The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-06-29
A CALL TO THE WORKERS FROM
NATIONAL LABOR DEFENCE COUNCIL

Frank p. Walsh, chairman; 307
Massachusetts Building, Kansas City,
Missouri.
Legal Staff Frank p. Walsh
Kansas City, Mo-; Amos Pinchot,
New York City; Clarence S. barrow,
Chicago; Edward p. Costigan, Den
yer; C. E. S. Wood, Portland, Ore;
Austin Lewis, Oakland, Cal. .-.. zee. &c
Editorial Staff-LincOln Steffens,
Fremont Older, John Reed, George p.
West, Basil NJ. Manly, Dante Barton,
Carl Sanberg, William p. Harvey,
Sara Bard Field, Helen Marot Ida
Rauh, Gertrude Barnuni.
Endorsed By-Central Labor Coun-
Gil, Seattle; Building Trades Council,
Seattle; Labor Council, Oakland,
Cal; Building Trades Council, Chi
cagO; Chicago Federation of Labor;
United Board of Business Agents,
Building Trades, New York City;
Building Trades Council, San Fran
cisco.
Anton Johannsen, San Francisco,
Cal, General Organizer.
Greeting:
For some time there has been in
the minds of thousands of men and
women friendly to labor the urgent
need of national council for the
defense of labor which shall func-
, ton voluntarily to serve the best
interests of such men and women
and local unions who may be in legal
difficulties as the result of the ire
mendous economic pressure brought
to bear on them in the eternal con-
flict between labor and capital.
In practically every contest be-
tween the workers and exploiters
the courts, as well as the police
and other officials, are resorted to
as means of repression. Every
large strike is marked by efforts, too
often successful, to use the courts
and the legal agencies of the coun-
try to defeat the ends and pur-
poses of the men and women seeking
to aid themselves and bring about
more just and decent conditions for
those who toll. fragrant abuse of
the injunctive processes, false charges
of crime, frequently of a most seri-
Gus character, Imprisonment for al
legged violations of city ordinances,
are among the well-known assaults
upon the natural and legal rights of
the workers.
Recent industrial history illus
trates this particular form of vio-
lence exercised through the courts
and other legal and legislative ma
chinery in the cases of the strikers
and their leaders at Lawrence, Mass;
Youngstown, Ohio; the Mesaba Iron
Range, in the coal fields of Colorado,
and West Virginia, and at Everett,
Washington, and the latest exposed
conspiracy against justice in San
Francisco. In all of these cases,
men and women have been put upon
trial for their lives by weak and
corrupt officials influenced and driv-
en- on by constituencies masters of
industry.
The NATIONAL LABOR DE-
TENSE COUNCIL has been organic
ed with a legal staff of attorneys,
whose names are appended to this
call, they having agreed to give their
services to the workers without fee
in an advisory capacity. This does
not mean that these attorneys will
take active charge of cases in court,
but that they will give such advise
in the selection of counsel and the
obtaining of such counsel for a rea-
sonable fee, and aid in indicating
the rights of labor and throwing
all legal safeguards about the men
and women engaged in struggles for
justice.
The Council has also obtained the
services of Mr.. Fremont Older, edi-
tor of the San Francisco Bulletin;
Lincoln Steffens, journalist of in
ternational repute; Dante Barton,
John Reed, George p West, Basil M.
Manly, Carl Sanberg, and other
widely known writers on economic
subjects who have proved their sym
pathy and devotion to the cause of
labor.
1t is purposed that the Council
shall establish a national bureau of
publicity to investigate important
strikes or lockouts and gather the
physical facts and especially the
conduct of the courts and admins
trative officers in dealinng with the
legal phases of such contests for
the nurnoSeS of tran Smittinp the