The Gem worker and the Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1914-1917, 1916-12-14

s@N~-@
truth about the killing last month OF
fourteen or more of the workers who
were attempting to land at the dock
in Everett, Washington, to hold free
speech meeting in that lumber town,
is coming into possession of the Ma
tional Labor Defense Counsel. The
men were killed outside of all forms
of law by sheriff and mob of dep
uties and gunner, commercial club
members, and riff raft of Everett
and nearby cities. The most of the
men who wre killed, and the two
score or more of those who were
wounded, happened to be members of
the Industrial Workers of the World.
They were shot in cowardly cold
blooded fashion, not because they
were /. w. WIS, but because, to en-
courage other workers who were on
strike against the Weyerhaeuser in
terests, they were attempting to land
from a boat from Seattle to exercise
the constitutional right of free speech.
The unlawful killing of these men
was a first outrage, which is now be-
ing followed by, the possible greater
danger to the liberties of citizens that
about $50 other workers who accom-
panied those who were killed are now
actually facing trial on a charge OF
murder, because sheriff's deputy and
another person were killed as re-
suit of the attack on the workers.
Austin Lewis, lawyer and publicist
Of San Francisco, who is member
of the National Labor Defense Coun-
sci, made this statement to the Com
mittee on Industrial Relations:
"The facts of the case are these in
nutshell. The shingle weavers'
strike implied picketing. The pick
eting implied annoyance to local bus
mess men. The annoyance developed
into anger. Picketers were jailed and
then beaten. Men came from the
harvest fields with enough money to
hire boats. They decided to hold
public meeting in Everett and on their
attempting to land in Everett were
fred upon by the sheriff's posse. A
large number were killed: at least
fourteen, probably more. A still
greater number were wounded; and
on their return to Seattle the whole
boats load was arrested and charged
with murder because the sheriff and
another man had fallen in the fray.
."Not even the most vehement re-
actionist will argue that the men were
not exercising perfectly constitu-
tional right in attempting to land at
Everett. Nobody will deny, in fact it
is cynically admitted, that the sheriff
acted merely as the agent of the COM
mercial club. The only defense made,
and It is made with absolute effront-
cry and disdain, is that If the COM
mercial club did not like these people
20 come into Everett, they had the
right 10 prevent their entry into Ev-
erett even BY force Of arms and in
violation Of all constitutional author
ity."
That this statement by an impartial
student Of economical affairs is mild
indictment Of the sheriff and these
who supported him in the outrage, IS
proved bv the facts that have finally
come out Of the FIRST confused account
of the fight. Below is the statement
Of Mayor H. C. Gill, Of Seattle, from
which city the three hundred or more
workers started for Everett. The
Mavor of Seattle declares, and his re-
cord proves 1t. that he has no liking
for the /. w. W., but sense Of JUS
tiee and regard for the fundamental
rights Of every citizen induced Mayor
CHI TO say to a reporter Tor the
Seattle Times:
aIn the final analysis, i will De
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cermanys new "man-power' Law
ehforces upon civilians the same slav-
ery 10 which soldiers are subjected
All the belIigerents are alike in laes
81 hesitation to engage in universal
conscription Of men. and in powerful
aversion to CONSUMPTION Of wealth
What reason IS there to believe thai
the United States would be any bet,
ter1-Ths Public