The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-03
A. F. of L. Leaders Betray
Tom Mooney

paper has effectually and sincerely done it's bit
to secure the pardon OF Mooney and Billings
When it was necessary to call spade spade
did the labor leaders do so? No! 1t was Mercer
Green johnson, minister, who had the cour-
age to say:
''If ever State committed whoredom, and
brazenly Tapped its filthy finery in the face
Of common decency, and smeared its courts
from top to bottom and degraded the cour-
age of its officials. even the highest, to cur
rishnesS. sun-kissed, sin-cursed California Gid
that in the course OF its frenzied conspiracy
against Tom Mooney"
The California State Federation of Labor the
California Building Trades Council the A. F.
OF L. and the labor leaders have not donated
cent to the defense during the past 10 years
The moneys donated have come mostly from the
rank and file members of A. F. of L., Local
Unions, the various National and International
Unions, and such persons as:
Aline Barnsdall, woman with a great heart,
splendid courage and tireless energy. She has
been one of the mainstays of the Defense Com
mittee during the IA years. She has already
given over 100000 and has assured the De-
Tense Committee she will continue her generous
aid until Tom Mooney is indicated, December
10, 1880, she wrote Tom Mooney that
I certainly expect to help you. plan to free
you OF worry for the next five months by sending
100000 month to the Defense Office until
May. l shall also put 100000 into the publish
ing and sending of your pamphlets. I feel you
should be allowed to direct your own case and
possibly make your own mistakes l think the
interests are still the power behind this case,
but the rank and file of labor is obviously with
you in spite of the antagonism of labor leaders"
d.
the Defense Fund after a pamphlet circulated
by the Tom Mooney Molders Defense Committee
followed her all over Europe" Julius M Lieb-
man, Miss E. B. Scripps, the American Fund
for Public Service and many others have been
most generous and have contributed large
amounts to the Defense Committee.
The labor politicians of MONEYS own Local
Union have done their best to prevent an effec-
tive defense, but they have not been able to in
fluence the rank and file members Local No.
164 donated $250.00, and the international Mold
ers' Union $1,00000 President NJ j. Keough of
the International holders Union has not been
influenced by the Executive Council of the A.
F. of L., and has at all times done his utmost
to help Mooney. Through his efforts the Execu-
tive Council of the A. F. of L. wrote Governor
Young on Tom MONEYS behalf The letter, as
might be expected, was valueless, and in sharp
d
that President Keough sent Governor Young at
the same time. He is one of the very few
higher officials Of the A. F. of L. who has pub
licly and unequvocally demanded the pardon of
Tom Mooney
Several International Unions of the A. F. of L.
have had the courage to defy the implied pro-
hibition of the 1927 Los Angeles resolution and
With real sense of loyalty to their imprisoned
brothers they have literally donated to the De-
tense Fund. The names of these organizations
should be known. They refused to remain
damned in the vice of the Los Angeles resou-
ton. The history of the betrayal--the treachery
OF the labor leaders-would be incompeted if
the courage, the independence, and the true
solidarity of these organizations was not Alen-
toned as an indication of the true feelings of
the rank and file Of labor for Mooney and
Billings
International Molders Union .....,.,. 81 100000
Order Of Railroad Telegraplers ...., 10000
Brotherhood Of Painters and Decorators $4,000