for Beauty, and pass unheeded the rose-

bud swaying on its slender stem, the smile on the

uplifted face of a little child.

We Pray for Strength, and condone and utilize the

slaughter and abuse of our helpless Brothers, the

dependent and faithful friends of the animal kingdom.

We Pray for Spiritual unfoldment, and are ob-

livious of the magic wrought each hour by Mother

Nature.

We seek true Education for our children, and sup-

press the natural expansion of the Soul, which should

be their birthright, even as the flower expands in the

sunlight.

We speak the word Comrade, without perception

of the Personal Responsibility such comprehensive (c)

universality demands to

Thought and of Speech.

We talk of Democracy, dream of Brotherhood of

Man, yet present a Creed, represent a Cult, exhibit

a Prejudice, criticise a Race, condemn a Nationality,

tolerate Capital Punishment.

We Pray for Peace, and contribute criticism and

funds to the turmoil of nations.

We presume to speak of the Fatherhood of God,

and permit little children to suffer in Orphan Asy-

lums, to work in Factories, to live in Slums.

We Pray for Immortality, and are blind to the

miracles of Eternal Life flowing around and about

us, and to the power and beauty of the Soul Within.

We Pray, yet fail to listen; hesitate to lead a pure

Life which alone will strengthen the Will to develop

the perceptive power, and the personal effort to work

out our own Salvation in harmony with Natural Law.

Such Perception will lead the Soul to intelligent

interpretation of the Purpose of Life; to an ever-

awakening Consciousness to comprehend the Joy and

Beauty of Right-Useness; to bring a realization of

Personal Responsibility to fulfill our part and place

in the Great Plan of Evolutionary Unfoldment.

We may consciously and constructively enter into

co-operation with Universal Intelligence to create

conditions wherein each Soul will Be Free to follow

the dictates of his own Conscience and Understand-

ing, and develop in Natural unfoldment, partaking of

the Beneficence provided by the Great Father of All

Humanity, the Vibratory Force of Inspiration and of

Health-giving power ever-flowing throughout the Uni-

verse which it is our privilege to inhabit.

establish Freedom of

Enough whys and you'll soon get wise. ;

-F. S. G.

Religion may be divided into two parts-services

and SHRVICE.

Sees

California-where every prospect pleases, and only

man is vile.

-F..S, G:

rT CA MR Seen 0 eR er

THE OPEN FORUM

Published every Saturday at 506 Tajo Building,

First and Broadway

Los Angeles, California, by The Southern California

Branch of The American Civil Liberties Union.

Phone: TUckKer 6836.

MANAGING EDITORS

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Entered as second-class matter Dec. 13, 1924, at

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 1926

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COMING EVENTS

KK Ke KR ek ak

Los Angeles Open Forum, Music-Art Hall, 233

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14

I. B. W. A. FORUM

At the Brotherhood Hall, 420 Stanford Ave.

Sunday Afternoon Meeting 2:30 P.M.

Other meetings every Thursday at 7:30 p. m.

All are Invited to Attend

R. L. Burch and J. Eads Howe, Committee.

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NEGRO FORUM-Sundays, at 4:30 P. M., Masonic

Temple, 12th and Central Avenue.

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FREE WORKERS FORUM

(Third Year)

Meets Monday Nights 8:15 O'clock at 420 N. Soto St.

(One block No. of Brooklyn Ave.)

PROGRAM FOR JANUARY, 1926

January 4-"The Destiny of Imperialism" by Dr.

M. Paretzky.

Questions and General Discussion

a

THE CONGREGATION OF THE DAILY LIFE

Meets every Sunday morning at 10:30 o'clock in the

Columbia Building (4th floor), 313 W. 3rd St.

Sunday morning, Jan. 3, 1926. Robert Whitaker

will speak.

Subject: "Can One Be Happy and Face the Facts?"

a

PROGRESSIVE CLUB

Meets first and third Tuesdays, for supper and pro-

gram, at Stillwell's Cafe, 426 South Spring Street,

Los Angeles, 6 p. m.

