The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-07-28
MOONEY BILLIIlGS
NOT YET PARn0NED
SENT RESOLUTION

SAN FRANCISCO, July 9Th,
Mooney defense committee, in a stir
ring appeal issued to the organized
labor movement on the anniversary
of the sixth year of the imprison
ment of Tom Mooney and Warren X
Billings, innocent victims of the
"open-shop' hysteria of 1916 in this
city, who were railroaded to prison
on evidence since conclusively prov.
en- to have been Framed" states
that although more than three
months have passed since the com
mittee requested that the labor
movement back up the request OF
District Attorney Brady that Cover.
nor Stephens pardon Mooney ano
Billings, the response has been neg
ligible in view of the large number
of local unions in this country.
The committee stresses the fact
that in the sixth year of the i'm
prisonment of Mooney and Billings
with the facts of the "frameup'
to all, determined effort should
be made to force the governor tC
act upon the district attorneys re.
quest at once.
The appeal follows:
Six long years have passed since
the inception of the Chamber OF
Commerce "frame-up" which had
as its object the legal lynching of
five innocent trades unionists. Six
years-and Mooney and Billings are
still in prison.
In the past, thousands upon thou
sands of persons have demanded that
California mete out justice to these
two men. Scores Of newspapers
conservative dailies as well as labor
publications, have heralded the facts
of the "frame-up" broadcast and
have denounced California for the
medieval system of justice prevail
ing in this state.
Today, six years after the incep
ton of the "frame-up", Mooney and
Billings are still on the inside, look.
ing out upon state which publicly
concurs in the rape of justice.
This Is Our Year
Six years is just six years toe
long and this is the year that or
gained labor throughout the United
States, but particularly in California
should rise in its might and demand
not plead, that justice be enforced
and that Mooney and Billings be
granted unconditional pardons at
once. That demand should be
backed up in no uncertain way
Labor has the power and if it is
used, victory is certain.
Three months have passed since
District Attorney Matthey Brady
successor of the notorious Fickert,
who railroaded these men to prison,
requested in a letter to Governor
Stephens that the Governor grant
immediate pardons to Mooney and
Billings on the grounds of proven
perjury and fraud in their trials
Three months-and Governor Steph-
ems has remained silent-has made
no move to concur in the request of
the district attorney.
Will You Allow 1t
Are you going to allow this? Will
you stand idly by and let Governor
Stephens continue to defy the wishes
of large part of the people of the
United States? Will you let him
continue to mock organized labor
by holding two of it's militant spirits
on the rankest kind of
perjured evidence? Evidence which
he knows is perjured and has had
before him for consideration for
When District Attorney Brady
made his request to the Governor
we Immediately asked that organized
labor repudiate the Governors
time-worn excuse that Tabor is not
interfered in the case of Mooney
and Billings" by sending him res
olutions and letters demanding that
he grant unconditional pardons i'm
mediately. Although three months
have passed, we have a record of
but a scant hundred organizations
which have sent resolutions. There
are several hundred local unions
in the state of California, and
many thousands throughout the
United States-a scant hundred have
complied with our request.
Labor For Release
We know the sentiment of the
rank and file of labor is over
whelmingly in favor of the imme-
date release of Mooney and Billings
and we know also that many social
ed labor leaders, particularly in Cali
fornia. are against their release,
just as they are against the activity
of any progressive unionist in their
midst. But this should make no
difference to the rank and file of
labor and to the honorable excep-
tions among the leaders who have
proven their devotion to the labor
by their efforts in behalf
of Mooney and Billings.
a,,1r af 1oh
the leaders who want to see Mooney
and Billings free, should record
their views with the Governor at
once and should back up their de-
mand for pardons. An overwhelm-
ing flood of resolutions should be
poured into Sacramento to prove
that organized labor has not forgot
ten Mooney and Billings and will
stand by them to the end of the
fight.
This is the sixth year of Mooney
and Billings Imprisonment. Those
six years have been served un-
grudgingly by them, secure in the
knowledge that their continued inn
prisonment could only rebound to
the benefit of the organized labor
movement and that the organized
labor movement and that of the
organized labor movement would
secure their release.
Prison or Freedom?
What are you going to do about
it? Are you going to leave them
there to face the dead years of
Imprisonment with silent scorn in
their hearts for labor movement
for which they gave their all and
which would not release them, OF
are YOU going to prove that organ
lied labor in the United States
does not forget it's champions. by
demanding at once of Governor
Stephens that he release these men
ard by solidly backing up that de-
mand after it is made?
Which is it to be? Freedom and