The labor world., 1920-07-03
TRADES ASSEmbL Y CONDEMNS MOB
VIOLENCE AND DEFENDSMuRN[AN
Strong Resolution Adopted In Defense Of Law and odr Calls
Attention to Other Mob Attack and Regrets They Were Con-
doned By Press and Public; Says Governor Has No Power

messed more class consciousness
among a certain group of the rich
lately than imagined had existed
anywhere in America
The resolution adopted by the as
sembly reads as follows:>
Whereas, on Tuesday, June IS,
jail, forcibly. took therefrom three
men accused of having criminally as
saulted a young girl on the evening
before. and unlawfully executed them,
and
whereas, the crime those men are
alleged to have committed is one that
naturally arouses the wrath and stirs
the blood of all, decent men and
women, nevertheless it did not give
any persons license to take the law
into their own hands, to overthrow
the police and take the lives Of the
accused men, and
'Whereas, this particular. defiance
OF law comes in the wake of a long
list OF crimes committed by mobs In
Duluth during the past few years
under the guise of patriotism, such as
destroying meeting halls, breaking up
lawful assemblages, assaulting several
men and lynching one accused Of dis
loyalty, all Of which were at the time
condoned by the daily press and many
"very good' people, and
whereas, the Commissioner of
Public Safety and the Chief of Police
have repeatedly called public :atten-
ton to the fact that the police force
was not sufficiently large to properly
protect the city in an emergency and
this attack on the police station was
as unexpected as the crime the men
are alleged to have committed was
revolving, little if any time was had
to make proper provision for defense
from the assault of the mob and it's
defiance of law and order, Therefore
be it
Resolved, that the Federated
Trades Assembly, representing the
sentiments of several. thousand men
and women in Duluth, hereby strongly
condemns the acts of the mob; with
all law abiding people it takes a de-
cided stand for the enforcement. Of
law and the observance of good order,
and 1T trusts: that every effort will be
put forth to bring the law: breakers
to justice. Be it. further
"Resolved, that we heartily COM
mend the wise action of Commissioner
of Public Safety, William F. Murnian,
for issuing an order to the police not
to shoot while the mob was breaking
into the pail There was but a hand
full Of policemen; the members Of the
fire department working outside had
been made helpless, the deputy sher-
ifs had been ruth1essly pushed aside,
and concealed behind others ready to
do deadly work with their guns, and
had the police started shooting the
slaughter would have been awful. It
is all very, we'll for newspapers and
persons to advise now when they have
had time for mature deliberation what
should have been done then, but to
those who were on the scene at the.
time it was manifest that the police
and other officers Of the law. would
have been easily overpowered by the
mob, it's object accomplished as it was,
and an unnecessary number of~widows
and orphans would be. left to mourn
the loss Of their loved ones, and fur
ther be it .s-
:Resolved, that we deplore the atti-
tude of certain interests in Duluth
which have taken advantage of this
unfortunate and deplorable occasion
to use it as a means to attack labor
through our esteemed representative
on the city commission, William F..
Murnian, by subtly demanding that
the governor remove him from office
We hold that he did his full duty as
we'll as could be done under the cir
cumstances at the time and for such
he should receive the appreciation Of
such interests instead Of their opposi-
tion. However, come what may, we
insist that the sole right to remove
commissioner in the city of Duluth
lies in the people through the recall
as provided by the charter, and we
maintain that no governor or other