The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-05-10
LAW FACULTIES
or Il COLLEGES
JOIN in APPEAL
Nations Biggest Jurists
Plead for Two

Columbia University, generally re-
garded as Americas highest institu-
ton of learning, practically went on
record yesterday for a complete re
view Of the Sacco-Vanzetti case.
Fourteen members Of the Columbia
law faculty signed the appeal to gov
ernor Fuller and were joined by nine
members of the Yale Law School
and six members Of the University
Of Kansas Law School.
Adding to the impressive academic
demand that Governor Fuller inter
vene to prevent the electrocution Of
the two Italian workers on July 10,
80 members Of the law faculties at
Cornell University and the Univers-
tiles of Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri,
Oklahoma, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio and
Texas authorized their agreement
with the purpose of the Columbia
letter.
Give Expert Opinion.
The Columbia appeal, reinforced
by the most learned jurists in nearly
every recognized first rate American
law school, is deemed the most i'm
pressive appeal yet made to Governor
Fuller The university professors
speak as men trained in the law. They
have investigated every phase Of the
celebrated Sacco-Vanzetti case, and
their verdict is that a miscarriage Of
/ justice is imminent.
That the noted jurists are chiefly
concerned in public Confidence" in
i the legal holyus-pokus is indicated in
the significant paragraph:
"The most admirable judicial sys-
tenn sometimes slips, or seems to slip.
It is such occasional seeming that
( shakes confidence; and when conf
dence is shaken, it is shaken not in
the single instance only, but in the
structure as a whole"
Members of the law faculties dis
claim any intention of officially
representing their universities. But
in the case of Columbia, for example,
the fact that IA of the Is members
Of the law faculty signed the appeal
puts the institution on record just as
the unanimous appeal from the Har-
ward Law School carried the unmis-
taxable conviction that Harvard, very
cream of Boston itself, doubted the
brand of justice used to railroad Sacco
and Vanzetti.
President Nicholas Murray Butler
of Columbia did not sign the document
sent to Fuller. He is not member
of the law faculty.
The text Of the letter is:
New York, N. Y.
May Z, 1927.
To His Excellency, Alvan T. Fuller,
Governor Of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, Executive Chamber
State House, Boston, Massachusetts,.
Your Excellency:
There are a number OF facts which
make it seem not improper for us
whose chief concern is with the study
Of the law and legal institutions Of
this country to address you with
reference to the case Of Sacco and
/ Vanzetti, and to join with those mem
/ bers Of the Massachusetts, Bar who
have requested that you inquire, per
haps by the appointment Of a special
commission, into whether in that case
justice was accomplished, and whether
there may not be occasion for the
exercise Of executive clemency.
Beyond State Limits.
/. The interest and concern aroused
by that case have extended beyond
the bonds Of single Commonwealth.
We are affected by that interest not
only as citizens, but as teachers Of the
law.
2. The belief, whether well
founded or not, is widely held that
in the case Of Sacco and Vanzetti
there may have been confusion Of two
issues-that of the defendants guilt
Of murder and that of their radical
ism; and that such confusion may
have obscured decision of the real
question under trial. We believe it
most unfortunate that such belief
should exist, even though it be UNI
founded. Only a review Of the whole
case by an impartial body can dispel
the belief, il it prove unfounded.
Only such a review can afford sound
ground for curative action, if the
facts should prove TO warrant that.
Whatever the event. faith and con-
fidence in our judicial institutions
cannot but be strengthened by an in
quiry which viii make the facts
clear for all time.
Continued on Pare Thrcel