The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-12-08
HONEST TOILERS
SUFFER MOST,

The impression is. abroad in the land
that leaders of organized labor in this
country are little lower than ordinary
aSsaSsins. T h confessions of h e
brothers Mcnamara at Los Angeles,
Cal, last week, wherein one of them
James B. plead guilty to planting the
dynamite bomb which blew up the Los
Angeles Times building thereby killing
Fl innocent work men, and the other
John J.-plcad guilty to dynamiting the
Llewellyn Iron works in the same city,
will but accentuate that impression.
These confessions were not made I'M
til the accused men were firmly con-
WINGED that the governments case was
impregnable; that conviction and the
death penalty was surely their portion at
the hands of the outraged law.
The Mcnamara cases had been thor
oughIy worked up and the proof was
irrefutable. The man who secured this
irrefutable evidence was Detective Will
liam j. Burns.
The head of the American Federation
of Labor is Samuel Gompers, man who
tolls not, and neither does he spin, and
yet who travels about the country in
Pullman cars and lives in palace hotels
at the expense of honest toilerS. When
this man Gofnpers learned of the Nc
Namara brothers confession he is re-
ported TO have exclaimed: 81 am aston.
ished! My credulity has been imposed
upon. II is a bolt out of clear sky"
What does Detective Burns say to this!
In an interview with the Associated
Press at indianapolis last Sunday Mr..
Burns said: "When Mr.. GomperS says
he was surprised and that the McNam-
aras had deceived him in declaring their
innocence, he tells what is not true. Mr..
GomperS knew the McNamaraS were
guilty and has known it all along. He
knew il at the time he and the heads OF
the international union conferred in In
dianapoIiS on the question of raising
funds for the defense OF the prisoners.
Some other union men knew of their
guilt too?
Which of these men will the unpre-
JUDGED public believe? In the light OF
recent events there can be but little
doubt of the answer 10 that query. Pub
lie confidence will rest with Mr.. Burns.
But what of the honest toilers in the
ranks of union labor? These are the
men whose ''credulity has been imposed
upon" To them, having implicit con
fidencc in their leaders, do these con
fessionS come as "a bolt out OF clear
SKYE"
John ]. Mcnamara, who confessed 10
dynamiting the Llcwellyn Iron works,
was a leader. He was secretary of the
International Association of Bridge and
Structural Iron Workers.
The honest union laborerS-the &C
tual toilerS-of this country have clear
duty to perform That duty is TO have
no further commerce with violence or
the agents of violence, but 10 confine
the work OF their organizations to Sc
curing improved working conditions,
better wages, more reasonable hours.
There are questions that can best be
worked out through trade unioniSm, for
in union there is power for legitimate
and speedier accomplishment.
There is still, thank God, measure
of dignity attaching TO the performance
of honest labor in these United States OF
America, despite the assassins and graft
ers who have worked labor organizations
to their present low place in the eStima-
ton of the public.
Meanwhile those who compose the
rank and file of union laborcrs need not
hang their head. They are honest.
The are the ones who have been i'm
posed upon. They are the ones who
will suffer most through this betrayal OF
their leaders.