#red baiting

[newyorkthegoldenage]

From the shoulders of cheering, singing supporters, Dalton Trumbo and John Howard Lawson make farewell speeches as they prepare to leave Penn Station for Washington, where they were to start serving one-year prison terms for contempt of Congress, June 9, 1950. The "Hollywood 10" had appeared before the House Un-American Affairs Committee in October, 1947, and refused to answer questions regarding their possible affiliations with the Communist Party. After they were released, they were blacklisted by the Hollywood studios.

Photo: Marty Lederhandler for the AP

[handeaux]

A Secret Organization Scoured Cincinnati For Bolsheviks But Found Only A Schoolgirl

It is inevitable, once you have created an organization to snitch on your neighbors, that you will find neighbors to snitch on. So it was with the American Protective League.

The American Protective League emerged from the jingoistic fervor that gripped America during the First World War. According to Steven L. Wright [Queen City Heritage, Winter 1988]:

“The American Protective League (APL) organized in Chicago in March 1917, had units in 600 cities and a membership roster of nearly 100,000. And by 1918 membership had grown to 250,000. Its membership consisted of bankers, businessmen, attorneys, chamber of commerce leaders and insurance company executives. Because of their ‘high’ position, they easily obtained information concerning ‘troublesome’ citizens, especially those who opposed the draft.”

Nationally, the APL received quasi-legal status as an affiliate of the federal Department of Justice. Locally, the Cincinnati branch of the APL was instrumental in arresting thirteen socialists who were charged with treason for circulating literature opposed to the military draft. Those charges would eventually be dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1924.

With the conclusion of hostilities, the APL technically disbanded on 31 January 1919 when Gerson J. Brown, the wholesale tobacconist who led the Cincinnati chapter, turned over all League records to Calvin S. Weakley, special agent of the Department of Justice. Even though the organization ceased to exist, however, some members insisted on carrying on the work of the League. Germany’s surrender had revealed, according to these men, a new and even more sinister enemy working to conquer America – Bolshevism. John L. Richey, head of the Cincinnati Association of Credit Men, announced through several very public speeches that his position as chief investigator of the American Protective League had revealed to him that Bolshevism was alive and well in Cincinnati. According to the Enquirer [9 January 1919]:

“Mr. Richey declared speakers at recent meetings in Cincinnati had advocated immediate revolution and deliberate assassination of public officials who could not be influenced as part of the Bolshevist doctrine. There has been an increase, Mr. Richey said, in the Bolshevist movement in Cincinnati from 500 members 60 days ago, to a membership of a few more than 3,000 today.”

Not quite a week later, the Cincinnati Post [14 January 1919] announced that Richey now estimated a Cincinnati cabal of Bolshevists, International Workers of the World, and various other radical fellow travelers had more than 7,000 members. Richey pledged to continue his investigative work in Cincinnati despite the dissolution of the American Protective League through a new “secret patriotic organization.” According to Richey:

“Members of these groups of radicals, or revolutionists, are guided by a national head, who directs from New York and Philadelphia. Cincinnatians in the organizations principally are foreign born. There are Germans, Italians, Russians, and Hungarians, with some malcontent Americans.”

In a statement that foreshadowed the Red-baiting tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy thirty years later, Richey predicted that eight to ten Cincinnati officials would soon resign once the Justice Department digested the reports submitted by the American Protective League. By February 1919, Richey’s estimate of Cincinnati radicals had reached 10,000, holding regular meetings to urge the “seizure of banks, manufacturing plants, and private property.”

Richey repeatedly asserted that the Cincinnati Board of Education fanned the flames of Bolshevism here by allowing teachers to spread radical propaganda. After all his stomping and fuming, Richey had trouble producing a single Bolshevik. Nevertheless, he told the Cincinnati Post [3 February 1919], he knew exactly where to find one:

“The home of a Cincinnati school girl, the alleged meeting place of supporters of Bolshevism, is being watched by the secret patriotic organization of which John L. Richey is head, he said Monday. Richey told of existence of a Bolshevik school where students are taught principles of Bolshevism and urged to spread them in educational institutions. A Woodward High School pupil is leader in the movement, according to Richey.”

The moment Richey made that accusation, the city turned against him and his “secret patriotic organization.” The pupil in question was Rose Simkin, aged 19, who had immigrated from Russia six years earlier. Since that time, she had been employed at the Cross Overall Company while studying in the morning before work and in the evening after work at Woodward High School, hoping to earn citizenship. She told the Post [7 February 1919]:

“I hardly know what Bolshevism means. I am an American. I didn’t even know it was I who was being talked about until told so by the school authorities. Ever since I have been in America and lived in this free country I have thought of nothing except what a wonderful land this is.”

