The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-30

book, "The Case of Sacco and Van
zetti," in analyzing the 25,000-word
decision that Judge Thayer handed
down in the demand for new trial,
says:
i assert without the slight
est fear of disproof, that certainly
in modern times Judge Thayer's
opinion stands unmatched, for
discrepancies between what the
record discloses and what the
opinion conveys.
His $4,000 word document cannot
accurately be described otherwise
than as farrago of misquotations.
misrepresentation, suppressions
and mutilations. The disinterested
inquirer could not possibly derive
from it a true knowledge of the
new evidence that was submitted
to him as a basis for a new trial.
The opinion is literally honey
combed with demonstrable errors,
and infused by a spirit alien to
Judicial utterance."
49, -NOAOoil L IillC6 WIOIe at the
time that any expert psychologist
reading the Thayer opinion "could
not fail to find evidences that por-
tray strong personal feeling, poorly
concealed, that should have no place
in a judicial document"
1t was this opinion handed down
by Judge Thayer that caused the
conservative Boston Herald, which
long held the view that the sem
tence against these men should be
carried out, to a frank reversal of
its position. 1t declared editorially
"As months have merged into
years and the great debate over this
case has continued, our doubts have
solicited slowly into convictions.
and reluctantly we have found our
selves compelled to reverse our
original judgment. We hope the
supreme judicial court will grant
new trial on the basis of the new
evidence not yet examined in open
court. We have read the full de-
cision in which Judge Webster
Thayer, who presided at the orig
inal trial, renders his decision
against the application for new
trial, and we submit that it carries
the tone Of the advocate rather
than the arbitrator"
Similar testimony against the
judicial conduct" of Judge Thayer
could be cited thru many columns.
This should be sufficient, how
ever for any open-minded worker
in this country. 1t is more than
sufficient for the workers of France
who will convict the honorable
judge, Harold H. Hartwell, of Wor-
cester, Mass, Immediately he pre-
sents himself in France, thru the
mere fact that he carries a resolu-
ton lauding the capitalist Judge,
Thayer.
Even in the United States the
rank and file Of the American
Legion itself seems to be waking
up. This is shown in letter just
received by The DAILY WORKER
signed American Legionnaire. 1t
reads in part as follows:
"Just a word of encouragement
from an American Legionnaire.
Praise to you for your outstanding
fight for Sacco and Vanzetti.
Last Friday night I watched the
Chicago cops violate the laws of the
United States and of decency. I
never knew what the word 'provoca-
teur' meant until | saw the Chicago
police in action. And in the town
of Big Bill the great champion of
the pee-pul. l am a man who saw
the dirty end of the war with the
Second Division, Expeditionary
Forces. The trouble with the
Legion is that there are too many
cheap training camp heroes in it
and at the head of it.
81 think it may be time that
someone should mention the fact
that there was more treason spoken
at the front than there ever will
be in the steel mills.
81 don't care a hang myself
whether we ever get change of
government, but I admire your
CUTS, and 1 admit that your paper
is necessity. At some other time
l will disclose my identity. Suffice
it to say that am a bona fide vet
who got his belly full a BeDeau,
scissors, st. Mihiel, Champagne,
and Meuse-Argonne."
There is much that could be writ
ten in reply to this letter. This
american Legionnaire," altho he
feels that something is wrong, does
not realize that the Legion is
capitalist institution supporting the
profit system.
The French workers were in the
war longer and they learned better
the meaning of the capitalist war.
Let American labor learn by