350 polities PicketingandtheLaw StateofNewJersey.ByvirtueofSections2:152-4 to2:152-7ofthetitleAdministrationofCiviland CriminalJusticeof theRevisedStatutes, Iamdi- rectedtochargeandcommandallpersonsbeinghere asembeldimmediatelytodispersethemselvesand peaceabyl todeparttotheirhabitationsor totheir lawfulbusiness,uponpainandpenaltiescontained insaidSections2:152-4to2:152-7.•Godsavethe State. When,somemonthsago,themembersoftheUnitedElec- trical,Radio,andMachineWorkersofAmericastrikingatthe Westinghouseplantwerethusaddressed,theymightwellhave commentedastheydispersedthemselvesonthe•curiousmannerinwhichtheywereorderedtoscram.Thesearchaic-sound- ingphrases,fittingsoill inthemouthof acontemporary Americanpeaceofficer,werenotmerelyanacutecaseof legalese;thephrasessoformed have acertainhistorybehind them. 1. WhentheHouseofHanover,inthepersonofGeorgeI,was transportedovertheChanneltoruleBritain, itwasnotmetby awelcomingpopulace.ThenewkingcouldhardlyspeakEng- lish(thepronunciationofeitherasaither,now standardin Britain,datesfromhisconfusion);andmoreimportant,he camefromacountrythatretainedintactagoodmanyof thefeudalprerogativestoonethathadkilledonekingand deposedanother.Thepeople,irkedbynewdecrees,stirredin theirgin-soakedmiseryand,againandagain,attackedthe oficerssenttoenforcethem. In1714 (morethanfiftyyears beforetheAmericancoloniesrevoltedagainsthisgreat-grand- son),GeorgeI hadtheRiotActpassed:"Whereasof late manyrebeliousriotsandtumultshavebeenindiverspartsof thiskingdom. . ."Thespecificpurposeoftheactwas,bythe mererecitationofaformula,tochangea riot fromamisde- meanor,which itwas alreadybycommonlaw, toacrime, punishablebydeath."Thestatute, it isobvious,inanindirect kindofwayestablishedakindofmartiallawagainstmere rioters,afterakindofproclamationofwaragainstthem." Exceptfor thesubstitutionof"GodsavetheState"for "GodsavetheKing"andafewotherminoremendations,this sameproclamationofwarwastheonetheUEstrikersheard. Ifonehourafterthereading,"tothenumberoftwelveor more,beingarmedwithclubs,guns,swords,orotherweapons, or. . . tothenumberof thirtyormore,"thestrikers"shal unlawfuly,routously,riotously,andtumultuouslycontinue together,"2theywouldbeguilty true,no longerof a felony, butofamisdemeanor.Amisdemeanorisnotpunishableby death,butneitherisit anegligibleoffense.IntheStateof NewJersey,itispunishablebyafinenotexceeding$1000,or imprisonment,withorwithouthardlaborasthecourtmay direct,foratermnotexceedingthreeyears,orboth.3Ifthe defendanthadin hispossessionanyweapon,whetherapistol orapairofbrassknuckles,anadditionalpunishmentof five yearsisauthorized.4Forasecondoffense,hemaybeimprisoned fornotmorethandoublethetimeplusanytimecommuted Efreircsibhtetitsienlanco Perhapsofevengreaterpotentialdangeristhecarteblanche givenpeaceoficersinquelingariot. Ifanyoftherioters "shalbekilled,hurt,orwoundedbyreasonoftheirresisting thepersonssodispersing,seizingorarrestingthem,orendeavoringtodisperse,seizeorarrestthem,theneveryjusticeofthe peace,sheriff,under-sherif,orconstable,andanypersonassistingthem,oranyofthem,shallbeheldguiltlessandbeabso- lutelyindemnifiedanddischarged."6Thephrase,"andanypersonassistingthem,"standslimnedagainstthebackgroundof Americanlaborhistorylikethesilhouetteofanoose.Bycommonlaw"everyprivatepersonmaylawfullyendeavorofhis ownauthorityandwithoutanywarrantorsanctionof the magistratetosuppressariotbyeverymeansinhispower. . . Notonlyhashetheauthority,but it ishisboundenduty. . . toperformthistotheutmostofhisability."7Moreover,by commonlaw it isamisdemeanortorefusetherequestofa peaceoficertoassisthiminsubduingariot. Whatisariot?Atcommonlaw"toconstituteariot,five eelmentsmustbepresent:1)Numberofpersons,at least three;2)Commonpurpose;3)Executionorinceptionofthe commonpurpose;4)Anintenttohelponeanotherbyforce ifnecessaryagainstanypersonwhomayopposetheminthe executionoftheircommon purpose;5)Forceorviolencenot merelyusedindemolishingbutdisplayedinsuchamanneras toalarmatleastonepersonofreasonablefirmnessandcourage."8Notethatthepurposeitselfmaybelawful. If three men(1)startouttogether(3) across aparktogotothesame theatre(2) ,havingagreedinadvancetoresistthemarauders knowntobeinthepark(4),andif theydosoresistinsucha mannerastoalarmsomeoneofreasonablecourage(5), they willbetechnicallyguiltyofamisdemeanor.Or,toput itona somewhatlessfancifulplane,supposethatthethreemenwere Negroesandthattherewasalynchmobout togetoneof them.At commonlawtheirjointresistancewouldberiotous; theirplannedintenttojointlyresistwouldmakeof itanunlawfulassembly.9"If,thoughtheirmeetingwasinitselflaw- ful,theyintended ifopposedtomeetforcebyforce,that wouldrendertheirmeetinganunlawfulassembly."" 2. Itneedsnoespecialyliberaltemperamenttofindthestate oflawinNewJersey,thejointdomainofFrankHagueand thePennsylvaniaRailroad,orthesimilarlyanachronisticves- tigesofcommonlaw,outoflinewiththetemperof, say,the NLRA.Citingfromalawwrittenin1714islikesettingupa straw manthatfallsof itsownencrustedweight.But it is difficulttodiscussthebroadtopicofmasspicketingfromany suchhappymiddle-of-the-roadposition;masspicketinghasso cleararevolutionaryportentthatdisputantsconcerning it are likelytobedividedintotwomoreorlessunambiguouscamps. TheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnion, forexample,has foundit adifficultissuetostraddle.Duringthefirstmonths ofthisyear, it issuedaseriesofreleasesconcerningmass picketing,comingcloseattimestocondemningitaltogether, atothertimessetingspecificconditionsunderwhichitwould beacceptable. TheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnionhasalways supportedtheright topicketatanytime,atany place,foranypurpose.Picketing,asthecourtshave held,isaformoffreespeechandassemblyandis supportedonthatprinciple.Theonlylimitationsby
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