The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-07-28

And right the day must win;
To doubt would be disloyalty,
To falter would be sin.
-Faber
From Los Angeles last October came
the news that a terrible catastrophe had
occurred in that city-that the Los
Angeles Times building had been de-
stroyed, with the loss of number of
lives. The first word spoken, even be,
fore the flames had completed their de-
struction, by the emissaries of the Times
contained positive declarations that Or
ganized labor was responsible for the
disaster. Qualifying statements were
conspicuous by their absence. Wide
publicity was given, warped and unsup-
ported allegations against the organized
workmen of the entire country were fea-
tured, vast sums of money were dangled
in the faces of unscrupulous men to fas-
ten the crime upon some member or
members of the trade unions. The Ma
tional Manufacturers association, flank
ed by the Erectors' association, Citizens
alliances, detective agencies and hos
tile press, brought their every influ-
ence to bear and appropriated every at
ttude that the charges made against or
ganized labor had been proven beyond
the peradventure of doubt.
The authors of the charge, after
months of intrigue and searching in
vestigations, utterly failed to substan-
tiate the flamboyant and positive ac-
cusations that had been made. The
public mind was slowly emerging from
the hypnotic spell in which it had been
enveloped and mutterings of suspicion
began to be heard against the origin
ators of the indictments against labor
men. The position of the hostile en-
ployers' associations became exceedingly
desperate. The Times management,
| with its years of relentless warfare
against humanity, fearing that its Bel
shazzar feast of organized labor's blood
was about to be denied, redoubed its
efforts, and demanded that sacrifice
must be furnished that it's unholy appe-
tite might be appeased, specifying that
some union workman or workmen must
be supplied to assuage its unnatural and
abnormal hunger.
The record of events is too well known
to make it necessary to recount them in
detail. That "the end justifies the
means" became the slogan, is patent.
With all the forces of greed compactly
joined, there began a campaign of van
dalism the like of which has never before
found Judgement on the pages of our
American republics history. A promi-
nent member of union labor was select
led, j. j. Mcnamara, and one at whom
the finger of suspicion had never before
pointed, whose life had been character
ized by an uprightness of purpose and
loyalty to the cause of labor, and whose
activities in every walk had drawn to
him the commendation of his fellows.
To give the stage the proper setting
and to involve other trades than the
Iironworkers, j. b. Mcnamara, the
brother, was selected for the sacrifice.
With intrigue, falsehood and an utter
disregard for all forms of law. applying
individual force, conniving with faith
less officials, the two McNamaras were
rushed in feverish haste to the scene of
the alleged crime. The rights of these
two men have been trampled upon, will
fully, flagrantly and wantonly.
Every man, even the meanest, under
the constitutional guarantees of our
country, is entitled to trial by a jury
of his peers, and every man is presumed
to be innocent until proven guilty.
Thus far the proceedings have been out
side the pale of those guarantees. The
charge has been lodged against organized
labor and two of it's members are now
before the bar to answer to these
charges. What is the duty of the or
ganized labor movements What shall
be our course? What efforts shall be
put forth to see to it that justice shall
finally obtainH
The intellect, heart and soul of the
men of labor yield to no body or class
of citizens in their fidelity in obedience
to the law, and their history is replete
with instances of sacrifice that humanity
may be protected If within the ranks
of labor there are those who commit in
fractions of the law, then they should
be punished, but there should not be in
stituted double standard of Justice
one for the wealthy malefactor and an
other for the workman.
The organized labor movement be
lieves that the McNamaras are innocent
Upon that belief there deyolves upon us
another duty. The accused men arr
workmen, without means of their owr
to provide proper defense. The as
sault is made against organized labol
equally with the McNamaras. If we ar