Miss Simkin pointed to her bookshelves, filled with volumes by Poe, Shakespeare and other classic authors and defied Richey to find any hint of subversive literature.

Helen T. Wooley of the Cincinnati School Board was outraged by Richey’s accusations against Rose Simkin.

“There has been excessive zeal in trying to uncover un-American plots and in this case they have hit an innocent girl.”

The American Israelite pointed out that Rose Simkin’s brothers were serving in Palestine as part of the British army there and that Richey may not have known the difference between Zionism and Bolshevism – a not-so-subtle accusation of anti-Semitism. Mainline organizations such as the City Club and the Women’s City Club passed resolutions condemning Richey’s accusations.

As the Simkin debacle faded, so did Richey’s “secret patriotic organization.” When Richey died in 1962, his obituary made no mention of the American Protective League or his secret organization.

In 1920, Rose Simkin married Edward Trieman, her father’s partner in a Race Street haberdashery. She lived to be 70 and gave birth to a son who became a doctor. Her tombstone identifies her as “A Devoted Daughter In Israel.”

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Should Read Marx' Works," Border Cities Star. June 7, 1933. Page 3. ----- SO LABORITES SAY ---- Think Star Writer's Study Is Not Complete ---- The works of the late Karl Marx, who wrote the Communist Manifesto and who expounded the theory of surplus values, the class struggle and the materialistic conception of history, were recommended last night as additions to the library of W. L. Clark, Border Cities Star columnist.

The suggestion came from School Trustee R. M. Scott at the regular session of Windsor branch of the Labor Party. The recognized leaders of thought in the local branch seemed eager to furnish Mr. Clark with their definitions on Socialism. Mr. Scott suggested he "read Karl Marx" and obtain the true definition.

But John McLean chose to put forth his own interpretation as follows: "It means nothing more or less than a complete annihilation of the syndi-cates which are taking over the wealth. Many are getting less of it while the few are getting more of it."

Mr. McLean bemoaned the apparent fact that "in this modern super-level of intelligence, we are going back to prehistoric days and find The Star groping in the dark."

"And our great friend, Mr. Clark, I don't know whether he is throwing out the life line or the dead line. Or whether he is so benumbed that he is asking what any school boy can answer: What is Socialism? And I see he takes as his leader, a man who, like himself, doesn't know the A.B.C.'s of Socialism."

Mr. McLean evidently was referring to Jean-Francois Pouliot, M.P.. who set forth 55 questions for J. S. Woodsworth, M. P., leader of the Co-Opera-tive Commonwealth Federation.

None of these questions have been answered, although Ben Levert, Labor nominee in North Essex, recently waved them nonchalantly aside with the observation that Mr. Woodsworth couldn't waste time answering questions which, except for nine of them, any school boy could answer.

[ideas-ideasideasideas]

Batman gives each of his Robins a different code to use when they’re in trouble and need immediate extraction. He promises that when they call, he’ll drop everything just to get to them, come hell or high water.

Jason, during his time with the League, shares his code with Damian, to be used “only in the direst of circumstances, when you have exhausted all other options.” He doesn’t know if Bruce will answer, given how fractured their relationship was before he died, but it is better than nothing. Every tool counts when they live such dangerous lives.

Damian uses it exactly once, and Bruce, who still feels the loss of his son like a yawning chasm in his chest, responds to it even though he knows it can’t be Jason because Jason’s dead. What he finds, instead of Jason, is a boy in League garbs, drenched in blood from the tips of his midnight-black hair to his too-small feet, with a face that Bruce sees himself and Talia in, requesting asylum from a grandfather who wishes to possess his body. Bruce doesn’t question how this boy who is so clearly his son knew the code. Talia al Ghul is resourceful and places family above all; the code is not beyond her abilities to discover, and she is not above using Bruce’s desperate love for his dead son to ensure that hers does not meet the same fate.

Bruce takes Damian in, because of course he does, and since Jason is dead he allows Damian to keep using the code. After all, it’s not like Jason is alive to use it, right? If someone uses the code, there’s no one it could be but Damian, right?

The next time the code is used, Bruce traces the location to Gotham even though Damian was supposed to be in Bludhaven visiting Dick. But whatever happened that resulted in Damian being in Gotham can wait, because he has already failed one son and he will not fail another, his son is in trouble and he needs to get to him, he needs to—

What he finds, instead of Damian, is a boy (just eighteen, too young, but also too old, but also he will always be a boy to him) in League garbs, drenched in blood from the tips of his midnight-black hair to his too-large feet (when had he gotten so big), wearing the face of his dead son.

(Who, maybe, just maybe, may no longer be so dead.)

[oo-ooo-oooo-oo]

John Birch died in 1945, so who the hell are you?

