The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-03-21
brave BUILDERS.
The unknown Workman Against
the Sky"
BACK OF DYNAMITE TRIAL
Problems as to Cause and Effect That
Need Careful Study-Some Questions
That Must Be Answered In the In.
terest of Truth and Justice.


terest Of Truth and Justice.
70 the rank and file of the structural
iron workers attention is directed by
Graham Taylor in the Survey lie
asks:
What does this conviction Of thirty
eight American citizens. voters in four
teen states, living in twenty three
cities, mean? Does the prompt and
successful effort of their fellow WORK
ers to raise nearly $l.OOUOOO to cover
their bail bonds imply that they are
men like these leaders: If So why:
THAT why must be answered D!
something more than any court yer
dict; can be answered only by such
wide. patient and impartial inquiry -
a truly national and expert industrial
| commission can make Thus only viii
we find out how the seven years wat
between the ironWOrkers and the
erectorS' association or its cOnStitu
ents has led to such desperate lengths
| Thus only may we be informed Of the
working conditions in that hazardous
trade Perhaps we may learn what
the effects of this very hazard may be
upon the spirit and temper of these
workers against the sky.
"rerhapS when we think of the great
buildings they build. which we could
not build if we would and would not
if we could. even to shelter ourselves,
We may ourselves say with John Palm
er Gavit in his lines to an Unknown
| Workman Against the sky
"You yourself are this moment good for
my soul Am | any good for yours?
What nave | ever done for you?
Some Of us. if not all; the nation, if
I not any of us in particular, may even
be led to call up to these brave builders,
and the more when they seem most
misguidcd
Hail. brother: look down in Gods
name and forgive my debt unknown
workman far up there against the
sky.
us it not time for us all to challenge
ourselves with the inquiries which John
Palmer Gayit put to himself when h"
passed by! 1t was hricklayer up
there then. Now it is an ironworker
who stands out against the sky
WHO are yon:' we may still ask,
for most of us know him not. The
trial of his union officials at Indianapo-
lis has informed us about them. The
public accepts the verdict Of the jury
upon the conduct and character of
these convicted leaders after what
seems to have been fair trial.
But that ironwOrker up against the
sky is still unknown, Who he is does
not yet appear. The way in which that
unknown ironworker came down with
the cash to bail these imprisoned lead
ers out while their appeal is pending
shows somewhat of the man he is IT
does not necessarily prove him to be
dynamiter himself or that he justifies
the use of dynamite in his behalf. But
Gals while under fire
This does not eXtenuate their guilt
of a crime which involved utter indif
ference to the destruction of life as
well as property. But it does raise
these questions: Who are they, Why
do they think so? How did they come
to the conclusion that this terrorism is
the best or perhaps the only way of
serving that fellow workman up there
unknown to US, but not to them? This
can be answered only by such wide,
patient and impartial inquiry as truly
national and expert Industrial commits
sion can make"
In the same publication John A.
Fitch. summing up the significance of
the indianapolis trial, says:
There is larger problem than the
dynamiting, and it can never be set
tied by court or any number of
courts or by anybody other than all
the people We must stop the law
breakers. If necessary we must put
them in Jail But if we do no more
than that we shall have gone no further
toward stamping out wrong and in
justice than the doctors would toward
graduating disease if they contented
themselves with sending their patients
to the pesthouse.
y
things with regard to which the Indi
annapolis trial has left us so much In
the dark-the terms between man and
man in industry. between n democrat
&c people and the corporations whose
Jobs mean livelihood The Indianapolis
trial shows us the failure of a criminal
court to supply us with such informa-
ton at a critical juncture
Even so. great public service was
performed by prosecution and court
for when the state and local authori-
ties weakly and shamefully neglect to
interfere In n campaign of violence
which led inevitably to bloodshed the
United States authorities. through the
hating medium of a law designed only
to protect the travelling public from
ignorant carelessness, uncovered the
conspiracy.
1.-THE very effectiveness of this crimi-
nal court to do this thing shows by
contrast the inefectiveness Of any
agency we now have as competently
to get an understanding of the facts
and forces OF the economic struggle
which lay back of that conspiracy.
This very lack is what gave occasion
to the movement for commission on
industrial relations which would take
up the larger aspects in ways COM