The Gem worker and the Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1914-1917, 1916-12-14
KILLING AT EVERETT
Mayor Gill Of Seattle DenOunces Sheriff Who
Fired on l. W. W.'S.
(committee on IndustriaI RelatiOnsl

found these towards in Everett who,
without right or justification, shot in
to the crowd on the boat were the
murderes and not the l. w. WIS
"The men who met the l. w. WIS
at the boat were bunch of towards.
They outnumbered the 1. w. WIS five
to one, and in spite of this they stood
there on the dock and fired into he
boat, /. w. WIS innocent passengers
and all.
"McRae, the sheriff and his deputies
had no legal right to tell the I. W.
WIS or anyone else that they could
not land there. When the sheriff put
his hand on the butt of his gun and
told them they could not land, he fired
the first shot, in the eyes of the law,
and the l. w. WIS can claim that
they shot in self defense.
"If were one Of the party of for
ty /. w. WIS who was almost beaten
to death by 800 citizens of Everett
without being able to defend myself,
would probably have armed myself
if l intended to visit Everett again.
"If the Everett authorities had an
ounce of sense, this tragedy would
have never happened"
Not even these words of the Mayor,
reproduced in newspaper which is
extremely hostile to the workers, af-
fords greater proof of the vindictive
and murderous spirit which resulted
in the killing of the workers, and in
the subsequent trial for murder of
the survivors, than the statements is
sued in the public press by the or
ganized commercial interests that
stand with the lumber trust of that
section. Their common purpose is
to beat down all working mems or
ganization. AS Mr.. Lewis has said,
such commercial interests maddened
by any example which threatened
their scramble for profit, suddenly
resolved themselves into a mob, op-
emily and unblushingly prepared to de-
fy all the decencies and proprieties
of social life, and to achieve by force
of arms, that which even their own
law declined to do for them"
Unless the spirit of the American
people arouses to the danger that lies
in such methods of unlawful repres-
sion lin the perverted name of the
law) men and women who were
thrown into jail, and who are now fac
ing trial as felons, will be railroaded
to prison, or possibly hanged, while
the real criminals, those in the sher-
iff's so-called posse" will go free
even of the stigma of prosecution
If that supreme wrong is inflicted, ii
will be one of the worst iniquities in
the name of justice that this country
has seen. More than that, it will give
encouragement to that large and pow
erful group who are now lined up for
the express. purpose of bullying and
defeating any disposition of the work
ing men and women Of country to
assert their inherent rights as citi-
zens and workers Such danger
GUS travesty Of justice viii be an ex-
ample and precedent for other similar
injuries to be inflicted in other com
munities, before other magistrates
and in other industries.
The National Labor Defense Coun.
sci, whose members are Tin addition
to Mr.. Lewis) Frank P. Walsh. Amos
Pinchot, Edward costigan, and Chas
E. S. Wood, declares its purpose tC
help in every way to save the courts
everywhere and the Departments o
Justice everywhere, and the instru
ments of the police power everywher'
for the service of real justice, ant
for the service especially Of all work
ers who are being oppressed, becaus
Of their struggle for decent living.