The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-02
A. F. of L. Leaders Betray
Tom Mooney

Clarence Darrow has always been most helpful.
A few years ago he donated $4,000 to the De-
Tense Fund and wrote I'm all my experience 1
have never seen SO complete a case for pardon
When the Judge, the States Attorney the po-
lice department, and the jurors confess that
they were mistaken and ask for your pardon 1t
ought to be enough. However, it seems to me
there is some other reason beside the case itself
why you are still kept in prison" Darrow
shrewdly surnlises that something is wrong
Darrow is right-something is radically wrong
The deliberate sabotage and diSloyalty OF the
labor leaders" has filled all Tom MONEYS at
torneys with amazement They all agree that
had the leaders of labor cooperated with the
defense and crystallized the universal sentiment
of the workers for pardon, Mooney and Bill
ings would not be in the penitentiary today.
BELLE HAMIERBERG-LOYALA AND TRUE.
Mrs Belle Hammerberg, sister of Mrs Moon
ey, was indefatigable in her efforts to help the
defense. She aided defense attorneys by inter-
viewing all the defense witnesses. After the
trials she worked for years interviewing all the
jurors who convicted Mooney Because of her
tenacious eXertion, she finally obtained signed
statements from every. one of them admitting
they had erred in the verdict and requesting a
PARDON for Tom Mooney. A quiet modest gen.
tle-woman, with a background and life of SIM
plicty and high ideals she did not hesitate to
plunge into the turmoil that was the Mooney
Billings case, and for Is years she has been
faithful to the imprisoned men.
JUDGE FRANKLIN GRIFFIN-FRAME-U
CREWS NEMESIS.
In spite of the labor leaders, Judge Franklin
Griffin, who presided at the trial of Tom Moon
ey has been tireess in his efforts to bring about
a pardon ever since the subornation of perjury
by Oman was established. Addressing mass
meeting in San Francisco, February 25, 1929, he
said: IT am od-fashoned enough TO believe that
a Court of Justice should be Court of Justice,
and when know wrong has been done it is
my duty and your duty to see that wrong
righted. That's why 1 am here tonight to tes-
tify to what I have repeatedly said that Tom
Mooney is innocent and ought to be pardoned"
Can Paul Scharrenberg, Michael Casey John
O'Connen or any other labor leaders" be quoted
in such plain, unequivocal fortnight words?
SCRIPTS HOWARD NEWSPAPERS FIGHT
FOR MOONEY AND BILLINGS.
The chief journal of the Union movement, the
American Federationist,' has never printed one
line about Mooney and Billings the San Fran
cisco Labor Clarion" has savagely attacked
them; almost all the channels Of publicity con-
trolled by the A. F. of L. have been closed to
umn of friendly publicity. From whom? The
Capitalist Press such as the ScrippsH Howard
chain of newspapers. This great chain of papers
did more than any other agency to force a re-
hearing of the case after the outrageous de-
cision of the Supreme Court last July. A few
weeks ago, october 10, 1880, at a conference of
their editorial writers at French Lick Springs,
Indiana, they sent a resolution to President
Hoover, stating:
This conference of editors of the 25 Scripps-
Howard newspapers unanimously urges inter-
vention now by the President in the Mooney
Billings case. q. We recommend that the
President specifically bring the case OF
Mooney Billings to the attention of the Law
enforcement Commission. AS resident of
California and as Chief Executive of the ma
ton we feel that the President has both a
double interest and double responsibility in
seeing that justice is done. The Scripps- Howard
newspapers pledge themselves to keep
before the public the details of this judicial
lynching until justice is finally DONE
Scores of other influential newspapers are
equally determined that the spirit of justice
shall not languish forgotten and friendless in
California penitentiaries."
Illuminating to remember is the fact that at
about the same time, the convention of the A.
F. of L. was held in Boston. Did the labor lead
ers send resolution on behalf of Mooney and
Billings to the President or the Governor of
California? Did they pledge themselves to Sc
cure the pardon of two of their own members?
Absolutely not Silence stark and depressing
that is all that can be reported about the A.
F. of L. convention regarding Mooney and ELL
ings.' And that is the main reaso.. Tom Mooney
still peels "spuds" in San Quentin, and the rcc,
pile in Folsom ever hangs over Warren Billings
head.
TO BE CONTINUED