New York Times
CHICAGO COUNCIL REBUKES
MAYOR
———
Resolution is Adopted, 42 to 6, Commending Governor’s Stand Against Pacifist
Convention.
———
THOMPSON FIGHTS VAINLY
———
Presides at Stormy Session and Later is Hanged in Effigy on Lake Front.
———
Special to The New York Times
CHICAGO, Sept. 4. — The City Council to-day, by vote of 42
to 6, passed a resolution offered by Alderman John Toman praising Governor
Lowden for forbidding the convention of the People’s Council of America for
Democracy and Terms of Peace and, as an amendment, calling on city and county
officials to do likewise in the future. This action was taken in Committee of
the Whole, final disposition of the matter being left to the next morning.
The delay was made necessary by the fact that there were not enough Aldermen
present to suspend the rules for immediate passage of the resolution.
The session was held under a heave police guard, with Mayor Thompson presiding.
The vote is regarded as a stinging rebuke to Mayor Thompson for his action in countermanding the orders of Governor Lowden Saturday and letting the pacifists hold their convention here.
Adoption of the resolution followed four hours of stormy debate. No other business was considered. No attempt was made to drive the Mayor from office, and no explanation was made why the efforts to oust him were not made as planned. The Mayor throughout the session was conciliatory, although fighting every move of his antagonists.
The debate at one time became so bitter that a physical encounter was threatened between Alderman James B. Bowler and Alderman M. A. Michaelson, spokesman for the Administration. Denouncing the Mayor, Michaelson, and their crowd as a “bunch of dogs — a bunch of skunks,” Bowler charged on Michaelson with clenched fists, Aderman James Rea sprang between the two man, and induced Bowler to return to his seat. Bowler persisted in arraigning Michaelson, and demanded whom Michaelson wanted to win the war — the United States or Germany. Michaelson refused to answer.
Pillories the Mayor
The climax came in a debate between Alderman Willis O. Nance and Alderman W. E. Rodriguez, Socialist, in which Nance addressed scathing remarks to the Mayor on his stand against the war. After the meeting the Mayor refused to be interviewed. He said he would issue a signed statement soon explaining his action in upsetting the orders of the Governor.
Speaking of the pacifist meeting, Alderman Nance said in his speech:
“It is known all over the country and in Germany that we invite such gatherings here. In a few weeks or a month we will have a most serious situation in Chicago unless action is taken quickly. I don’t want war, but it is here and we must fight.
“Mr. Mayor, I see by some newspaper articles that your are against sending troops to Europe. You say that the drafted men should be kept home. Are we going to allow our women and children to be show down and sent to the bottom of the ocean ? We must stand by the President, our country and the Stars and Stripes.”
The galleries cheered for several minutes.
Mayor Thompson was hanged in effigy tonight to a lamppost on the Lake front in Grant Park in the presence of a great crowd. The “lynching” was directed by the Society of Veterans of Foreign Wars. The police made no attempts to interfere with the hanging and there was no disorder. The cheering which broke out when the fat figure was strung up was of such volume that it roused the residents of all the hotels facing Michigan Avenue, who had to be assured by the managements that it was not an actual lynching.
Alderman Rodriguez asked Alderman Nance at the Council meeting whether the platform of the Peace Council was of a seditious nature.
“You know as well as I do that a lot of organizations do not abide by their announced programs,” said Alderman Nance.
“Let me answer him,” shouted Alderman Walkowiak. “If you don’t like this country go back to Russia. Go back to the country where the Prussians have spread the poison of rebellion. Is this country going to allow the Prussians to maltreat innocent women and children ? Are we going to permit the Prussians to continue destroying inno-
(3) -cent countries, as Belgium, Poland, and Serbia ?
Alderman Coughlin shouted for a roll call on the passage of the resolution. Several Alderman joined in the demand. Alderman Richer then offered the amendment, the vote was taken, and the meeting adjourned.
Mayor Thompson may yet run afoul of the Federal Government through the channels of the Federal Grand Jury, which was convened today. Following a meeting of the Executive and General Committees of the Chicago Division of the National Security League at the Union League Club a sub-committee was directed to draft resolutions condemning the action of the Mayor in permitting a meeting of pacifists and draft obstructionists to be held in Chicago against the orders of Governor Lowden.
A resolution offered before the joint committee urged that the Mayor’s stand for the pacifists be brought to the attention of the Department of Justice with a view of action by the District Attorney’s office. The sub-committee will decide on this resolution along with several others presented.
That Mayor Thompson must enforce the law against sedition, whether the violators be itinerant pacifists or other anti-war agitators, was the ultimatum issued today by civic organizations backing Governor Lowden in sending State troops here to suppress the peace advocates, who are charged with attempting to incite anti-draft riots. The battalion of State troops the Governor dispatched from Springfield Sunday night is to remain here “indefinitely.”
Complaint that some of the radical authors who were delegates to the pacifist convention were writing seditious statements on the walls of rooms in the Fort Dearborn Hotel brought Secret Service Operator Peter Dratzberg to the hotel this afternoon. He commandeered a bellboy, a scrub rag, and a pail of water and went in search of a pacifist to make him do some cleaning. He could not find a pacifist and the work of eliminating laudatory remarks about Mayor Thompson and derogatory remarks about the President fell to a bellboy.
