Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-24
PEOPLES PULPIT
THE CASE OF FRED WARREN


recent issue OF the Courier, announc-
ing the sentence of Fred Warren,
managing editor of the Appeal to
Reason, needs a few woras of ex-
PLANTATION in order to be understood by
the general reader.
Some three years ago, by con-
spiracy between the officers of Colo
RADIO and Idaho, Meyer, Haywood and
Pettibone, labor leaders of Denver
were kidnapped and railroaded across
the country to Boise, Idaho, accused
of completely in the murder of ex-
Governor Steunenperg Of Idaho. They
were thrown into prison and the trial
delayed for nearly two years. In the
meantime the case was taken to the
United States supreme court in an at
tempt by habeas corpus to get them
out on BAIL
But, although it was shown that the
parties arrested were in Denver at the
time of the murder; and that the kid
naping was done without allowing the
prisoners any chance to defend them
selves by an attorney to investigate
the legality; still the supreme court
decided that the kidnapping was per
fectly legal. One judge, McKenna, dis
sented and In his opinion published at
the time, he scored the decision
severely and stated that the real
criminals were the officers who had
violated the law in kidnapping the men,
The Appeal to Reason, a Socialist
paper printed at Girard, Kansas, with
a circulation of between three and
four hundred thousand, took very
active part in the defense of the &C
cused men. To show how ridiculous
was the decision that paper offered a
reward of $1,000 to any party that
would kidnap Ex-Governor Taylor of
Kentucky, who was fugitive from
justice, hiding in Indiana, whose Re-
publican governor refused to recognize
the extradition demand of the Ken
lucky governor, Taylor, Republican
who was accused of completely in the
murder of the newly elected Demo
cratic Governor Goebel.
This reward was published in the
Appeal and also postal cards were
mailed. The editor, Warren, was
indicted for sending through the
mail 'scurrilous, defamatory and
| threatening matter" on postal card
The trial was postponed some three
times by the government, although
| Warren was ready for trial each
time. But the government delayed
trial undoubtedly making more ex-
pense to the accused and it is charged
finally offered to drop the matter if
Warren would plead guilty and pay a
! fine Of $25. But Warren, stating he
had committed no crime, refused to do
| So
Finally at the trial, with jury
| composed of twelve men, many of
| whom had declared their hatred of
| socialism, it was shown that thou
sands of such cards were mailed every
month, by sheriffs, bankers, merchants
and others, Offering rewards for Grim
inals named and described. Ex-Gov-
ernor Taylor was pardoned by the
governor of Kentucky in time to be at
the trial, but he did not claim to have
been DETAINED by the offer Of the re-
ward A new trial was demanded,
but refused. 1t will be appealed.
To make this explanation complete,
permit me to append part of War
ren's speech as given in the Fort
Scott Tribune, as follows:
my arrest and conviction is the
| first instance on record where man
was prosecuted for attempting to bring
to the bar Of justice an indicted
| fugitive charged with the crime Of
murder. There must be some reason
why alone of the thousands of men
who, according to the rule Of this court
and the opinion Of the district attor-
ney and his assistant, have committed
| substantially the same act, should be
! singled out and marked for prosecu-
ton.
"In conclusion permit me to say
that | am not asking the mercy or
/ leniency of this court. | have com
mitted no crime and there is fostering
| In my conscience no accusation OF
guilt, but If my conviction and punish
ment will serve to rivet public atten-
| ton upon the abuses which | have
tried to point out, then l shall feel I
have not suffered this humiliation in
vain.
"After all, this is the price of hui
man progress. Why should / expect
immunity? The courts have ever
been and are today the bulwarks OF
the ruling class. Why should they
not punish offenders against that
class? In feudal slavery the courts
sustained the feudal lords, in chattel
slavery they protected the slave own
ers, and in wage slavery they defend
the industrial masters.
whoever protested for the sake of
| justice or in the name of the future,
was an enemy of society and persecut-
ed or put to death.
"In one of the most eloquent char
acterizations Of history, Charles Sum
ner, treading the march of the cen
turtles, pointed out that the most infa-
nous crimes against liberty and prog
ress of the human race had been sane
toned by the so-called courts of JUS
tice
This case is mere instance in the
mighty struggle of the masses for
emancipation. Slowly, painfully, pro.
ceeds the struggle of man against the
power of mammon. The past is writ
ten in tear and blood and the future
is dim and unknown, but the final
outcome of this world wide struggle