The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-12-01
UNEARTHING THE>PL0T
AGAINST TOM mooney
(From The Irish WORLDLY

1t looks as if the proofs of the ex-
1stence, of a conspiracy to murder
Thomas Mooney under legal forms are
now so convincing that President Will
son himself will intervene to prevent
the commission of that heinous crime.
A press dispatch from San Francisco
states that new evidence is being put
In shape to present to Secretary of
Labor Wilson and his associate COM
m1ssloners who are in San Francisco
studying labor conditions. 1t is stated
that President Wilson has given in
of the charges of frame-up against
Thomas Mooney and other labor rep
resentatives accused of having caused
the explosion that resulted in the loss
of ten lives during the preparedness
procession in San Francisco in July,
1916. Letters at the time to the local
newspapers gave warning of intended
violence. Private Investigators have
been following up clues as to the iden-
tity of those who wrote these letters
The result is that a mass of incrimin-
ating evidence against a group of an
archlsts has been secured. Some of
the members of this group are under
constant surveillance and could be ar
rested at any moment. The evidence
in question is in possession of the
United States district attorney Of San
Francisco.
United States District Attorney Orn-
baum, speaking of the matter, said:
"Statements have been made to US
which, If true, might indicate MONEYS
Innocence, but the proof has not been
turned over, and without long and
careful investigation I would hesitate
to comment on these cases now OF
course, any evidence that was offered
us would be turned over to Secretary
Wilson and his investigators. It is
reported that Chief Wilkie, head Of
the government secret service, will go
to San Francisco to take charge of the
investigation if Secretary of Labor
Wilson should inform the president
that there is ground for a more COM
plete federal investigation. In this
way there may be brought to light the
history of the conspiracy Matched for
the purpose of intimidating organized
labor on the Pacific coast. Thomas
Mooney was to die on the scaffold be-
cause his death was a necessary pre-
liminary to the reign of terror the
enemies of labor purposed inaugural
ing. Financed by the San Francisco
Chamber of Commerce, that reign Of
terror was to bear fruits in the way of
making the defense of the rights Of
labor so dangerous that no one would
undertake it except he were willing to
face such deadly perils as now threaten
Thomas Mooney and the other labor
advocates, who have been singled out
by powerful corporations for punish
ment because they espoused the cause
of wronged and oppressed wage
workers.
Let us never lose sight of the real
issue involved in the Mooney case. 1t
is not alone the life of an individual
that is at stake, It is more than that.
It is the future of Organized Labor.
with all the benefits that it is capable
Of securing for wage workers, that
would be imperilled by the successful
carrying out of the conspiracy of
which Thomas Mooney is the victim.
Hence the vital Importance of every
labor union in the United States ar
raging it's influence on the side of the
labor advocate whom the San Fran
cisco Chamber Of Commerce would
send to the gal1ows.