Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1911-07-20
tBy National Socialist Press. }


Washington. d. c. July l5-"rhe
growing amount Of litigation involving
union labor viii soon make it imposs.
ible for the organized workers to raise
money to defend themselves. We will
then have to quit hiring lawyers and
stand strong in our defenseless posit-
ion."
Thus spoke President Gompers of
the American Federation of Labor be-
fore the special committee of the SEN
ate which is investigating the third
degree" methods of the police. After
telling the committee about the Nc
Namara case and of the contempt
cases growing out of the Bucks COM
pany boycott. Gompers declared that
organized labor was getting tired pay
ing big fees to lawyers.
The labor leader intimated that in
the near future all victims OF the
enemies of organized labor would go
to Jail and put their fate in the hands
Of ajury composed Of all the people.
bill for both defense and prosecution.
Gompers made this statement at the
conclusion of his testimony relating to
the kidnapping of John ]. Mcnamara
which is now being investigated by
the Senate committee on third de-
gree" The veidence presented was
practically the same which has been
brought out at the hearing on Repre-
sentative Berger's resolution before
the House Committee on Rules.
In opening his testimomny Gompers
referred several times to the House
hearing but always omitted the name
OF Berger as being responsible for.
or in any way connected with that
hearing. Senator Brandegee, chair
man of the committee, noticed this
strange omission and asked Gompers
the name of the person who laid the
Mcnamara evidence before the House
Committee.
Attorney Rappaport', replied Com
pers.
But what was the name of the
Representative who introduced the
resolution for a congressional investi-
cation of this alleged kidnapping ?"
persisted Brandegee.
The question was plain. Gompers
replied. Mr. Berger. Of Wisconsin.
Getting down to the story OF the ar
| rest of Mcnamara on April 22.
Gompers gave in detail an account
of the seisure of the labor leader
and his being spirited out of the city
in an automobile without an oppor-
tunity of consulting with counsel de-
spite the fact hat such an opportunity
was demanded by the suspect, ma nacled
taken at breakneck speed to Terre
Haute, held in a garage until train
time and rushed to California. being
placed on three different trains dur
ing the trip"
Declaring that such an outrage
would not have been committed again.
st any person outside of the working
class. Gompers mentioned the Hay
wood case as another instance OF kid.
mapping workingmen. This statement
brought smile on the face OF Senator
Borah. a member of the committee
and who was one of the prosecuting
attorneys In that case.
Borah, however, agreed with Com
pers that Mcnamara had been denied
his legal rights. AS to the Haywood
case" Borah said, whatever may be
said from the moral side. we lived up
to the law technically. But in the Nc
.amara case, police judge who had
no Jurisdiction turned him over to the
California authorities.
Later the former prosecutor of
Meyer, Haywood and the other Off
cials OF the Western Federation of
Miners. suggested that the committee
summon the Indianapolis police judge
| before the committee to find out
whether he had been seen" by the
Burns men. Borah's suggestion was
rather a surprise to those present, and