Marxists are not found in farms or factories; they are found in colleges or government bureaucracy

Or, like Marx himself, the Marxists are found freeloading on trust-funds, or wealthy family and friends.

People who work for a living to produce tangible goods do not dream of a world in which some nebulous "other" is forced to provide them tangible goods for free.

Laborers dream only of a world in which no one makes their labor harder than it needs to be, and no one takes the fruits of their labor away from them without adequate compensation.

But people who only know how to place obstacles in other people's way and to take resources from others, will necessarily dream only of a world in which they have unlimited power to make life harder for the people they do not like, and to take as many resources as they want from people they do not like.

Marxists want to believe they can "manage" humanity into paradise because they are managers, not builders.

Marxists cannot understand the concept of "building" humanity into paradise. Building things is "beneath" a Marxist; anyone who builds things for a living is an enemy, and all enemies must be forced to build things that the Marxist gets for free.

Because the Marxist always wants for free something that cost someone else to make, they have no reason to ever achieve "true communism" because that would mean they have to get down in the dirt with the hideous factory workers and farmers they hate so much.

And then when their totalitarian state crumbles and falls around them, they dismiss their failure as "not true communism".

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

He broke through to the surface, taking large desperate gasps of air before getting sucked back beneath by the current. Danny fought against the water as hard as his little paws would allow.

Just when he felt all hope was lost and he was sinking, a large hand enveloped his entire body and hefted him back into the open air. Shivering and coughing out water he didn't catch whatever the man had said. He continued shivering violently as the guy wrung out Dannys fur.

The mans hands were warm despite the brown leather gloves covering them. They made Danny feel comforted and energized almost as if the man had...oh gods! He did! The man had ecto inside of him! Thank the ancients! Now he just had to stick with glove guy and he could recharge! It would be slow but still!

"Here we are little guy." The man said and Danny noticed all at once that the man had been walking the whole time Danny had been stuck in his head. He looked around and noticed the Animal Shelter sign in front of them.

No. No! Danny needed to stick to this guy if he ever hoped to become a human again. But despite how he dug his claws into the flesh of the mans exposed arm and yowled the man in the red mask managed to get him lose and left him in the care of an animal social worker.

Danny was checked out and placed in the tiny jail cell alongside other kittens and cats, many who were scared, miserable or just desperate for love and attention. This of course meant he needed to plot a jail break. Fortunately, he could still used most of his powers but without any ecto around he would have no way to recharge them outside of food or indulging in his obsession.

Needless to say Jason was a little startled when he woke up the next day to not one, but five little kittens meowing at him for food. He swears the one sitting smugly on his chest is the same one he dropped off at the animal shelter yesterday, but that couldn't be right...

One call confirmed it. All of thier animals had escaped last night and there was a suspiciously animal sized arch taken out of the wall with an unknown tool. Demon brat would be delighted at the news.

Unfortunately for Hood the smug little black cat he rescued yesterday had decided that his shoulder was the perfect perch and stayed there more often than not. Little guy got into food often but refused to eat kibble and any attempt to get the kitten away from the mashed potatoes resulted in violence or density shifting to get back to the food.

At this point danny almost didn't care if he returned to being human so long as he got to eat more of his humans cooking. He swears Jason is magical because everything he makes tastes amazing

[koko2unite]

movies from disney are like "generational trauma!! generational trauma!!! generational trauma!!!" while netflix are like "unloved?? here is an old guy he's your father figure from now on"

[itscherryterry-again]

yea

[colorpuzzled]

does anyone fw him . the ringer

[taitavva]

tw decapitation - blood

yamamoto senko

[newyorkthegoldenage]

At the Hotel Roosevelt office of "10 Million Americans Mobilizing for Justice," volunteers use adding machines to tabulate signatures obtained in a nationwide drive opposing the censure of Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, November 26, 1954. They were unsuccessful: the Senate voted to censure him on December 2.

Photo: John Lent for the AP

[melancholyfleurs]

just a femme dyke in red: part two 💋

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“'C. C. F.' Denounced AS 'RED',” Vancouver Sun. February 23, 1933. Page 7. ---- ORGANIZER PAID FROM MOSCOW, SAYS LAVERGNE ---- Woodsworth Denial ---- SASKATOON. Feb. 23. Denial of the statement that he was a "paid agent of Moscow" was made today by George H. Williams, member of the executive of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, replying to the charge made by Armand Lavergne, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House yesterday. 

"I challenge Mr. Lavergne to make the same statement outside of the House of Commons, where he would be subject to a charge of libel," Mr. Williams added.

By Canadian Press OTTAWA, Feb. 23. A direct attempt was made in the House of Commons Wednesday to link the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation with Red Russia. 

George Williams of Saskatchewan, a member of the executive of Canada's newest political party, was branded a "Bolshevist, a paid Moscow agent," by Armand Lavergne, Deputy Speaker and Conservative member for Montmagny, Que. 

