The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-14
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
Arrest the Leaders.

To the Editor of The Age-Herald
 I was a deeply interested spectator at the mass meeting of the citizens of Bir- mingham that was held at the Bijou the atre on Wednesday afternoon last, and desire to express my most sincere indorse- ment of it's proceedings in full.
 It Is now just 25 years since the time when first become a citizen of this city and during that entire period, whether residing here or elsewhere, I have never omitted an opportunity of saying and do- ing what I could for Birmingham as I believed 1t was destined to become the in- dustrial metropolis of the south.
 i feel that would be doing violence to those professions of devotion and loyalty to Birmingham proclaimed through the past quarter of a century if I did not mingle my voice now with those who par ticipated in that meeting, held on Wednesday last, in the interest of law and order in this district. It is impos- sible to overestimate the value of good name to an individual or to a city, and as I have been for several years past where I could contribute in some degree to the good name of the entire south the burden of my song has ever been respect for law and the preservation of order at all places and at all times throughout it's domain at any sacrifice that might be required therefor.
 With that kind of a feeling and with : that record behind me I could not coun- tenance anything that could tend to law lessness. that where lawlessness exists
 
 are ineffective, I believe 1t would be sim ply cowardice to fail to deal with the known causes of such lawlessness or to speak in plain terms regarding those who are directly responsible for it.
 | The law of conspiracy is to the effect 1 that where two or more persons join in 1 the pursuit of a common object or pur- 1 pose that is unlawful then and in that event all are equally guilty in the crimes that any may commit in their efforts to 1 accomplish that common purpose. ! The existing lawlessness is directly due l to the organized strike of the United i Mine Workers of this district. That strike is for the avowed purpose of forcing the operators to recognize that union which i in itself is unlawful. There is no law l in all this land but what regards a con tract obtained by undue influence, much l more so by force as invalid, and these 1 miners are simply trying to force an un- | lawful contract. In addition to this com | mon purpose the methods used to obtain such contracts are more directly unlawful 1 for they are directed to the prevention or 1 work in the mines by those who are will , ing to do so. This right to work is CO., existent with the right ot live, and one | had Just as well deny the latter as the former. Take away from any one his | right to work freely and on any terms that he pleases and you are practically taking away life. since starvation would be the logical result of such deprivation.
 Now, in pursuit of the one common pur- pose of winning the strike, and by these unlawful methods. various crimes nave been committed, as set forth so clearly and strongly by the committee which re- | ported to Wednesdays mass meeting, ana yet that committee and that meeting failed ot name the one remedy when was in the minds of every person pres ent viz. that the responsibility for these crimes rested upon the leaders of this strike, and that they should be the first ones arrested and punished for these crimes
 As long as these leaders are free to en- courage their ignorant followers with the statements they are constantly giving forth so long will crime be committed and lawlessness prevail. In the interest of industrial peace, therefore, and Tor the sake of law and order forever in the Birmingham district 1t is my conviction that these leaders are the most guilty persons in this lawlessness, and are the ones to be punished for 1t.
 The law of conspiracy as I have herein faithfully set it forth, will justify such arrests and punishment and there should be no hesitation in any quarter regarding It. In no other way can justice be done or the good name of Birmingham be vln- dicated N F. THOMPSON.
 Birmingham, August 13, 1908