◆ SpookStack

~ . e O° ~*~ ale antee a foiluree It was then that a group of Poorla citizens, aware of the insidious uso of race prejudice, red baiting and antlelabor propoganda being used to limit the sale of tickets, undertook to pop- viarize tha soneert ond to guarcnges its success. We wantod to sao Foul Robeson in the flesh cnd hear him singe But the sponsor, admittedly worried about losing his job and - acoompanied by the wife of a Catorpillar public relations director, wont to Champaign where they talked Mr, Robosonts manager into can- celling the concorte . It was also on Tuesday, April 15th, that Gomer Bath, columiat for the Peoria Star, wrote his first vicious column attacking Mre Robeson as a Commnist or fellow travelor. And on the same Tuesday, significantly enough, Milo Nolson, lst Ward Alderman, introduced a resolution to the City Council with the avowed intention of barring Poul Rovason from public appearaneo in Poorio,g Alderman Nolson's rosolution and prepcred remarks used the samo smear technique as the above mentioned Star columnist cond many poople are wondering WHO wroto the resolution for tho lat Ward Alder- mane Without discussion or dobcte the resolution was railroeaded - throughe Tho noxt day when poople started to e211 tholr Alderman, thease city fathers began to wonder what had been put over on theme On Wednosday, April 16th, wo who issue this statement, met to- gether as c Citizcn's Committco to presorve Civil Liborties and Rights in Peoria. io recognized that the unconstitutional means and threats of violonco boing ueed to bar Mr. Robeson from public appe- arance mist be challenged, There aro few progressive independent - thinking pcople who have not boon brandod ‘ro “at somo timo or othor since Hitlor doveloped this technique to destroy domocracy ond bring Nozi-fascism to a large part of Surops, Anti-Communism using smear campaign ond lawicss throats of violonce can dostroy all our demoe cratic rights = and that is fascisme Aftor this mooting, three pooplo went to Champcign whore Mr, Robeson hed sung to an overflow audiones to the Univers ty of Ille- inofis campuses They urgid him to como to Peorlic and help maintain domocratic American traditions by fighting for his civil rightse All public mocting places woro barred by insidious pressure, Varzous churechcs, both Nogro and whito, wore contacted. but bocause of the hysteria of threats, of race violonce, intimidction and other coercive measures, coming from tho City “dministration, the ministers and officers of those churches wore intimidatod cond refuse uso of their facilities to Robcsone Howover, wo find that now tho cir is cloared, the Peoria Miniaterial Association at its regulcr mooting, expreasod thoir disapprovcl through a resolution, cgcinst tho act- fon taken of Robeson cppouring in Tteorlaoe - Qn Thursday, April 17th, 11 mombors of thia committee mot with Mayor Triobel, domanding that space in tho City Hall - trad} G| itionally opon to cll groups of citizons - bo grantod for us to on welcome Paul ficbesone The Mayor finclly cgreed, if concuroenss could be secured from ao majority of the City Cowell, ‘Yhon con~