The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-09-07
THE SPOKANE LABOR
COUNCIL ACTED UN-
DER EXCITEMENT
Continued from Page One.)

We present herewith the view of
the Spokane Central Labor Council
as we ascertained them, which con-
stituted the motive impelling the pas
sage of the resolution of protest and
censure.
The unionists asserted that there
has long been an element in Spo-
kane that has persistently and con-
sistently fought the trade union
movement, secretly when it could,
openly if it's hand was forced, but
always against every movement to-
ward social betterment as typefied
by trade union activity. This crowd
were members of and allied by SYM
pathy with the Inland Empire EN-
ployers' Association. The l. w. w.
had long maintained a headquarters
in Spokane and openly carried on
their usual propaganda. There was
never any evidence of law violation
but the usual well known methods of
spreading the peculiar and vicious
doctrines of that organization were
carried on. The calling of the lum-
Der strike by the |. w. W. in Idaho
to a large extent injured trade and
the business interests were therefore
concerned in quickly ending the
strike. An open boycott of Spo-
kane business men by the surround
ing country was threatened if the
Spokane authorities did not take dras-
tic steps to curb the l. w. w. and
close their activities in Spokane,
which city was their headquarters
and recruiting station for all the sur
rounding country. They asserted
that all the evidence tended to prove
that the strongest kind of pressure
was brought to bear upon the COVER
nor and upon the city and county
officials of Spokane to bring about
federal suppression in that city of the
l. w. w. They asserted that there
was no evidence that the city and
county authorities were not amply
able to handle any situation that
might arise in connection with the
threatened strike of August Goth.
They asserted that the movement
against the Nv. w. was also aimed
at the trade union movement. That
if a precedent of federal control could
be established in the case of the l.
W. W., it could later be used against
any A. F. of L. union should it
become involved in strike. They
asserted that the union haters hoped
to get rid of the |. w. w. and later,
by the same methods, clean up on
the legitimate trade unions. They
asserted that the constitutional rights
of the men arrested were violated
when they were seized without legal
warrant and the procedure constituted
menace and peril to the legitimate
union movement. At the same time
the Central Labor Council emphati-
cally and unqualifiedly repudiated the
/. W. W. as an organization, con-
demned its PHILOSOPHERS and it's meth
DDS of operation, and made this re-
pudiation a matter of public record.
At the executive session held Monday
night which we attended, those por-
tons of the resolutions demanding
the designations of labor men from
war boards and the call for a gen.
eral strike, were rescinded as being
hastily and i'll advisedly passed. The
spirit of the resolution, in which the
acts of the authorities in bringing
about federal Intervention were con-
demned and the arrest of the men
without warrant as being in violation
Of their constitutional rights, were
condemned as being a menace to the
Liberties of all labor, was re-af-
firmed.
The committee found the city and
county authorities practically a unit
in the following declarations. They
admitted that there had been no ac-
tual violation of state or city laws
by the l. W. w. Stories of in
timidation and threats of violence to
the person of men if they scabbed on
the l. w. w. had reached the au-
thorities, the prosecuting attorney
and sheriff being emphatic in their
belief that this had occurred. They
believed the main body of I. w. w.
to be common working men who had
been misled by the glittering pro-
gram held up to them by their lead
ers and believed they would be good
citizens if freed from that influence.
They disclaimed acting under any
forced pressure in sending the tele-
gram to the governor calling for as
sistance. They believed the situation