---------~----

PROLETARIAN FORUM

Every Saturday, 8:00 P. M.

224 South Spring Street, Second Floor

San SaEEEEEEEEEEEEET

SOCIALIST PARTY DIRECTORY

Headquarters, Room 418 Bryson Bldg., corner 2nd

and Spring Streets. R. W. Anderson, Secretary, City

Central Committee, Phone VErmont 6811. C. C. C.

meets second and fourth Mondays. Branch Central

meets every Tuesday evening at Headquarters.

FREE VIOLIN LESSONS

To Talented Children of Parents who

are unable to pay

MAX AMSTERDAM

Prominent Violin Teacher and Soloist

2406 Temple St. - - - - - -= DRexel 9068

Reasonable Rates to Beginners

Sa clanig a ancien as a Rae OL REINS OTe ORS

Preachers Beware

NEW YORK-(FP)-Letters and telegrams pledg-

ing support to the new Brotherhood of Sleeping Car

Porters that is moving ahead despite the opposition

of the Pullman Company were read at the last New

York mass meeting of the union from Timothy Healy,

president, firemen and oilers' union and many others.

Healy's warm endorsement is in line with other rail-

road shop crafts and transportation executives.

Robert W. Bagnall, director of branches of the

National Association for the Advancement of Colored

People, said that as an ordained clergyman he ad-

vised the porters to have nothing to do with any

preacher who stood with the company against the

workers. Bishop Carey of the African Methodist

Episcopal'Church has espoused the corporation's side

of the struggle, along with Perry W. Howard, Negro

national committeeman of the Republican party, who

has been taking the Pullman money as chief propa-

gandist against the union.

Frank P. Walsh has promised to fight the porters'

claims for back pay amounting to millions, awarded

by the war labor board, but never paid, said Roy

Lancaster, secretary of the brotherhood. The issue

will come up when the union gains the 51 per cent

enrollment demanded by the rail labor board.

FODDER FOR FARMERS

WASHINGTON-(FP)-Senator Shipstead of Min-

nesota, Farmer-Labor, has prepared a bill establish-

ing a federal tribunal of five members, empowered to

fix prices for farm products, just as the interstate

commerce commission fixes freight rates for the rail-

roads. Shipstead says his sole object is to make the

country see that if the farmers are to be bound by

congress to furnish a fixed return to the railroad

owners, then the farmers must be given a guaranteed

seale of prices that will make it possible for them to

carry the burden of the railroad rate system.

UNEMPLOYMENT LEAGUE REORGANIZES

The Los Angeles County Unemployment League

took the first step to reorganize itself at a public

meeting in room 605 Labor Temple on December 16

last. A committee of seven was elected to take

charge until January 6, 1926, at which time another

meeting is going to be held in the same room.

A eall has been sent:out to about 200 labor unions

and other working class organizations in this city and

county with a request to send delegates to this

conference.

If the call does not reach your organization, be

sure to send delegates just the same.

A committee of three was also elected to look into

the abuses of the vagrancy law.

PUBLICITY COMMITTEE.

By GP. Rindal

OF COURSE

NEW YORK-(FP)-Anthracite profits should not

interest the miner, argued Major Daniel T. Pierce,

spokesman for the hard coal men in a debate with

President Golden of District 9, United Mine Workers

of America, at the Civic Club. All the workers

should care about in this connection is wages, he

urged.

KEEPING COOL WITH COOLIDGE

TACOMA, Wash.-(F'P)-Arthur Johnson, recently

from California, after making an unsuccessful search

for work at Tacoma, decided he'd take a chance on

"pie in the sky." He dug a small cave alongside a

drainage ditch near American Lake on Thanksgiving

day and crawled into it to die. After lying there 13

days he was found by chance and taken to the county

hospital. It is said he will recover.

J. STANFIELD, TRANSFER

Household Goods, Baggage and Office Equipment

Carefully Handled c

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(Hours for calls 6 to 8 a. m. and 5 to 10 p. m.)

