The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-12-07
Confession of the McNamara's

The confession on Friday Of the Nc
Namara brothers to the dynamiting
of the Times building in Los Angeles
and of the Lewellan Iron Works was
a great surprise and has been the sub
iect of wonder and discussion by all
classes of people thro u ghout the
country ever since. The crimes com.
mitted by these men were dastardly
and their punishment should be severe
When the Times building was blown
up 21 persons we're killed. John b.
Mcnamara pleaded guilty to this
crime. He is guilty Of murder and we
believe in the death penalty for muir
der and that he should receive that
penalty.
The foulness of the crimes and that
the perpetrators Of the crimes should
be punished to the limit of the law
are matters which we do not believe
are necessary of discussion. But we
do believe that the crimes and the
confessions contain two lessons, one
for labor and one for capital, that
need thought and consideration.
The confession of these crimes by
the McNamara's, men high in union
labor circles, it has been claimed by
some is hard blow to organized labor.
We do not believe and we hope this is
not true. 1t should instead be most
valuable lesson to labor men.
We believe that 1t is necessary In
communities where there are large
factories empl Dying large number
of laboring people for them to organ
ize; that it is only through organiza-
tion that the laboring class can secure
their rights, the true fruits of their
labors. We believe that II not the
only way, organization is the best way
known by which laboring people can
bring themselves TO higher moral
and religious plane and thus become
truer and better citizens.
But there is only one way, aside from
revolution, whereby unions can aid
their members and that is 10y working
within the law. Union men, who In
the name of the union, resort to vio-
lence and lawlessness are not only not
helping the condition of the laborlng
element but are instead injuring 1t.
In union their is strength, but that
strength must be used righteously II
permanent good is to be secured.
Labor organizations should learn
from the crimes of the Mcnamara
that they must place in their positions
of honor and trust only the highest
type of men; fearless men men who
know the right and knowing dare
maintain 1t, but will maintain 1t with
legal weapons men of ability and OF
discretion. The organization must
stand for law and order and must
summarily expel any member who Is
guilty of violence, disorder or lawless
ness of any kind. II this is done more
will be accomplished in generation
to improve and better the condition ol
the laboring class than can be accom-
plished in century by fitful outbreak
of violence, such as dynamiting anc
burning buildings, murder, assaultinl
non union laborers, etc. Labor for itl
own salvation must protect itself from
its lawless members.
II the crimes of the McNamara
were generally known and planned By
labor leaders, as Is claimed by many
than capital also has lesson to learn
from these crimes. Big employees o.
labor, If this is true, should see thai
there is something wrong with condi
tions, when men, as class, are willing
to wilfully destroy property and com
NIT murder because of these condi
tion. Capitalists of course will say
"why blame us, we can not help II