LYNCHING PARTY PREPARED BY BUSINESSMEN FOR SOCIALIST LEADER BROUGHT NEAR RIOT
Lynching Party Prepared by Businessmen For Socialist Leader Brought Near Riot Due to pressure brought by them, the auditorium was closed to Tucker and the meeting was announced for the Labor...
...28 pounds of coffee...
...Food for Regiment Needed to Appease Inaugural Appetite It took just about food enough - to feed a regiment to appease the appetites of the 1,000 guests who gathered around the festive board at the Inaugural banquet Monday night in the Rajah temple...
...William J. Van Kssen, national executive committee of the Socialist party...
...however, SdHceC that It sM net hear tha anion anprtet asm ahhohjsi »'wsa Sitae at hi a anSah...
...He is a well-informed Socialist with i good judgment and will be of con- j siderable help to Mayor Stump...
...0 gallons of tomato soup: 125 loaves of bread...
...William Van Essen, Pittsburgh...
...The meat was cooked and served by MTs...
...and Mrs...
...Everyone closely connected with affairs in this city knows thai this is not aa exaggeration...
...Mayor Stump and his 'comrades in office were surrounded by friends who extended greetings and good wishes...
...Lynching Party Prepared by Businessmen For Socialist Leader Brought Near Riot Due to pressure brought by them, the auditorium was closed to Tucker and the meeting was announced for the Labor Lyceum...
...Snyder, city counrthnaw;, Raymond 8. Hofses, school iirector...
...While most of the addresses were of a general nature, Stump and Maurer's remarks were the most pertinent to the new administration...
...10 bushels of potatoes...
...The Labor Advocate obtained an important document from the city of Cleveland which revealed Wilbur's connection with some shady financial transactions...
...It is hardly necessary to'say that we do not believe we could bring about our great ideaS, a co-operative commonwealth...
...Frederick Kreckm*n...
...Retiring to his office, Mayor Stump immediately swore in L. Birch Wilson as his private secretary...
...I say that the outgoing adminisratkm did things that they bad no nght to do in the face of the incomng administration...
...May your term in office be pleasant and prosperous," she said...
...This precious collection of patriots gathered an audience of about a thousand with the assistance of a brass band and much publicity.in the daily press...
...and Mrs...
...The afternoon of this meeting the politicians and some, leading capitalists held a meeting at the court ' house steps two blocks from the Lyceum...
...Many Visitors Present New York City—Julius Gerber Herman Volk, Philip Hansel, August Claessens, James Oneal and wife, Harry Lang of the Jewish Dally Forward, Isaac Weitz, Samuel Grossman, I. M. ChatcusT, Benjamin Goodman, ""arl Cummings, Celia Rotter, Joseph Beckerman, Herman SilverbeTg, Rae:el Goldstein, William Werfel, Esther Friedman and H. Hers afield...
...115 quarts of ice cream...
...Patriots Now Discredited Thus passed a situation thai threatened another Centralis-' Socialists in the hall and in the streets were determined to meet the assault of the Legion had it been attempted Mayor-elect Stauffer, one of the leaders of the mob, was observed in the City Hall last 'Monday when the So ciaiists took over the administration of the city...
...Tucker was spirited out of the city that night with the Legion in autos hunting for him...
...Attendance was limited to a thousand and many friends were disappointed in not being able to get tickets...
...Ex-service tnen shunnec it and it has bad practically no in-, fluence in the city, it has remainec a small organization...
...One of the first acts of the new administration was to lop off the head Of City Assessor Thomas Duvall and appoint Milton J. Bortz in his place...
...A half block away, the Legion members celebrated, but they were also dispersed by the police...
...Comrade Wilson has been a member of the Socialist Party for many years and served the party as State Secretary during the trying war years...
...At least 5,000 rpeople were gathered in the streets below to hear Tucker, while the Legion members' had already assembled three blocks away...
...Good uck for the future and hearty wishes for a long.longterm in office is the message I have for you sent by the' people of Reading, Pennsylvania...
...This ndastariatraUott was rotten (or years...
...Philadelphia.—Fred Hodgson, International Poakethoak Workers...
...There were 16 speakers, including the newly inducted office holders local workers hi the party and members of the New York delegation...
