Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1907-07-11

A wonderful change has come over
popular sentiment in the last few days
in regard to the status Of the trial.
The public has been made aware that
there are two sides to this case. Incl
dent by incident the defense witnesses
that have come to the stand have
placed before the daily auditors the
almost unbelievable tale of the atroc-
tiles and injustice perpetrated by the
employers of labor upon the men that
do their work.
The bitter facts and their pregnant
cause, the alignment of all the forces
and authority of existing society in
favor of the exploiter and against the
man that works-tbese things that the
socialists have been telling over and
over for half a century are here
brought into the white light that beats
upon a labor trial, are spread 10 The
four winds of the earth, and all the
world is learning them.
The prosecution, and "respeetable" T"
society generally, have come to see
that these working men have had
ample cause for resentment ami revolt,
even had they been goaded into irany
indiscretions themselves.
Conservative respectable society WAS
prone to look upon the allegations of
the miners as mere fables with no cx-
istence in realty whatever. Blu; such
indisputable evidence has been given,
even by the prosecution g witnesses Of
the awful conditions that have pre-
vailed in the mining camps, that those
who have listened have learned new
and tragic pages in the history Of the
busy world about them, and became
wiser, if not sadder men and women.
Even tho prosecution lawyers have
been visibly affected by the tales Of
many of the men, and one in a position
to know said recently that even BorPh
did not want to see the men hang.
All of the venom and hatred seems
to have dropped out of the attitude of
the attorneys for the state in handling
the case. They have learned things-
things that they never knew about
what the men have endured in those
labor conflicts. IL is evident TO all that
these witnesses are telling of facts
that occurred, and that the last few
days there has been little cross-exam.
ination.
Morris Friedman has been the man
that crystalizei this gathering senti.
ment. He has come to meet the oc-
casion with the convictions of the an.
cient prophets of his race. His pale
serious face, his thorough and quick
familiarity with every detail connected
with the task which he had so con
scientiously taken upon himself, his
firm, strong, fearless and palpably
truthful answers which he gave to all
questions have forced hatred and op.
position to the background and brought
respect and attention even into the
faces of the Pinkertons, who were un.
dergoing his terrible arraignment.
The attorneys for the state soon saw
that they were dealing with a remark
ably keen and capable intellect, one
that steadfastly baffled thir coarse and
untrue insinuations by the fervor OF
the humanitarian purpose that inspired
him.
He reached the climax Of the effect
he created when Borah accused him OF
stealing the copies Of the detective cor
respondence. With his voice thrilling
with the sense of the justice that had
impelled him to the sacrifices he had
undergone to give his knowledge of the
work Of these inhuman fiends to the
world, he Indignantly repelled the
charge. "When I discovered the
crimes they were committing, and the
wicked plots they were attempting to
iosbon on tne nhcnlni5Is, tho ShisoN
Mine Workers, and the Western Fed
GRAFTON. considered these matters
the property Of the various unions
and that I was restoring 1t to the
rightful owners.'
The ringing words electrified the
courtroom, and the ranks Of the Fe ]
GRAFTON broke into cheers, which th,
guards forgot to silence. A mora
purpose had taken the place of tho
brute passion that had hitherto dom
mated the issues.
Emerson says, GA heroic deed makes
the bystanders to shine" and all who
heard the words Of the young Hebrew