Hull House Plans Unemployment Parade
Naujienos, Jan. 28, 1915
p.2.... Miss Jane Addams, Miss Breckenridge, and other social workers of Hull House have stated that they are making plans for the second big unemployment parade.
Last Sunday, although without the knowledge and support of Jane Addams, an unemployment parade was organized at Hull House but it was dispersed by the police, who clubbed and arrested many participants. Now the above social workers plan to stage another unemployment parade in order to demonstrate to the city government the real unemployment situation in Chicago. They are asking the heads of the state employment agencies to participate in the parade.
They are demanding that this parade be given a permit, which had been denied 2by the police to organizers of last Sunday's parade. This demand was immediately answered by Schuettler, assistant to the chief of police, who is accused of inciting the bloody riot last Sunday. He said he will not permit anarchists to break windows and to incite riots. The social workers have now decided to request a permit from the City Council, and have placed the matter into the hands of an attorney, Wm. A. Cunnea.
"We must repudiate the false notion," said Miss Breckenridge, " that want and hunger can be abolished by police authority. We must renounce the absurd theory that unemployment and misery among the poor can be swept away by chasing the poor with guns and clubs.
"We must allow these people to enjoy the rights which are guaranteed to them by the constitution. They must be permitted to parade, and this matter should be taken up at the next meeting of the City Council. We must show 3real action instead of mere words on a piece of paper.
"I have noticed that Schuettler, first lieutenant of the chief of police, is showing a great deal of hostility against a black flag which was carried in the parade last Sunday. But what does Schuettler know a out flags? If the paraders had carried a red flag then he undoubtedly would have arrested everybody for displaying one symbol of the anarchists. If Mr. Schuettler does not know, then it would be a good thing if he would learn that the black flag which was carried by those unfortunate people signifies their agonies."
An unemployment demonstration, with or without the support of Miss Addams, will take place, and not one but many The participation and influence of the social workers of Hull House will probably have a pacifying effect upon the demonstrations and prevent interference by the police. And the police can 4well afford to yield, because even now they are being condemned by everybody for their brutal action last Sunday. However, the request that officials of the state employment agencies participate in the parade is meaningless. These officials are not interested in the problems of the unemployed. By participating in the parade they would be merely showing their sympathy to the unemployed. But the unemployed do not want sympathy. They want jobs.
If the social workers of Hull House fail to get a permit for the unemployed to parade then the unemployed workers will stage a demonstration in spite of the police ban. In that case the demonstration will probably be more bloody, because the unemployed are preparing to defend themselves. They have already expressed their feeling on a banner in last Sunday's parade with the inscription: "Hunger knows no laws."
