Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-03-07
FLYzIE AND SHORT
LIBEL CASE SETTLED
Continued from Page y

Shorts personal honesty, and that on
that basis and for the good of the
labor movement it was agreed that
the case be dropped Mr. Saul Hass,
editor of the Union Record, attended
the Miners convention and his ac-
count of the meeting was o. KID by
both Vanderveer and Short before
publication in the Union Record of
Wednesday, February 9th, which
gives complete account of what led
up to and brought about the settle
ment, and is herewith quoted in full:
"A Noteworthy Achievement"
"The ShOrt-Flyzik controversary
won't be tried in the courts.
William Short, president of the
State Federation of Labor, and Martin
Flyzik, president Of the United Mine
Workers, District No. 10, have agreed
that the interests of the labor move
ment are above the interests of in
dividuals-a fundamental truism more
often spoken than acted upon-and
dropped their controversary in a man.
ner creditable to them both.
Short sought vindication of his
personal integrity. F1yzik, before a
convention Of mine workers, made it
plain that in his difference with Short
he did not intend to reflect upon
Shorts honesty.
This attitude on the part of both
men, since it left only matters of
policy In dispute between them, left
nothing to be adjudicated in the
courts. Able men inside and outside
the labor movement differ on policies,
too often at the expense of aims and
purposes which they hold in common.
ITO George Vanderveer, attorney in
charge of the Seattle Central Labor
Councils Legal Bureau, belongs a
good deal of the credit for having
brought about this agreement, which
If acted upon in good faith-as it
surely will be-may mark the opening
of an era of hitherto unparalleled CO.
operation and progress in the labor
movement of the state.
"Vanderveer was Martin Flyziks at
torney in the libel case. What he
said about the case was said during
the course of his report to the mine
workers convention, for which he is
also attorney. What he said is worth
repeating-it should be taken to heart
by the labor movement for its signifi-
canoe is broader than the case in
volved. He said:
If there is harmony between the
officials of organized labor, the labor
movement will surely make much
progress this year. Unless there is
such harmony, it is doubtful If we
can progress. / have told you about
the litigation of your organization,
but there still remains one case. That
is the Short-Flyzik case.
so far as my Investigations of the
case have led me-and they have led
me into every corner of It'll have
come to the firm conviction that it
would not be desirable for the labor
movement to have the case tried in
the courts.
Persons whose interest in the labor
movement we know to be sincerely
genuine-among them the Union Rec
ord-came to the same conclusion. 1t
was then a matter for the men in
vOlved. Each of them indicated that
he felt the interests of the labor
movement are beyound the interests
of the individual. Short felt that his
honesty had been impugned. He would
be- willing to drop the case in the
interest Of the movement If he could
do SO and retain his self-respect.
FlyXik naturally had similar feelings
in the matter Both agreed that ques-
tions involving the labor movement
should not go into the courts.
In my examination of the record
found nothing that would indicate
that Short had personally profited
by or been in any way responsible for
misapproppriation of funds during the
strike. Manfully enough, Flyzik de-
clared that he did not and does not
intend to reflect upon Shorts per-
sonal honesty. So, on this basis, bury
ing for the good of the cause their
own feelings, it was agreed that the