Repression of I.W.W. soap-boxers in Salt Lake City unites the city’s working class organization into the Free Speech League.

‘Salt Lake City Workers a Unit’ from Industrial Worker. Vol. 2 No. 27. September 24, 1910.

Surely the world do move.

Even here in sleepy, saintly Salt Lake the slaves are waking up. The masters, too.

Up until about August 23d street meetings were in full swing. Everything went well until speakers of the different organization began speaking on Anti-Patriotism.

Then thing began to sizzle.

The local authorities were all along trying to find some way to stop these meetings, as their political jobs seemed in jeopardy. The slaves could be seen by the hundreds at these meetings, listening and buying literature, some of which was “Anti-Patriotism” by Herve, “Industrial Unionism,” “Value, Price and Profit” by Marx, papers, etc.

At one of these meeting some of Uncle Sam’s hired assassins and “protectors of private property” attempted to break up the meeting, but were unsuccessful.

“Aha, at last! a chance!” thought the King of Clubs, alias Chief of Police, and other capitalist tools.

The next evening there appeared in the Evening Telegram an article (not unlike a riot call) telling the soldiers that their country and their flag were being insulted by the speakers, and to resent these insults! Sic ’em!

The result of this article was the coming from Fort Douglas of a bunch of soldier rowdies looking for fights and bent upon breaking up our meetings. Due to the fact that the slaves were in sympathy with what the speakers had said, the soldiers were roughly handled, receiving bruises and other minor injuries for their interruptions and insults. The soldiers were shown pretty plainly that no throwing of eggs or anything else that tended to break up what were peaceable meetings would be tolerated. During the fight it could be plainly seen that the police were in with the soldiers and encouraging them secretly.

Beaten in their scheme, the authorities tried the old game of arresting our speakers, but letting severely alone ALL religious speakers and what is now known as the respectable element in the socialist party, for whom not a slave in the party has any use. This element begged from the King of Clubs a permit to speak.

The first of our men to be arrested was W.J. Kerns, who was held 16 hours without a complaint being filed. The next victim was G.E. Watts, who at the time of his arrest was reading the Constitution of the United States.

The case of Kerns never came to trial for the reason that the Assistant City Attorney refused to file a complaint. The case of Watts was dismissed in police court.

After the above happenings, ALL hammers, hatchets and differences were BURIED and a conference called; the result of which was the forming of a Free Speech League. September 11th, 1910, with an executive committee of five, from all organizations.

The executive committee planned a monster meeting for the next evening. September 12, and selected SIX speakers to address the meeting.

The cop on the beat did a great piece of work in this instance, arresting all six of the speakers–Watts, Young, Engle, Brilliant, Osgood and Kerns. We were charged with “obstructing the street in placing a soap box thereon.”

When the case was called the next day Kerns was tried first and dismissed, owing to the fact that the cops did not know who placed the box and the court holding that the prosecution did not prove who placed the box. “The placer” being, liable for the violation of a city ordinance pertaining to obstruction, etc., of course there was no case against us.

After the trial two more speakers were pinched–Wm. T. Brown and Wm. Jurgens, on the same complaint. The trial was set for September 19th.

The first speaker, Wm. T. Brown, fared badly at the hands of the cop, being struck a severe blow on the car in police headquarters while being searched. Mr. Brown swore out a warrant for the arrest of C.W. Pitts, the bull who struck him.

All through the light the slimy reptile press falsely reported all that transpired.

Last evening. September 16th, another meeting was held with six more speakers. This meeting was NOT disturbed, either by soldiers or police. The local authorities have laid down and the Free Speech League was declared the WINNER. Notwithstanding this victory, however, the League is increasing in membership and in all ways possible preparing for a further fight if necessary. The fact that the city council is about to bring forth an ordinance prohibiting street meetings makes it extremely probable that the League will have more work to do before long.

The coming together of all workers in this Free Speech Fight shows plainly that the time is not far distant when ALL the working class will get together and fight for their final emancipation. Let’s SPEED THE DAY.

Signed W.J. Kerns. PHILIP ENGLE, G.E. WATTS. Press Committee of the Free Speech League.

The Industrial Union Bulletin, and the Industrial Worker were newspapers published by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) from 1907 until 1913. First printed in Joliet, Illinois, IUB incorporated The Voice of Labor, the newspaper of the American Labor Union which had joined the IWW, and another IWW affiliate, International Metal Worker.The Trautmann-DeLeon faction issued its weekly from March 1907. Soon after, De Leon would be expelled and Trautmann would continue IUB until March 1909. It was edited by A. S. Edwards. 1909, production moved to Spokane, Washington and became The Industrial Worker, “the voice of revolutionary industrial unionism.”

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iw/v2n27-w79-sep-24-1910-IW.pdf