...I was informed this evening that I was to have only three minutes, and th«t there would be 16 speakers, so that it would be foolhardy to try to outline any phases of a program...
...Other Socialists trusted with heavy j official responsibilities were not ne-, glee ted by their friends...
...The Coun- j cQmen...
...Dr...
...A treasury with not ling in it, to pay bills and obligations tinning into millions of dollars...
...The near awJSwr...
...1,000 rolls...
...This document was displayed in the Advocate and this professional made a hasty exit from Reading...
...Miss Jane Tate, member of the state executive committee...
...When we asked to have it done, did le do it...
...Marie W.' Hodgson, secretary of Local Philadelphia...
...Maurer Attacks Outgoing Administration., Pledge Work They Neglected to Perform "We are Qke a lot of children taking orders from an outgoing administration," Maurer said...
...Wright had urged members of the Legion to meet three blocks from the Labor Lyceum at 7.30 p. m., to prevent the Socialist meeting...
...R maj be added that because of the conduct of the Legion that tragic night ir 1919, it thoroughly discredited the legionaires...
...The Rev...
...Charles Hoverter, sister-inlaw of WBllam C. Hoverter, who lost out in the race for city treasurer...
...All I am asking you citizens is to understand that we are not going into a well-greased^ smooth, well-working government...
...Will Make Good, He Says "I know that this administration will have the eyes net only of Its friends, bat the eyes of Its enemies as well...
...He was going to build a x>ulevard, and tells us we must finish rt...
...These include school officials, directors of the poor and election officials...
...The office of assessor is important as it was the unfair assessment of working class homes that contributed much to the Socialist victory...
...yVhea Stump arose to speak, attle Wanda Czarnecki, 12, came forth from behind the speaker's table and presented him with a huge basket of Sowers in the name of the people of Reading...
...Tucker had gone to the court house meeting and requested that he be heard, but this was denied...
...We were telling, .hem their business long ago, and :hey didn't listen to us...
...speakers...
...Firing of Old Party Assessor of Taxes Is First Official Action by Mayor Stump Immediately following the installation of the Socialist officials...
...1,000 Crowd Banquet The program in the afternoon included a ride around the city, of which many visitors took advantage, and a reception in the ballroom of the Rajah Temple, following by a banquet, beginning at 6 o'clock, and concluding with a dance...
...Here are the statistics on the big feed: 500 pounds of roast beef...
...He tells us now that he started a dam and that we must finish it...
...and Mrs...
...Stump were the cynosure of hundreds of spectators who sat on the mezzanine floor while the banquet was in progress, and his admirers there loudly applauded when be walked across the banquet floor during the course of the meal...
...UUth M. witoon, Attgast Ctjsjaseha...
...Mew York City...
...l.ooo cup cakes...
...John L. Campbell, West Philadelphia...
...It took a staff of 00 assistants to prepare and serve the meal...
...40 gallons of fruit cap...
...James H. Maurer and George W. Snyder and Walter Hollinger, city controller, received flowers and congratulations from hundreds of friends...
...As the Utt,le girl started to leave, Mayor Stump detained her momentarily and replied: 'While the flowers in this basket are beautiful, they are not half so beautiful as the little human flowers we are trying to raise in this cfty of ours...
...We know what we want to do, and we are going to do it...
...FrankWeiss...
...Other speakers included L. Grinwold Williams, pastor of the Uaiversabst Church of Our Father* Mary Windsor, of Kaverford, Socialist lecturer: Dr...
...His ovation lasted nearly five minutes when he arose to speak...
...Louis Reese of Newark, were among those from New Jersey...
...Wllliam.J Van Essen, of Pittsburgh, a meiliWf Of the National Executive Committee, presented Maurer with a Mack brief case with his name stamped in letters of gold, in behalf of the Socialists of Western Pennsylvania...
...Another worthy of this meeting was Wilbur Wright, whose occupation in Reading and other cities appeared to be bitter and unscrupulous propaganda against radicals in general...
...What I Said before election, I will say after election...
...2 large crates of cranberries...
...He informed the Socialists that he had called out tae entire police force, that the Social:sts had a right to hold their meeting, but t,hat the situation was beyond' his control...
