The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-10-04
ANOIHER FOUL ATTACK
ON LEAGUE BY TOOLS OF
MINNESOTA GOVERNOR


: ing out to the press with one-side
: comment only letter written b
Arthur LIE Sueur, a prominent atto1
ney connected with the Nonpartisa
E league headquarters, before our de
ciaratlon of war and before Mr.. LIE
: Sueur joined the League staff.
This letter from Mr.. LeSueur +,
William d. Haywood, head of the 7
, W. W., for whom he was acting a,
attorney, contained nothing tina,
could not have been easily explained
Z with credit to the writer. But a no.
lltlcal, Jobbing public safety commits
sion does not look for explanations
that will spoil the game of misrep-
resentation. At the time of the
great Minnesota League convention
IN March, 1913, Governor Burnouist
made a direct attack on Mr.. LeSueur
Tor acting as attorney for the de-
tense OF workmen on the iron range
In 1915 as if it were not the most
cherished of American institutions
tnat all accused have a right to legal
oeIense In court. The sending out of
the LIE Sueur letter is only a follow
up OF the earlier un-American attack
ON lawyer because, unlike those
VINO cater to special privilege, his
services were open to all who needed
legal defense.
FOR years it has been the practice
OF the special intedests to ATTEMPT to
r':ln lawyers who have the hardihood
to appear for the defense in anv case
where they want to put something
over. The fact that this interferes
with a fair trial is nothing to the
au'ocrats. Mr.. LIE Sueur has had re-
f1arkable success in defending labor
men in the past and he won the re-
p ut case brought against Mr.. Town
ley and Mr.. Gilbert before the Min
nesota Supreme Court. This record
makes the interests especially anxi-
Gus to discredit Mr.. LeSueur, and
through him the League. They must
nave occasions to keep repeating the
absurd claim of connection between
the League and the I. w. w.
In a footnote to it's story the COM
declares that this letter s
he reason why it is going into poll
les. The plain fact, however, is that
he commission started fighting the
league from its very jump-off, and
+ undoubtedly knew nothing of the
1eSueur letter until the recent I. w.
". trial. If this is it's reason, it has
Nothing to stand on but malice.
The following is Mr.. LeSueur's
omment which would easily have ex-
lalned the letter to the public safe
y commission had explanation been
wanted:
Refers to Professional Services
That letter was written to report
n the results of a case which [ de-
ended for three I. w. VS., who were
harged with the crime of murder A
ollceman was killed in the railroad
ards In Des Moines and within Is
linutes the I. w. w. headquarters
ere ra1ded and some so men against
nom not a scrap of evidence was
yer produced were arrested. I was
Die to secure their release. Appar-
ltly in the eyes of the safety COM
1sslon it is an objectionable Of
nse to secure a fair hearing for N
en- who are innocent but unpopular. in
The Minnesota matter referred to
the letter is the case of three min d.
S from the Mesaba range, who are go
wv in the Minnesota penitentiarv m
rving an indeterminate sentence of CIV
years. At the time of their arrest tn
ID sentence they had joined the I. ag
. VS.. They were not organizers Ia
r agents of the organization but Ne
ned when the [. w. w. came to the
nge in answer to appeals by the tn,
ners for help in a spontaneous an
Ike against conditions as british lin
the Infamous outrages cf the Huns ag
Belgium. Governor Burnquist saw WI
these outrages only an opportunity w
put through a state constabulary %
v, to compel labor to submit to the far
ltlsh rule of the Steel trust Com age
n humanity made me volunteer to wit
these men, women and children. OF
would do it again. These three "a
n in the Minnesota penitentiary -
Id have been cleared on trial and ing
e not in fact guilty, but pleaded tina
lty to settle all prosecutions still ers
ding as result of the strike. gre
vas then and am now interested larl
the fate of these men. I was ad- ~ y
ng Haywood in this letter to take Eo,
action until a year had expired. Mr..
refer ence to war was made before wei
declaration. In common with mil by
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