The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-10-02
The Daily Star-Mirror carries the Uni
ted Press Associations Service.
WEDNESDAY,, OCTOBER 9, 1912.
LABOR AND. CAPITAL AT WAR
THE SIGNIFICANCE.

In two instances which promise e
be historic, American labor is OF
trial in American courts today for al.
legged crimes growing out of its
quarrel with capital The very ex.
istence of organized labor as such is
threatened by these cases, and on the
other hand If grasping capital has
oyer-reached itself the injury will re-
bound to capital.
The full Significance of either case
cannot be understood without the con
sideration of both. In neither can the
facts be interpreted as standing alone
Fifty men are on trial today in
the city of Indianapolis on charge OF
shipping dynamite and nitroglyoerin
illegally between states for the pur-
pose OF blowing up steel framed struc-
lures erected by non-union labor.
The evidence against these fifty
men consists of the confession of a
confessed dynamiter, together with
such corroborating evidence as the
Burns detective agency has been able
to weave about that confession.
You must remember that part of the
Burns detective agency. 1t was EN-
ployed by the Erectors Association
which had declared war on the labor
unions in the structural steel indus
try for the purpose of substantiating
the employers claim that the unions
were criminal and lawless.
Besides the confession of the dyna-
inter McManigle, and the Burns It's
sue of evidence there is one other
thing to be considered: That is the
confessions of the Mcnamara brothers
of dynamiting the Los Angeles Times
building, and of the Lewellan Iron
Works, for which they are now sery-
ing time in San Quentin. They too.
are indicted at Indianapolis.
The cases against these 80 labor
leaders grow out of these two Incl
dents. AS matter of fact if the men
accused are guilty they are guilty of
something far more henious than the
Illegal shipping of dynamite. They
are guilty of the same crimes of which
John j. and James B. Mcnamara are
confessedly guilty.
The government however is going to
be satisfied If the McAIanigle confess |
sion and the Burns secured evidence |
can convict them of shipping dyna-
mite.
Its case rests on the theory of a
gigantic conspiracy in which labor
leaders in the building trades through
out the entire country are supposed
to have declared a war of dynamite
and murder against the employers
OF enforced idleness on all such union
men as would not surrender their
right to cooperate for
the betterment OF their working con-
ditions.
1t may be that such thing occur
red it may be that potential murder
ers have control ofthe labor unions of
this country. but there is nothing but [
the confession of a self confessed
iynamiter and accomplice in dynamite !
murders together with the Burns-ad- I
iuced evidence to show it.
Now consider the Salem case. A po- |
Iiceman shot a striking woman. A
brother policeman arrested a strike or
sanizer for the killing. Three wit
1esses testified that policeman did
he shooting and identified the police =
nan. The strike organizer was held Il
without bail on a murder charge in e
he first degree. Two other organic !
srs, who had preached and warned n
against force in the strike were ar /,
'ested and held as accomplices. They Q
ire today on trial for their lives in
What is palpably, according to the be- h
ief of the press of this country, a C.
rame-up, to deprive them of their n
liberty and keep them from organizing y
he employees of the wooden trust !;
1t is quite evident that in that case g
t least, capital is able to bring about t
framed-up charge of crime and force !, IL
trial on it. 1t may even be strong >,
nougn to force conviction, for the IL
curt refuses to let the defense inter- al
ogate the talesmen as to their the q
ries of the relation of capital and la m
or. tr
Another instance-and this of dyna- Ell
lifting. During the Lawrence strike III
was found in the homes of II
lie strikers. 1t was also discovered la
transit on a railroad train. News TO
apers in Boston published stories of 81
le discovery before it had occurred n
n undertaken who had received IA