The Flag of Anarchy

The Finnish Socialists held a picnic and celebration at the lake near Eveleth on Sunday, June 2, and in the forenoon paraded the streets of that city, carrying at their head two flags, one representing the United States of America and the other the blood red flag of anarchy, a flag which is not a flag, because it has neither country, home, nor friends who stand with true hearts for the welfare of the country within which they dwell. In speaking of the occasion the Eveleth Star says:

“If ever the glorious ensign of our country received insult, it was on Sunday when the Finnish Socialists paraded the streets of our city and placed the stars and stripes along side of the bloody flag of anarchy.”

The Virginian voices the sentiments of the Star when it says:

“The great majority of Finnish people residing here in Eveleth and on the ranges are good law abiding citizens. Men and women of good moral character. Men of prominence in the communities, and men who hate the red flag of anarchy as they hate the demon of hell. They are not to be held responsible, or in any way reflected upon because members of their nationality have become insane upon political questions.”

The actions of the participants in this parade is incomprehensible to The Virginian. Why any person in this grand free country should wish to flaunt any other flag but the stars and stripes in the faces of their fellow citizens is beyond us. The revolutionary war was waged that the country might be free and thousands of men laid down their lives for the cause. The war or 1812 was one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare. From the time Columbus discovered America the people have been called upon to fight its battles with first one foe and another, losing fathers, mothers, wives, sweethearts and children by shot and shell and tomahawk in order to protect themselves from a dominating force which seemed almost impossible to resist. The redmen were the most persistent and the hardest foe to conquer. Then came the awful strife of American against American in the war of the north against the south. All know the history of that terrible struggle and all know something of the misery and the everlasting heartaches from which this war resulted, and all this was accomplished to make this a free country; free for all who might wish to come and live up to the grandest and best laws ever inaugurated by man. From time immemorial this country has had its troubles with the anarchist element from the foreign countries. Such a class would never be satisfied with any laws that might be passed for their benefit. In their own countries they are held down by a force that is irresistible, and they were allowed an opportunity to come to this country, make homes for themselves and families, educate their children, become the equals of all and not be lorded over by a lot of high-horns who held the top hand by sheer force of power.

There is no objection to anyone carrying a foreign flag provided the American stars and stripes float above it and the constitution of the United States does not object to it either, but it does object to a flag of anarchy and treason being flaunted in the faces of the American people whether it be over or under the national ensign. Whether these people who carried the red flag along the streets of Eveleth on the day mentioned by the Star meant to flaunt it in disrespect to the stars and stripes The Virginian is not in a position to state, but the fact that such a flag was carried and floated to the breezes of pure American air is enough to make the blood of any true patriot boil with wrath.

The red flag should not have been allowed to be carried ten feet, and any action towards its destruction would have been upheld by all true American citizens. The people of this country have had trouble enough in the past in keeping stars and stripes to the top without allowing any incipient body of men and women to introduce a flag which has tendencies to create an ill feeling in those who have the best interests of the United States at heart. Small blazes should be extinguished at once and be not allowed to spread and spread until they become of such huge proportions that our whole country is in danger of conflagration. We have seen too much of that kind of business in the past and those who have strong anarchistic sentiments should not be allowed to exist in this country any longer than a snowball would last in hell. The Virginian—Friday, June 14, 1907

Defends the Red Flag

Virginia Socialist Writes Long Letter to The News on This Subject

Eveleth News:--The News is in receipt of a long letter from J. G. Maattala, of Virginia, defending the use of the red flag and criticizing statements made in the Eveleth Star. The News objects to the red flag but its columns are open for communications in general and below is a summary of as much of the letter as is direct and readable in the English language:

Mr. Maatala heads his letter, “Lost Sheep in the Wilderness of Ignorance, must be the writer of the article to the Eveleth Star, June 7, 1907.”

He denies that the red flag is the flag of anarchy and stands for bloody works. He says that the red flag means that the capitalistic flag has shed enough of the blood of the “proletarians,” also that it means “peace and equality.”

“It is not (the) flag of any special party of any land. It is a noble symbol of United Brotherhood of the world’s proletarians,” says Mr. Maatala.

Mr. Maatala denies that the Finns who were in the parade that Sunday do not know how the president of the United States is elected and have never read the Constitution.

He denies that anything was said at the picnic about polygamy or that the speeches were inflammatory. He says, “Though the purpose of Socialism is to change the form of government for all of the people, not by shedding blood.”

“As to the fact that the red flag was carried through the streets of Eveleth, (it) was by no means a sign of rebellion against the country.”

Mr. Maatala claims that the Stars and Stripes were honored when the red flag was carried alongside of them. The Virginian—Friday, June 28, 1907

NOTES:

The Hibbing Tribune remarks that “the Methodists are thinking about letting you into Heaven even though you dance.” This raises the question whether dancing will be permitted inside the pearly gates. As it is extremely doubtful that a certain class of sour-natured individualists will be there to raise objection, the others may be allowed to enjoy themselves if they choose.

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Some of the foreign residents of the range know what they want [even] if they can’t say it in English. Here is a petition for a sidewalk that was read to the Hibbing council at its last session:

“Illustrated Dr. Weirick: The motive of the indecent streets (Cedar St.) if with your word or permission of 5th of May 1908, if it will be all accorded together, we will unite and ask for a piece of sidewalk, if with your permission, here will be of all our signatures.” The Virginian— Friday, June 28, 1907

Editorial:

THE glorious Fourth will not be observed in Virginia this year. At no time in the history of the city have the business men been in better shape to contribute freely to a celebration than the present year, and no doubt they would have been glad of the opportunity had it been given them. But there was a “bell cow” lacking this year. While most, in fact we might say all, the citizens wanted to see the day observed here, no one was interested enough, or was too busy, to devote the time to circulate a subscription paper. This is the third time in the city’s history that no celebration has been arranged for, the occasions being after disastrous conflagrations when the citizens needed their surplus, what little they had, to buy bread and other necessities of life. Perhaps had those who reap the harvest on such days been more enterprising a fine celebration might have been held this year, but the time is too short now and several other towns on the range will have fine celebrations, so Virginians need not miss the opportunity to do their full share of shouting for Old Glory. Next year we trust that the matter will be taken up early and a determined effort made to make the nation’s birthday the most memorable that city has ever known. The Virginian—Friday, June 28, 1907

"Working-men, working-men--comrades! open your eyes and look about you! You have lived so long in the toil and heat that your senses are dulled, your souls are numbed; but realize once in your lives this world in which you dwell--tear off the rags of its customs and conventions--behold it as it is, in all its hideous nakedness! Realize it, realize it! [. . . .] They own not merely the labor of society, they have bought the governments; and everywhere they use their raped and stolen power to intrench themselves in their privileges, to dig wider and deeper the channels through which the river of profits flows to them!"

- from Upton Sinclair's The Jungle (1906)

PERTULLA FINED $25

John Pertulla, the former policeman who pounded a prisoner in the city jail over the head with his club and a stove iron, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault in municipal court yesterday morn- ing and was fined $25 and costs, which he paid. It appears that the man pounded by Pertulla was a Socialist and not altogether right in the head, like a number of others of that cult, and as a result the Finnish socialist element has been greatly wrought up over the affair, and it is understood that some of them have made threats of dealing out summary punishment to Pertulla. One of the leaders made the remark that if he had done what Pertulla did it would have cost him $400 instead of $25. The Virginian—Tuesday, June 2, 1908

Dedicated to the fine folks, past and present, of the Mesaba Co-op Park.