...Interest in the speeches at the banquet centered on what Mayor Stump and Councilman Maurer would say...
...Many other-Socialists were carried into office in the genera1 sweep...
...L. Birch Wilson acted as to as tm aster...
...Morris Rosen, Shoe Workera* union...
...Violence Is Averted Wild rumors were current the night of the Tucker meeting...
...George "W...
...God bless Us dear souL He pointed out that we .mist build sewers and disposal plants xul that we moat do It, or the state will make us do it...
...We are going to do this": We are going to apply good old Pennsylvania German horse sense to our administration...
...The Legion advanced when the mayor appeared at an upper window, thinking it was Tucker, but discovered they were listening to the mayor who made the announcement agreed to and ordered the crowd to disperse which it did...
...Another was J., Keim Stauffer, then mayor-elect of Reading...
...and Mrs...
...The outgoing mayor said we can't run things jnle6s we borrow money...
...Jesas George, chairman of the Berks County Labor Pary; James Oneal...
...Cbauncey R. Reenter, execatrre committee, Socialist party...
...Waiter R. Hollinger, city . controller...
...With us, the health of the community Will ipsolutely be the first question of this administration...
...Says Administration Had Nerve "What did we fall heir to in this corporation...
...A little over eight years had wrought a political revolution in Reading and the cheap "patriots" of 1919 are the thoroughly discredited politicians of today...
...The state has been 25 years tryng to make the other crowd do it...
...So you say, well, what are the SochaMsts going to do...
...I believe that he later turned up in New York City playing a similar role...
...We are going to give the people of Reading practical Socialism, or 1h other Words, honesty and economy and the elimination of special privilege...
...We are going' to take hold of a government that has collapsed — absolutely collapsed...
...It would seem fitting on an occasion of this kind," he said, "that the new' executive of the city should outline the policies of the administration...
...NeJUe Lrthrow, member of the executive hoard, Hosiery Workers...
...50 pounds of corn...
...Isaac B. Lindset, Abe BJoomheld sad Harry Leaky...
...The mayor was profoundly dis- j tarbed...
...Shortly before 8 p. m., the hour of the meeting, the chief of police and Mayor Filbert entered the Lyceum...
...And he nerve of the outgoing administraion to tell us our business and what ve will have to do...
...Stauffer was also a candidate for mayor in the recent election and the Socialist candidate, J. Henry Stump, had the sat isfaction of receiving more votes than Stauffer and the other candidate combined...
...Daniel M. Sachter ftaston's delegation included Mr...
...pastor it the Colored Presbyterian Church...
...Mayor and Mrs...
...It is necessary to sketch this back ground of Reading history in order tc understand the significance of th< November election which brought the Socialist Party mtor power...
...Stump Insists on Union Label on His Stationery ttrsdhtg...
...Ernest D*,vm...
...He urged the Socialists to abandon their meeting as he feared blood and violence...
...Beck Stein, International Ladies Garment Workers...
...4.—(A.P...
...George H. Goebel and Dr...
...He admitted that the Legion/ was in the wrong and- the Socialists answered that they would abandon the meeting if the mayor would, speak from the fire-escape, declare that the opposition was acting illegally and that the Socialists had decided to give up their meeting although they were within the law when trying to hold it...
...Pittsburgh—Dr...
...Not only in this city, but in the state and the nation, but we are going to make good...
...The new Socialist Mayer of Reaong, Si Henry Stamp, ictuses to ase ofnqiai stationery without the SniM hiML wiuhna k, flhnrninw, who retired as IS <n tnja^Waa^i iliil I an* that •imaging, SS » ham as name...
...Having exhausted their invectives against the local Socialists some of the gathering formed a parade with Stauffer at the head and marched to the Lyceum as a demonstration against "disloyalists...
...William Imderelsd, Robert H artBei and John Wilson...
...No he built us a lame duck bridge...
...TO pounds of lima beans...
...Blackburn, who had been a spiritual bootlicker of George F. Baer, the coal magnate,' and who, in the anthracite strike of 1902 had said that God had given the property ,of the nation to -"'Christian gentlemen," .was one of iSae...
Vol. 7 • January 1928 • No. 3