EXPIRATION NOTICE

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Address

au eae : ities, all

. on a tour of the principal American cities, nents

Los Angeles

OPEN FORUM

MUSIC ART HALL

233 South Broadway

SUNDAY NIGHTS, 7-30 O'CLOcK

JANUARY PROGRAM OF THE OPEN FORuy

January 3-DEBATE: Resolved, That the Wester

method of living is superior to that of the id

with Dr. John H. Dequer supporting the affirmat |

and Dr. Bhagvan 8S. Gayanee the negative, Both m

know their stuff and can be depended upon tor

lively tilt over this much-disputed question, Music

by H. L. NETTLER, baritone. Dr. Gayanee will al

sing some of the native airs of his country, India.

January 10-DEBATE: "Resolved, That Within the

field of our observation economic determinism is

the primary factor in human aiiairs." Robert Whit.

aker will take the affirmative, and Prof, A, B. Briggs

the negative, which assures an evening of great jp.

terest. The music will be furnished by EDWaApp

MARKY, tenor.

January 17-"THE MEANING OF RELIGIONS

FREEDOM," by George D. Coleman, author of many

articles in liberal journals. `This will be hig first Fi

pearance among us, and we look for a real trea,

Music by JAMES GABLE, boy violinist.

January 24-DEBATE: "Resolved, That the United

ive,

80

ee

i A GEN er

States should go to war only by a direct vote of the

people, except

Students from the University of Southern California

will handle this-two teams-William Henley and Le-

land Tallman upholding the affirmative, and Ray:

mond Brennan and Adna Leonard the negative. The

music also will be by university students, we expect,

So altogether an evening of pep may be looked for

ward to.

in cases of invasion or rebellion" .

January 31-`THE RACES OF MEN IN THI |

LIGHT OF EVOLUTION," by Joseph McCabe of

London, England. He is the author. of seventy

volumes and a lecturer of international reputation.

His present tour in America embraces all the large

cities. We are fortunate indeed to be able to secure

him. Music by a trio, JACOB WEINSTOCK, vocal

ist; GENEVA ZUBRINSKY, violinist, and MRS,

LOUIS RATTNER, accompanist. Admission will be

by ticket tonight, the charge being 50 cents, or $1.50

for the course of four lectures-two by Joseph Mc

Cabe and two by Paul Bianshard of New York. (See

full announcement in another column.)

LECTURE COURSE

The lecture course given in Los Angeles by Scott "

Nearing last spring was so successful that we ate. .-

going to undertake another course soon. Two lectur

ers will be employed this time instead of one=~ 0x00A7

Joseph McCabe of London, England, famous author

of some seventy volumes, and Paul Blanshard of

New York City, distinguished traveler and lecturer

to progressive audiences.

the following lectures:

(1) "The Races of Man in the Light

by Joseph McCabe, in Music-Art Hall, ae

way, on Sunday evening, January 31. This will take

the place of the regular Sunday night Forum ne

(2) "The Evolution of Life and of Man," by :

seph McCabe, in Symphony Hall, 232 South Hill e

Monday evening, February 1. This lecture will

illustrated by some sixty very fine lantern slides. '

(3) "Labor and Imperialism in China and ie

by Paul Blanshard, in Symphony Hall, 932 So

Hill Street, on the evening of February 2. oa

(4) "What I. Saw in Soviet Russia, ee a

Blanshard, in Music-Art Hall, 233 South Broa Wal

on the evening of February 3. terial

The third and fourth lectures will cover 0x2122e@ aa

recently gathered by Mr. Blanshard on his ate

the-world trip. Each lecture will begin at 8 oe ie

and the price will be 50c apiece for the Bae tee

tures, or $1.50 for the course, covering all ne

tures. `Tickets may be obtained from the oll

the American Civil Liberties Union. t crowts

It is anticipated that there will be grea aistit:

at all of these lectures, as both men are 80

ig now

guished in their respective fields. Mr. McCabe 38 "

of Evolution,"

933 So. Broad:

Blanshard is speaking to groups of collese "

all over the United States.

pee

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