Arizona republican., 1912-02-16
The Dynamite Cases.


Within the past two days scores
OF men have been arrested in vari-
Gus parts Of the country on indict-
ments charging them with completely
in almost a hundred dynamite out
RACES in which the property Of vari-
GUS open shop contractors has been
destroyed
The fact itself is 4 staggering one;
hut it is a more staggering fact that
in some quarters the cry Of outrage
and conspiracy has already been
raised.
1t viii hardly appeal to the sober
sense OF the country that this is "a
good time 10 raise 4 cry of that kind.
Il is recalled that when the McNa-
maras were arrested an even more
insistcnt cry went up. II was posi-
lively asserted that inhuman monsters
were thirSting Tor the blood of the
McNamaras. that there was a plot
10 stretch their necks," 10 quore
the language OF one Of their frcn-
zied defenders. and that capital
would be satisfied only with their
blood Also. il was asserted over and
over again. before 4 syllable Of proof
had been offered that the McNa
niaras were as innocent as it was
possible for men to be. Yet. in spite
Of al that was said and done il
turned out that the McNamaras We're
as guilty as men could be. And
their guilt was established. not
through proof by the state, hut
through their own confessiOn-a con-
fession that was made for the pur-
pose of securing a mitigation Of pun
ishment
The developments OF that cas-"
should teach 4 lesson in the present
one. Whether the men now under
arrest are guilty or not guilty is not
known But they have been indicted
BY = grand jury; and if there had not
been a prima facie case against them
they wo,lld not have been indicted.
There is no reason to believe tn"
law has not been observed in THIS
case. And if the law has been OBJ
served these indictments mean that
such evidence was offered the granl
jury that. if unexplained. would war
rant a conviction of the defendants by
n trial jury. That is the rule I'M
der which grand juries make their
Investigations.
SO. there is really no cause for
outbursts of Indignation. These men
occupy precisely the same position
any other men would occupy if ac-
cuscd of crime The fact that they
belong to labor unions has absolute
~ nothing to do with the case. Ger
tainIy. If they are guilty and the evi-
dence is in the hands OF the govern
ment. their affiliations will not save
them. If they arc not guilty these
will not deprive them "f
a single one of their rights
1t is frequently asserted that work
ing people believe in law and order.
OF course this is true. For if they |
did not believe in law and order there !
are enough OF them to demolish !
both. But no credit attaches to ii
man for believing thus. just as no
credit attaches To n man for telling
the truth. Belief in law and ord,r
and the maintenance of law and or
der are things we have right to
expect from all citizens.
But it will not do To lose sight 81
the fact that somebody did commit !
these dynamite outrages; and the
men who committed them aimed not
merely at the property of certain in
dividuals: they aimed at the structure |
of government itself II is the duty OF !
to get on the right side |
of this question if he is not already |
there and lend his moral support To
the government i'm order that the per |
sons guilty Of these unspcakable OUT
RACES. whoever they may he. shall |
lie brought to justice and receive ade-
quate punishment.