The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-09-09
UNFAIR TRIAL OF
SACCO, VANZETTI
Italians Threaten Boycott of
American Goods
((RY Eupuene LYONS

((By Euguene Lyons
Boston, August 29.-Boycott of
American ships and American goods
in Italian harbors is one of the
projects under serious considera-
tion throughout Italy, as a protest
against the conviction of Nicola
Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanetti, the
labor organizers recently tried on
murder charge in Dedham, Mass,
according to a special radio mess
age to the New York Call. The
idea is said to emanate from lead
ing members of the Federation of
Marine Workers, one of the lead
ing labor bodies in Italy. 1t is
reported that some sailors, infu-
rated by the verdict against their
compatriOts on insufficient evil
dence, have taken steps, indie
pendently of their organization, to
interfere with American shipping.
Detailed accounts of the trial
and its outcome, printed in the
greatest daily newspaper in the
country, "Avanti," reused all the
labor elements, and in a measure
also the rest of the country. The
ldpoI plSSo, WHICH 10 80 pOWeIlul
in that country, calls the case an
outrage and talks continually of
reprisals. 1t evokes the memory
of the case Of Ettor and Giovannitti,
almost sent to the chair by the
money interests in punishment for
their activity in the Lawrence
strike, in the same state which
now may electrocute Sacco and
Vanzetti.
Among those who are taking the
lead in Italy in demanding fair
play for Sacco and Vanzetti is the
Socialist Group in the Chamber
Of Deputies, comprising 100 depu-
ties. The Department of Foreign
Affairs is holding off action until
it will receive a complete report
on the trial, as prepared by Mar
quis Ferranti, Italian Consul in
Boston.
In America, too, the protest
against the verdict is gathering
strength The Defense Committee
is in receipt of numerous letters
and resolutions from labor unions
all over the country, expressing
their unqualified belief in the in
nocence of the two Italians and
plcdging their support of the fight
in behalf of new trial or re-
versal of the verdict. A resolution
by Local 348, International Asso-
citation of Machinists, in Salem
Mass, is especially significant be-
cause the local is so near the scene
of the trial and therefore thorough
ly conversant with the facts. After
asserting faith in the innocence of
the two men, the resolution de-
mands that brothers Sacco and
Vanzetti be grained new trial
in another county where personal
prejudices will be swept aside and
the scales of justice permitted at
least to balance evenly"
Indicative of the way the con-
scientious men and women in the
community here, even among the
conservatives, are affected by the
verdict is the fact that John Law
renee Hurley, Professor in the
Suffolk Law School and a promi-
nent Republican leader, came out
publicly for a new trial. After
going through the record of the
proceedings which resulted in the
conviction, he was convinced, he
says. that a terrible miscarriage
Of justice had been made, and vol
inferred to speak in behalf of the
Italians at a meeting arranged for
the purpose in Union Hall.
A conservative paper, the Bos-
ton American, also condemned the
verdict. The editorial says in part:
"The evidence as it appears from
the stenographers' notes is most
Informed that nearly all the news
PAPER reporters from the Boston
papers, who covered this trial, agree
that the verdict of guilty was not
justified"
Condemnation of the process of
sending men to the electric chair
on circumstantial evidence was
voiced by j. A. Hopkins, national
chairman of the Sommittee of 48,
who points out in a public letter
that the injustice of circumstantial
evidence has been demonstrated
time and again. He uses the Sacco-
Vanzetti case as an example of
conviction on such evidence. "The
evidence against Them" he says,
lis entirely of a circumstantial ma
ture and in many respects of the
flimsiest character"
Meanwhile the enemies of labor
in Massachusetts are doing their
best to discredit the defense of the
two men. Friends of Sacco and
Vanzetti were blamed in the news
papers here "by a high state Off
cial" for starting a run on the
Boston Five Cents Savings Bank,
the theory being that the rush was
inspired for revenge. This has,
of course. been shown to be false
and preposterous.