The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-18
IL Years After
the FTQme-Ub
of Tom Mooney
By WALT CARMoN


before tho American Embassy in
Petrograd, the victorious Russian
workers led the way. The trade
unions of Italy, Great Britain and
Holland protested Protests of la
Dor the world over and threats of
a general strike grew into a great
mass movement that gained force
and saved the life of Tom Mooney,
This movement became infected with
vain illusions of "justice" from cap
italist courts, then dissipated and
almost disappeared.
And Tom Mooney is still in San
Quentin waiting, for twelve years
now. The man of some 40-odd
years looks over sixty His hair is
snow white, deep lines groove his
face, which is coated with a prison
pallor. And Warren Billings is still
waiting within the walls of Folsom.
He is thirty-five years old now
"there are deep lines in mis- face that
usually come only in later years"
II Years in He'll
! Culy 81 IldhSS IW6lNG years OIL
prison life for both. Twelve years
within four narrow walls is eter-
nifty. In these years the two cour-
ageous men have been waiting
and thinking. 81 am convinced that
broader appeal will have to be
made" says Tom Mooney in his
letter to the international Labor
Defense "The policy I have been
following for the past five years will
not bring justice to Mooney and
Billings" Warren K. Billings ap-
proves. They have seen the world
from a prison window for twelve
years now. They have been watch
/ ing the pageant of the class strug-
gle before them and they have been
thinking:
"Our appeal will largely have to
be conferred upon the great mass of
workers, organized and unorganized,
as well, that great body of liberal
minded people throughout the en-
tire nation"
Appeals to |. L. D.
And to the international Labor
Defense: Anything you can do in
this direction to help us secure some
small measure of justice after
twelve years Of imprisonment l
will, and I am more than certain
that my co-sufferer, Billings, will
also appreciate any efforts put
forth by your organization to bring
about the desired results"
Tom Mooney and Warren Billings
have spoken And slowly but. surely
on the twelfth anniversary of the
Infamous frame-up new movement
is coming to life. The central labor
bodies of Chicago, San Francisco
and Milwaukee, among others, have
raised their voice for Mooney and
Billings. The labor press has placed
this issue before thousands of other
workers The Labor Defender"
speaking for all class war prison
ers, gains four thousand new read
ers with a Mooney Billings issue.
Meetings are being held. Picnics
for defense are becoming demon
strations for Mooney and Billings.
Tom Moneys own local of the
Moulders Union elects him as dele
gate to the Moulders' national con-
vention held recently. In Europe,
"Rote Hilfe," organ of the Inter-
national Red Aid of Germany, de-
votes a good section to Mooney and
Billings. In England and France
the labor press brings it forward.
In Soviet Russia, again the cry for
the freedom of Mooney and Billings
is raised. This is only the first
giant rumble.
Coming Storm
While all this is happening the
capitalist press hears the coming
storm. Headlines announce Labor
in New Move to Free Mooney and
Billings" In ST. Louis the Post
Dispatch and even in blase New
York the world" the Telegram"
and the Graphic" speak of the
case of Mooney and Billings. On
the twelfth anniversary of the en-
tombment of two workers for life
we are witnessing the beginning of
a new revitalized movement for their
freedom, stripped of all illusions,
clear visioned and girded for battle.
Twelve years ago Mooney and
Billings were sent to prison because
they fought for their class. They
were convicted on the word of wit
nesses from the underworld and SEN
fenced by court on the instruction
of the Chamber of Commerce. In
the twelve years since, the witnesses
have confessed their crookedness. A
dictaphone hidden in the district at
torney's office brought further proof
of frame-up. Investigators have
searched and combed the evidence
with legal fine-combs and found it
pack of lies. The world knows
that Mooney and Billings have been
framed
Still Waiting
No matter. Mooney and Billings
are still behind prison bars waiting
upon the great mass of workers,
organized and unorganized"-
the workers will not fail them. The
twelfth anniversary of the frame-up
of Mooney and Billings is a time for
every ed-blooded worker to ioin the