The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-02

Washington, was DOING in a Pullman
| car on the Pennsylvania's Congress
sional Limited. when he was awakened
at New Jersey station by an Asso-
/ ciated Press representative. He re-
! tired to the rear of the car where
there was a convenient light, and read
carefully the accounts of the sensa-
tional developments in the Los An
geles dynamiting cases.
The veteran leader was visibly af-
fected as he read how the men in
whose defense he had spoken and
worked so untiringly had admitted
their guilt Tears came into his eyes
and the hand that held the typed
pages shook. He said nothing. how
ever, until he had finished the story
and then broke forth with his excla-
nations of establishment and indigna-
ton.
IF this is all trsle. my credulity has
been imposed upon he declared. 81
am astounded at this news. We have
had the gravest assurances given to
trial, either directly or indirectly, that
these men were innocent
What effect do you imagine this
will have on labor unions?" was in
quired. To this Mr.. Gompers snapped
his fingers and CALCULATED:
None
When the fund raised by the Amer
lean Federation of Labor for the de-
Tense of the McNamaras was mention
ed, Mr.. Gompers said contributions to
date amounted to about 100000,
which had been turned over to the
chief attorneys for the defense and +
the collection was still going on. He
added that in view of developments /
the money probably would be re-
funded.
Mr.. Gompers bristled up noticeably /
when shown the statement by William /
J. Burns at Chicago.
81 don't wish to mention Burns" he +
ssid, decisively. He denied. however, :
that he had ever charged Burns with
planting the dynamite at Los An /
geIes.
Reverting to the explosion, Mr.
Gompers continued:
Patriotic and Peace Loving.
1--WE have discouraged acts like these.
We are patriotic and peace loving men,
and we have only wish to call out
the best elem ents of human nature.
Those two men must have been crazy.
1t is an act that condemn with all the
force that is in me-
Asked again if he believed the de-
-selopments would injure the cause of
labor, tears came into Mr.. GOmpers'
eyes as he answered;
'They are not going to do it any
good. But I want to repeat that the
cause of labor has been imposed upon,
both by supposed friends and enemies.
The men of labor We're led to believe
that the Mcnamara boys were inno-
cent and they acted on that belief.
read letters from them myself, pro-
testing their innocence. Only last Sep
TENDER I visited them in the Los An
geles Jail, and they asked me to de-
liver to the labor interests a message
that they were innocent men.
THE cause of labor can not win by
such methods these men pursued.
Damage to property aud destruction of
] fe we have denounced. and done all in
I FUR power to prevent. Such methods as
these have got to be stamped out
IF, after it is known we have been i'm
posed upon, we are denounced and at
tackled for supporting. the defense of
these men, then let them denounce and
attack. The American Federation of La
Dor is a lew abiding institution
E1r. Gompers said he had known John
J. Mcnamara for several years.
John was a very sself-contained man,
with great fund of humor, and he was
a good fighter he said. Il would never
have suspected him of this. always be-
lieVed in his innocence, but I would con-
denim the acts of these two men even il
they had been able to get away with it
without being convicted. This unexpected
self-cOnviction is nothing more than
failure of two individuals to live up to
the high principles of organized labor
and can not reflect just condemnation
upon the cause of labor a WHOLE
Asked what action the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor might take, Mr.. Com
pers said the news was too recent for
him to make any prediction.
1.-THE American Federation of Labor
only closed its annual meeting yester-
cial meeting. it is too early to say"