The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-30
UNDESIRABLEs OR MARTYRS ?
Two Points of View of Haywood
Meyer Criticism.

Prom the NeE Yurk Globe
In his letter 10 the Chicago committee.
President Roosevelt lays down sound and
interchangeable principles, principles in
behalf OF which every good citizen should
rally.
1t is a grave onense to attempt TO in
terfere with the orderly administration
Of Justice. The motto on the letterheads
of the -Haywood-Petu COM
mlttee-namely. Death Cannot, VIII Not,
and Shall Not Claim Our Brothers -
betrays such a bias and p-ejudgment as
Is Incompatible with the desire for a fair
trial Every word the President says in
condemnation of such an advance attitude
is 90 be commended with all possible
emphasis
Similarly the President strikes a re-
sponsive chord when he Identifies as
undesirable" citizens the labor agita-
tors who 'habitually appear as guilty Of
Indictment TO or apology for bloodshed
and violence" AS the President says,
the sharpest line should always be drawn
between 'law-abiding and upright repre-
sentatives Of labor" and those preachers
Of violence who are themselves the worst
foes of the honest laboring men"
These principles. especially the first
are so sound that the President. as well
as the Chicago committee. should be
guided By them. That he was not guided
( by the first is the substance Of the criu-
cism lodged against the President for his
reference TO Meyer and Haywood in the
Sherman letter. To this criticism IL can
hardly be claimed ne makes convincing
reply. He does not acquit himself by con-
victing the Chicago committee. Mover
and Haywood are on trial for their lives
on specific charge. The men are in jail
and have been arraigned. Under these
circumstances, for the nations Chief
Magistrate 10 denounce them conspicu-
ously cannot make for that minimum Of
I prejudice which should be present in
judicial action.
The President says that his utterance
was not designed" to influence the trial
Even though not so designed" the Presi-
dent is compelled 10 consider what effect
his words were calculated to have. IL IS
not always by what they intend. bat
sometimes by the fair consequence OF
/ their acts, that men are judged. Granted
J that il be established that Meyer and
Haywood showed themselves "undesir-
able" citizens before they were landed in
| Jail. pT0priety suggests silence as TO this
while inquiry as 20 the truth of a par
/ ticular charge Is on. What would have
/ been thought IL Gov. Hughes, while the
/ Thaw jury was being impaneled, had
made a public attack on Thaw? Would
/ the truth Of what he said have been
admitted as Justification?
As matter Of fact, the President. Of
/ course. has no wish to prevent Meyer
and Haywood having a fair trial. Yet 1t
/ is most unfortunate, when efforts are be-
/ ing made to show labor organizations the
wickedness Of assuming that the courts
4 of Idaho are corrupt and unjust, for
/ the President to give color 10 the charge
I that he also is interfering. He may be
/ able to discriminate to his own salts
/ faction, but to many at the present juno
/ tuHe IL viii seem that Il he may pillory
| Meyer and Haywood as "undesirables. -
/ Others may eXalt them as martyrs -
[ The next time the President feels moved
/ to mention names and point to types
/ he should select men not on trial