While members of the Common wealth party in the far corner of the Chamber cast angry looks at the Deputy Speaker but made few inter ruptions, Mr. Lavergne read from a French magazine to prove his charge against Williams. 

At first Williams was described as the Saskatchewan organizer of the Commonwealth but J. S. Woodsworth corrected this. 

'PAID AGENT OF MOSCOW" A denial that Williams was a Communlst was inserted in the running debate by Woodsworth. ‘I have again and again heard Williams denounce the Communists and Bolyshevists not want Russia set up here." 

"Miss Agnes MacPhail said that the Communists and Bolshevists hate the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation," proceeded Lavergne. "How could they?" he asked, "if I understand alright, the organizer of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in Canada is George Williams, of Saskatchewan, and I say before this House, without fear of contradiction, that George Williams is a paid agent of Moscow."

He proposed to give his authority for the statement. An article in La Revue Des Deux Mondes declared that the Communists "work also in the immense Prairies of the Canadian West, principally in Saskatchewan. The organizer of the party was George Williams, ex-president of the Farmers' Union." 

Lavergne proceeded to declare that there was an agitation on foot to destroy the institutions of this country by revolution. 

MacINNIS BLAMES CZARS Angus Maclnnls (Lab., Vancouver South) said the present government in Russia had arisen out of conditions that had preceded it and nothing else. 

He painted to the House a picture of Russia under the Czars, and recalld the bloodshed which had attended the suppression of labor troubles many years ago. 

Everywhere was to be found evidences of the intolerance of the Government and its supporters who failed to realize that in the Canadian Co-operative Commonwealth was the best protection against Communistic doctrine, Mr. Maclnnis said.

[emperornorton47]

Gotcha!

[chappellrroan]

"we need more evil woman" you guys can't even handle a woman talking about eating pussy

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Halloween prompts year 2, day 1

Danny had no idea what he was doing. There. He admitted it. He had found a book of spells that reminded him of Sam and stole it on instinct. He didn't have much money after running away. He didn't even have the chance to grab one of his Go Bags as his parents fired on him.

Good news was that ghost powers made it very easy to steal stuff. Now with a book that has actual magic spells in it? He'd never go hungry again! It was kinda weird though. New dimension or not he didn't think a grocery store would sell multiple copies of spellbooks just out in the open like this. They were clearly new and a product or modern manufacturing so it wasn't like it was some ancient relic or anything.

Hmm. A mystery for later then. In the meantime he was going to go around Gotham turning rogues and random jerks into frogs! It went pretty well. There was a mass Arkham breakout not too long ago and Danny was having an absolute blast sneaking up and froggifying people while wearing a cheap glittery devil masquerade mask. Once suitable frogged he trapped them in a magic bubble and left them on the rooftops for the bats to find.

This went awry however when one of the local vigilantes, Robin, tried to attack him from above. On reflex he turned Robin into a frog and freaked out, "Okay. Crud. Okay. I can fix this!" He said while picking up the tiny vigilante, "Just promise not to hurt me and i'll turn you back!"

The angry ribbiting told him that the vigilante would agree to no such thing, "In that case," Danny used his ghost powers to make a human sized ice cage and placed the frog inside. The cages bars were thin but sturdy. It would take Robin only a few good hits to break out of it but by that time the mysterious magic user would have had a head start.

Unfortunately, Danny had just started the spell that would turn Damian back when one of his siblings, Tim, got the jump on him...and got similarly froggy for it. Now there were two frogged bats and a startled magic user.

Danny looked up at the rooftops to see more and more bats staring at him. And the just froggified Red Robin. And the frog version of regular Robin. In a cage. This looked bad. After dodging a batarang Danny apologized to the frogs and quickly yelled, "Not today satan!" At batman before dropping a smoke bomb and teleporting away.

Later at the batcave Damian and Tim were placed in different enclosures to keep their new forms healthy and to prevent any frog on frog violence as they sort this out. At first they thought this was a meta who could turn people into frogs but that was quickly ruled out due to Damian and Tim both typing on devices and telling them about the ice powers.

Thus begins Danny's attempts to find the frogged siblings and turn them back before he gets stabbed by an angry bird and Robin and Red Robins attempts to escape to find this magic user cause it was clear that he had cursed them by accident and had wanted to turn them back right away.

They're family keeps trying to stop them though saying its too dangerous to go out as a frog and they don't know what that magic users intentions were. They didn't really have much choice however seeing at Constantine couldn't help them.

The trench coated brit and said this magic was like nothing he had ever felt before and he would have to do some research. Which lead to the boys swinging across rooftops as amphibians and probably making more than a few people question what was in thier coffee.