Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-07-15
Our Industrial Community
DEPRECATE INACTION IN
HERRIN NINE TRAGEDY

NEW YORK, July 14.-Believins
that the lack of vigorous action py
the proper authorities to punish the
perpetrators of the Herrin mine
massacre, is a rebuke to law and
order and a menace to the puplic'
the board of directors of the Ma
tional Association of Manufacturers
today. at headquarters here, au-
thorized the following statement j.,
ION June 20, 1922. a number OF
citizens of the United States, law
fully engaged in coal mining at Her-
rim. Williamson county. Illinois, were
fired upon by a large force OF uni.
Identified men, to whom, in real oi
their lives they surrendered under d
white flag. Nineteen of them were
thereafter murdered under circum
stance of unparalleled %atrocity. the
plain and notorious purpose or the
slaughter was to deter all others
from accepting employment which
striking miners had abandoned.
From the uncontroverted state
ments of newspaper correspondents,
local officials, and the action ot the
coroner's jury at the ensuing inquest
it is now known hat local and state
authority neither afforded protection
interfered during the commission OIL
the crime, or has been or is disposed
to identify or a%pprehend the perpe-
trators. The inquest, clearly con-
trolled by participants IN the mas
sacre or sym~pathizers, ADDED Insult
to the dead by condonation of their
assassinations.
"The horror of every circumstance
of this dreadful tragedy Is lntensl-
fed bv the apathy and inactivity 81
-.-A.I ,tharify. anH also DIV
the sinister silence of benef1ciaries
of this intimidating influence. Tne
American Federation of Labor was
in session during the outrage and us
aftermath. But, despite the motor
ious afiliation and purpose OF the
perpetrators, the crime was neither
deprecated nor the guilty organiza-
ton rebuked by that convention
That vast organization, without pro-
test, tolerated the bloody destruction
in others of the rights it asserts ana
demands for it's own members.
Tine disgrace at Herrin is too SIG,
niicant in every circumstance ana
to be passed unnotlceo
bv thoughtful Americans. The right
and liberty to pursue a lawful car
ing, and to lead a peaceful LIE Tree
from molestation or attack, concerns
the comfort and happiness or al
men, and the denial of them means
the destruction of N Of the great
est, if not the greatest, OF the bene-
fits which the social organization
confers.' y The right thus TO
work cannot be made to depend
upon the approval or disapprovai
of the personal character or con-
duct of those who claim to exercise
this right. If this we're otherwise
then those who remain at work
might, if they were in the majority,
have both the right and the power
to prevent others who chose to cease
to work from so doing
"These are the historic words OF
the great Anthracite Coal Strike
commission of President Roosevelt.
They were approved when uttered by
employer and employe. union ana
non-union. We ask every loyai
American to join in demanding the
protection by state and nation, OF
these fundamental rights of the ciu-
zen that no man shall live his lire
bv the consent Of others. and no Of
fetal shall refuse or neglect to guaid
these living truths of the days WORK