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Hellraisers Journal – Friday October 22, 1909
Missoula, Montana – City Council Defeated by I. W. W Free Speech Fighters
From the Socialist Montana News of October 21, 1909:
The city council of Missoula has proved another exemplification of the proverb that “discretion is the better part of valor”, and completely retreated from the fight against the I. W. W. speakers, and the constitutional right of Free Speech. In the midst of the clubbing arresting beating and ether police outrages against the union workers the council held a meeting. They found themselves confronted by jury trials by the score, immense sums of court expense, an enraged populace, and fresh speakers coming in on every train as candidates for free berths at the city expense. In fact they saw no end to the “radau” [racket] that the Industrial Workers were precipitating upon their heads, and wisely concluded that they would stop bucking the United States constitution.
The council had previously made a conciliating concession that the workers might speak on a by-street. But the Workers were standing upon their legal rights to speak where they please so long as they were injuring no one, and continued their work with fresh recruits after thirty-five had been arrested in one evening.
When the telegram went into New York telling of the attempt to suppress Free Speech in Missoula a meeting of the Free Speech League was called, sad Leonard D. Abbott and others went to preparing plans to preserve the American right of Free Speech. Abbott said, “Free Speech must be maintained no matter what the cost may be. We are prepared to carry the fight to a finish.”
Principal Derby of the Morris High school, where Miss Flynn attended was also much interested in the progress on the fight.
The latest word is that Miss Flynn is held for trial, the council expecting to make a test case out of her arrest.
[Emphasis added. Photograph added from Spokane Industrial Worker of October 7th.]
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