The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-12-07
CHEER M NAMARAS AS HEROES
VINO SAYS "NJ RDERERS" rs
4 FOGI. SHOTTS LONDON.
"Not criminals. but Fighters In n Cause"
Hear. Hear" From Incy Miihol.
land and Applause From Liberal Arts
cub 4. -. Prosecutor Objects.

Members of the Liberal Club who dined
last night a, the St. Denis applauded when
Meyer London shouted:
Any Judge who pronounccs the Nc
Namara brothers murderers is DOL.
In" Mcnamara boys are not common
criminals. They are fighters in cause,
and any Judge who considers them in
any other light has "a narrow, small head
and "A narrow. small soul"
The handclapping that followed these
declarations was prolonged, but above
1t was heard distinctly the cry Hear!
Hear" in the clear treble of Inez Mil
holland the Nassar socialist -suffragist.
But Mr.. London couldn't be heard any
more because the POSTMASTER the Rev.
John Haynes Holmes, rang bell to
indicate that 1t was the turn of the next
speaker. William A. Wemple, Assistant
Attorney-General Of the United States.
IS, the Mcnamara brothers are heroes.
are they demanded Mr.. Wemple. Il
| call them ordinary murderers
There was no applause.
Heroes are they, who have mistaken
their means" said Mr.. Wemple. Who
is TO rule the people of this country? Are
the men who wear overllls TO do it, If
they are | am agreeable, only | want to
know whether the Government is to be
in such hands or whether il is TO be
managed by those whose minds have
/ been trained
! The only point | wish to make is that
( there must somewhere be some penal
authority, and when il falls 10 a man 10
make decision he must do il in accord
ance with the dictates of his own con
! science The fundamental function of a
( court Is the settlement of disputes. and II
/ is ridiculous for Mr.. London to talk about
/ the Supreme Court usurplng power when
; 1t merely exercises the power vested in il
of rendering the ultimate decision.
: Il understood that we met here to-
night to discuss the question as to whether
or no the courts of the United States
were usurpers of authority and oppres-
sors of the people. The subject seems to
! have resolved itself into an inquiry
as to whether the courts are oppressors
Of the men who wear overals ! wore
them myself once and | thought then |
was able to take care of myself; but it
seems TO me that to-day the man in over
ans ufIlutl'iS HO'bl utdl VI ppotCNNiOli
and many inalenable rights.
When John Mcnamara decided he
had the inaliena BILE right to blow up the
works Of company with whom he and
some fellow workers had disagreement
he was not only technically criminal
He was selfish and dishonest a heart"
Mr. Wemple paused, but he got no
evidence of sympathy from the audience
which had applauded Mr.. London's ar
raignment Of the Supreme Court of the
United States as the national board OF
directors of the capitalist class"
is this a republican form of govern
ment?" demanded Mr.. London. Il should
say rather that We are ruled 10y nono-
garchy. "A ma jority of one of them at
that. The Constitution means what
say it means they cry. Now ! say
Away with the precedents of the past
Let us live in the present | say the
Supreme Court is driving the country tC
revolution by its arbitrary methods of
crushing good legislation on the GROUND
that it is unconstitutional, How do they
know what those farmers of 1887 had il
mind anyway?
BY what rights do courts say that
certain kinds of strikes are legal and
others illegal? They say you can form
unions, but you mustn't organize an
entire industry. In other words. you can
strike, but you mustn't be successful.
Now they are discussing the constitu-
uonahty OF lhe referendum; Woulu
pronounce it unconstitutional, and then
we can declare them unconstitutional
Elect me to the Supreme Court. The
men now on the bench haven't the nerve
to make new precedents. but I'm not
afraid, and won't ask Murphy about it
either"
Gilbert Roe, who opened the discussion
explained that the deeds of the
McNamaras were largely the result of the
feeling on the part of laboring men that
they could not get justice in the courts.
The McNamaras, he said, ARE not i'll
intentioned men. Neither are they social
isls or ultra radical They are Roman
Catholics in religion and Democrats in
politics"
Mr.. Roe wanted 10 know why the courts
pronounced it legal for employers tc
blacklist, but wrong for employees /,
boycott.
SIR, Memplc said in n second five min,