The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-11-21
IS IT CONSPIRACY
Or A COINCIDENCE?
To Organized Labor, Greetings:

Is this conspiracy or just a CO.
incidence?:
On Wednesday, Nov. 10. Col. |
Blethen, publisher of the Seattle
Daily Times, went to the office of
U. S. District Attorney Saunders
carrying copies of the Union Record.
He was in conference with Mr..
Saunders for some time.
On Thursday morning, Nov. 13,
the Seattle P.-I. launched bitter
attack on Organized Labor and the
Union Record, evidently intended to
turn public sentiment against Labor
and its paper, to weaken resentment
against suppression of free press.
On the same morning, reporters and
staff photographers of the three op-
position papers were stationed in
business places near the Union Rec
ord plant to await the raid.
The Seattle Star and the Tacoma
Times carried the story of the raid
before it occurred, and when Deputy
United States MarsilGl Tobey ar
rived at the Record plant, he was
accompanied by reporters, staff pho
tographers and moving picture men.
e. b. Ault, editor; F.. A. Rust,
manager. and George P. Listman,
were arrested. Their release was
secured on sic, 900 bond The Rec
ord resumed publication and got
out an eXrta the same evening.
Newsboys refused to handle the
Record. We are informed that this
was done because the circulation
managers of the Times, Star and
P.-I. informed them that "if you
sell the Record you will get no
Times, Stars or P.-I.'s." On the
strength of this attitude by these
papers, newsboys called special
meeting for Friday noon and passed
resolution against the Record and
threatened to fine any member
caught selling it.
Union ongshoremen volunteered
to sell the Union Record and ap-
peared on the street with the first
edition Friday. When they saw
they had failed to stop the paper by
this action, second raid was made
and the plant closed just five min
utes to one o'clock p. m. (press
time) and the management inform
ed that the plant would be closed
indefinitely.
Saturday, Nov. Is, arrangements
were made, after being informed by
District Attorney Saunders that the
order for the raid and seizure did
not include stoppage of publication
of the paper, to get the Union Rec
ord out in a job shop. When they
saw that they were again foiled in
their efforts to suppress the paper.
District Attorney Saunders in
structed Postmaster Battle to deny
the Union Record its mailing
privilege.
Men connected with the Union
Record Board of Control are being
fired. Relatives of Union Record
employees are being Disseminated
against by employers. Union Rec
ord employees have been advised"
to vacate their living quarters, and
there is a general movement against
all who have supported it with ad-
vertising.
Again we ask. do these facts con-
stitute a coincidence, or do they
point to a conspiracy to suppress
Labors paper and kill the influence
Of Organized Labor. The bitter at
tack on the Triple Alliance by the
Associated Industries and its chief
mouthpiece, the Seattle Times, is
very significant and MAY point to
the answer.
Give your full moral support in
this crisis. Wire your Congressman
and Senator, protesting against this
apparent frame-up. Don't wait for
your local to meet, but call your
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