The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-12-05

the very beginning with the MeNa-
maras merely because those men had
been prominent in labor circles. The
presumption that they were innocent
was based merely upon the fact that
they we're labor union men. The en-
ployment Of the machinery Of the law
to bring them to trial was denounced
as persecution. The proper attitude
for the labor leaders would have been
to denounce the crime and to assist in
bringing to justice the culprits, who
ever they might be, in the hope of
showing that they were not affiliated
with the unions and in the determrina-
ton to repudiate with all possible en-
ergy their acts if they were found to
be members of the unions. Instead of
that the cause of the McNamaras was
made the cause of the unions, under
the unwise leadership Of men like
Samuel GomDers. The rank and file
Of organized labor, constituting as
sturdy and fine class Of citizenship
as any country could desire, were
simply misled by few unfit leaders
into assumipng an attitude Of sym
pathy for men Of whose guilt or in
nocence they knew nothing. The Nc
Namaras we're hailed as heroes and
martyrs. Their prosecutors were de-
nounced as tyrants and oppressors Of
the working classes If the brothers
had been convicted there would still
have been large element that would
have insisted they had been sacrificed
by trickery and trumped up evidence.
But they have confessedt Out Of
their own mouths has come condem-
nation of their horrible crime, done,
according to all the evidence, in the
cause Of labor. Never was there a
greater betrayal OF a legitimate cause
and a splendid and wholesome inter-
est than was made by these perverted
opponents Of labor unionism They
have wrought evil Of the worst kind
for tie cause they sought to promote.
But, howeye-, dreadful their crime
against society and the evil they have
brought to the organizations they
thought they we're representing, they
are not the worst offenders against
organized labor as a whole. The Lead
ers who misled "a vast army Of hon
est workingmea into sympathy and
support of a pair Of anarchists and
destroyers, who have arrayed the la
Dor unions OF the country against the
forces of law and order and the pro
tectors of life and property, should
be called to a stern accounting. The
labor unions of the country. stunned
and shocked as their membership
must be by the revelation OF the posi-
ton in which they have been put by
the course of their leaders. should
forthwith put themselves on record
as condemnlng in the most convinc,.
ing terms, not only the act of -ths-s1c-
Namaras, but the false and fatuous
leadership of the men who arrayed
the whole force Of union labor on the
side of blood guilty men against the
hand Of the law that was seeking to
bring them to justice.
The result of the case is of meal
culable value just at this juncture be-
cause it will sustain the contention
Of law-abiding citizens everywhere
that neither labor nor capital has the
right TO pursue a rule or ruin" poll
icy 1t will furthermore strengthen
the hands of those who have been
lifting their voices and exerting their
influence against the unjust exaotions
OF labor organizations-and it ought
to prove an all-peryading lesson to
unionists that mans leadership in
labor organizations does not render
him immaculate or incapable Of com.
hitting crime,
The McNamaras raised their muir
derous hands to strike down the
rights of property. OF life and Of free
speech. and as such they are not only
common criminals but constituencies
and reckless enemies Of society, who
ought to be put to death by due pro-
cess of the outraged law.
STEAMEF ENIDENTI =1NAR