By Jeffrey J. White Waterbury. The Hartford Courant reported There was a critical difference between Although the government’s evidence fear was directed at labor unions, such as found at the main branch of the New the following day that the raid was these hearings and a run-of-the-mill may have been weak in some cases, the the Union of Russian Workers, the York City Post Office, and a slew of pack- designed to prevent “[a] nation-wide plot criminal case. Under the 1918 Alien detainees were handicapped by the fact Industrial Workers of the World ages were found at 18 other post offices. to defy governmental authority openly,” Law, the burden of proof was placed that the availability of legal counsel was (“IWW”), and the Communist Labor The packages discovered in New York which had been “advocated for weeks by squarely on the alien to prove that he scant at best. For instance, three uniden- Party, which were believed to provide a City were addressed to powerful politi- combined radical elements throughout should not be deported. For those tified lawyers retained to represent some platform for the espousal of Marxist cal, judicial, and industrial leaders, the United States, including the IWW, accused, this seemed a monumental task of the detainees withdrew “after the principles—and in some cases the over- including Commissioner of Immigration anarchists and Russian agitators.” 8 as they were faced with combating the cases were heard and the evidence throw of the American government. Frederic Howe, Supreme Court Justice public perception that the government against them brought out.…” 14 It is Groups such as the IWW fervently Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., John D. The raids continued in Connecticut as had “strong evidence,” because “it [was] unclear whether their withdrawal was opposed World War I through pam- Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, and Mitchell more arrests were made in Bridgeport, pointed out, if there was not apparently hastened by strong evidence or by a real- phlets, work slowdowns, and possibly, Palmer himself. That plot was foiled, but Rockville, and New Britain. The most satisfactory evidence against them they ization that the odds were stacked 2 widely reported arrest was that of Mark sabotage. In 1919 alone, there were on June 2, 1919, Palmer’s Washington, would not be held for hearings.” 11 against them. 3,600 labor strikes nationwide involving D.C. home was damaged by a bomb. Kulesh of Manchester, who was the Indeed, William Hazen, who directed the four million workers. 3 Newspaper accounts following the leader of the town’s Russian Peasants’ By contrast, Harry Edlin, an attorney Those who cannot operations of the Department of Justice attack reported that a radical publication and Workers’ Union. During the Kulesh from New Haven retained by the Union learn from history It was a time of mass hysteria and panic. In an effort to “stamp out the Reds,” in Connecticut, stated before the hear- was found nearby. 4 raid, the police seized two machine guns, of Russian Workers, appeared at the are doomed to The very fabric of our nation appeared ings that “in his opinion there was little Congress and law enforcement officials “red” literature, and other radical para- Federal Building in Hartford and repeat it. threatened. Government officials called In response to these attacks, Palmer, doubt [that] they would all be ordered moved aggressively. In 1918, Congress phernalia. After his arrest, Kulesh demanded the right to see a group of GEORGE SANTAYANA upon citizens to be attentive to their aided by a young J. Edgar Hoover, deported.” 12 Despite Hazen’s confidence (and later that year, the Connecticut “acknowledged that he had no love for detainees from Ansonia. Even though surroundings and their neighbors. devised a plan, to be carried out around in the ultimate outcome, the evidence General Assembly) passed the Alien Act, the United States, did not approve of its he was retained to represent members of “Suspicious” individuals were rounded up, the nation, to strike a death blow to against those arrested was tenuous at which permitted the deportation of “any form of government, and was a follower the Union of Russian Workers whenever placed in jail, and denied access to legal these subversive forces. These raids best. Bruce Shubert, who reviewed U. S. Attorney alien who, at any time after entering the and advocate of the form of government necessary, his overture was rebuffed by counsel. This highly charged situation were primarily focused on the Union of many of the immigration files of those General A. Mitchell United States, is found to have been at held to be more radical than that of the Inspector Clark, who argued that Edlin Palmert developed in Connecticut from 1919 to Russian Workers, “which the govern- arrested during the November raids for a the time of entry, or to have become Bolsheviki.” 9 could not have access to the prisoners 1920 as alleged members and sympathizers ment found had advocated the over- 1971 article in the Connecticut Review, thereafter, a member of any anarchist before the hearings because “he did not of the Communist movement were deported throw of government by force because While Kulesh’s arrest received consider- notes: organization.” The passage of the Alien represent a single one of them, but was back to the motherland in an operation its founding charter committed it to ‘a able attention, the majority of those Membership in the Union of Russian Act paved the way for the events that to appear for all of them.” Edlin respond- called “The Palmer Raids.” 1 Socialist revolution by force.’” 5 During arrested were simply identified by name, Workers was rarely proven. The transpired from November 1919 to ed by stating that “the American people January 1920 in what are commonly the late-night hours of November 7, age, and residence. Nearly all of the main evidence against the aliens con- The end of the second decade of the 20th would stand for it just so long as the referred to as “The Palmer Raids.” 1919 (on the one-year anniversary of radicals arrested were men between 20 sisted of a copy of the “Manifesto of century was a period of intense nation- country appeared to be at war, but when the founding of the Russian Soviet), and 30 years old. These men were Anarchists-Communists” and of affi- alism as the United States attempted to peace was once more declared the feder- The raids were the brainchild of U.S. 1,100 alleged anarchists in cities across brought to Hartford for a hearing in front davits, filed by Department of Justice protect its flanks from the Germans on al agents would no longer be permitted Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. the U.S. were arrested, for the most part of U.S. Bureau of Immigration inspector agents, which were also examples of one side and the Bolsheviks, who had to compel the men to appear at a hear- Beyond his role as the nation’s top law without warrants. 6 Of those arrested, William Clark. Almost immediately, a syllogistic reasoning. The affidavits, toppled a fledgling provisional govern- ing without representation.” 15 enforcement officer, Palmer took a per- 249 individuals were ultimately deport- backlog of detainees overwhelmed Clark exactly alike except for the name of ment that had been in place in Russia for sonal interest in the battle against the ed, 51 for being “anarchists” and 184 for and the other immigration inspector the alien, stated that the accused was Clark’s rejection was indicative of a pat- eight months, on the other. The contin- “Reds.” In April 1919, a nationwide simply being members of the Union of assigned to hear these cases. an alien, that he belonged to the tern of practice by officials in Hartford to ued influx of immigrants to the U.S. bomb plot was uncovered. Scores of Russian Workers. 7 Nevertheless, Palmer instructed officials Union of Russian Workers, that the deny counsel to the detainees. Notably, from these regions stirred fears that sub- dynamite bombs enclosed in packages around the country to expedite these Union of Russian Workers advocated these denials were contrary to a Bureau versive elements would seek to over- In Connecticut, 41 people were arrested were discovered in several cities across hearings so that deportation could be overthrow of the United States gov- of Immigration regulation that mandat- throw our own Republic. Much of the in Hartford, New Britain, Ansonia, and the nation. Sixteen packages were achieved quickly. 10 ernment by force, and that, therefore, ed that aliens should be advised of their the alien was an anarchist. 13 .