The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-04-23
TALK Of BIG STRIKE
To RELEASE MOONEY
senator TAoindexter Lays Matter Re
fore Senate, DcnouDCtng II
as Traitorous-
GOMPERs URGES CAUTION.
Senator johnson. Who Was Governor
of California at Time of Labor
Mans Conviction. Has No Opinion
as to Guilt He Says

WASHINGTON. April 22.-Evidence
that labor leaders are planning a great
strike to force the release of Thomas
Mooney, now under death sentence in
California, was laid before the senate
today by Senator Poindexter, of Wash
ington.
II is planned to call the strike on
MAY /, according to the information
in the senator's possession, Labor
unions in Seattle already have been
asked TO take a referendum on the
question. The strike. if called. would
be con tinued until Mooney and his CO.
defendants are set free.
Samuel GompArs, president Of the
American Federation of Labor, in a
statement issued n few hours after
Senator Poindexter had made this
charge in the senate. appealed to or
gained labor throughout the United
States not 10 make the Mooney case
the basis of =. strike He said that
every legal step is being taken to IN
sure Justice for Mooney and urged
workers TO keep on at their places OF
employment rather than inperil the
cause of the United States by stopping
war industry.
Senator Poindexter bitterly de-
rounced the movement as traftorous
and sesiftiouS He characterized II
as an attempt to blackmail the gov
ernrn emit by shutting off the supply
Of articles needed for the war. He
asserted that the movement to free
! Mooney originated in Russia and was
carried TO that country by ag1tators
from San Francisco and other por
tions Of the United States. It wa
/ fosteIe6 in IL is country, he declared
by axftators in the pay of Germ ar
| rnifItarists-
+ Demand for the arrest and punish
I ment of the persons responsible fo'
that strike threat was made by the
J senator who declared that the Leaders
OF the movement should be treaiet
as traitors
The information upon which h'
based his charge that organized IA
Dor has been planning a genera
strike was contained in a letter whicf
Senator Poindexter received iron
James A Duncan. secretary or tn
central hbor council of Seattle. III
this letter the secret sry OF the coun
ell transmitted to Senator Poindexte
resolutions which had been adopte'
by the hodcarriers, building and com
roou laborers union of that city II
which it was said that the bomb ex
plosion during the Preparedness da
parade in san Francisco and othe
bomb paintings in California were tn
result OF a conspiracy by big bust
ness interests and some public ON
cials in California TO bring discredi
upon organized labor. The resolu
tons asked the government to inves
tigate the cases on the basis OF tni
charge
Senator Johnson. OF California, VIII
was governor of that state at the tim
the dynamiting occurred engage
Senator Poindexter In controversy b
su rresttng that Mooney had been con
victed upon Oxrnans Testimony
Whereas weinberg was acquitted ate
trial in which Oxman was not VII
ness.
Senator Poindexter fred point
blank question at Senator johnson,
wav of answer. asking for his opinio
as to MONEYS guilt.
, Il have no opinion as to that,
Johnson replied.
The defendant is an unworthy mar
capable of the crime. a man who Ia
INDUCED in the past in practices
which he should not have INDUCED.
think he was engaged in transportin
dynamite on various occasions, an