The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-11-25
NOT LADOR'S WAY
Trade Unionism Not Responsible
For Los Angeles Affair.
LAB0R'S DUTY TO ITSELF.

| Organized Workers Must Exhaust
Every Resource and Use Every En-
deavor to Place the Blame Where It
Belongs.
In refreshing contrast to the pluto
,ratic press in general the Philadel-
phia Public Ledger refuses to believe
that the explosion that wrought such
! havoc to the Los Angeles Times was
caused by union labor. 1t says edi-
| torially:
The promptness with which some of
the labor organizations Of Los Angeles
have Joined with the city authorities
in the effort to apprehend the mis-
creants responsible for the destruction
of the Times newspaper plant and
the appalling loss of life attending it
shows that the labor leaders of the
Pacific coast recognize that no more
deadly blow could possibly be admin
istered to trade unionism than its in
innate Identification with assassina
ton.
1t is impossible to believe that the
Typographical union as a body had
any hand in the destruction of even
so implacable an enemy as the Los
Angeles Times or in the wanton muir
der of its employees.
1t has taken the right course in
promptly joining with the authorities
in the effort to run down the Grim
inals.
Rewards aggregating 100000 or
more have been offered for detection
of the miscreants who in attempting
to destroy the Los Angeles Times
committed q score of murders. No
monetary consideration should be nee
essary to spur organized labor to an
endeavor to uncover the assassins and
to demonstrate beyond all cavil that
workmen banded for mutual protec-
| ton have no part or lot with cowardly
criminals.
The Pacific coast has been the scene
of many acts of violence perpetrated
as war was waged between employer
and employed, but in almost every in
stance the secret plot. the placing of
a bomb, the use of the torch, has been
traced to some rufiianly element that
under guise of unionism has given
reign to its own base instincts. The
anarchist, the loafer, the agitator
have used the opportunity to express
their hatred for law. for society, for
every form of restraint, and the onuS
of their deeds has rested at least for
a time, upon those to whom the deeds
were abhorrent.
From the fact that the owner of the
Times had long fought the unions and
that between him and them existed an
acute hostility it is easy to rush to
the conclusion that the unions are re-
sponsibe for the recent outrage. The
establishment of this hypothesis as a
fact would be the most serious blow
that could be administered to union
ism in this country Union labor
should regard as intolerable even the
vague shadow of a suspicion and
avert it by prompt and decisive action.
The Typographical union has an
honorable history. 1t has made ear
nest fights for its principles and when
it has won has not abused the fruits
of victory. When it has lost it has not
appealed to any form of incendiary ac-
tivity in reprisal. That it could have
any sympathy with the villainous as
sault upon life and property is un-
thinkable to those familiar with the
character of its membership.
Union labor has an open foe in those
who oppose it as an institution. 1t
has a more insidious and deadly enc
my in the vandal and assassin who
essays to steal its livery and uses as
though to advance its cause weapons
that would destroy unionism unless
the pretense were exposed. To assist
in running down these murderers is a
duty union labor owes to itself