Montana labor news., 1937-09-02
Forces Rallied On
|21sf Anniversary Of The
Mooney-Bi|Iings Affair

WVVuey-DWNnyS Audll
Organized labor and all progress.
sive forces rallied by the thousand:
on the twenty-first anniversary Of
the Mooney-Billings frameup to de.
mand immediate freedom for these
world-famous labor prisoners.
In San Francisco on July 25th,
eleven thousand enthusiastic ano
loyal supporters of Tom Mooney ano
Warren K. Billings packed the Civic
Auditorium to protest the continued
Imprisonment of Mooney and Bill
ings after the perjured, framed case
against them has been exploded for
Years. Prior to the meeting, organ
lied labor staged a great parade
which extended from the Embarca-
dero to the Auditorium, and thou
sands of workers marched, carrying
banners and posters on which were
inscriptions demanding freedom and
Justice for Mooney and Billings.
Speakers at the meeting sounded
the keynote, demanding that the
California Supreme Court make
known its decision on Tom Moneys
petition for a writ of habeas corpus,
SO that if the decision is adverse, as
is expected from this biased and
prejudiced court, the case can i'm
mediately be carried to the United
States Supreme Court. Spokesman
for labor stated that, if necessary,
labor would lay down its tools to
obtain Moneys freedom. Labor
will join with its economic demands
when it strikes, the demand for
MONEYS freedom. Whatever diff
ferences of opinion labor may have,
all labor is united in the task to free
Mooney, and that may well be the
issue to unite labor.
Jack Shelley, president of the San
Francisco Labor Council, stated that
all of organized labor was united on
the Mooney case, George Kidwell,
secretary of the Bakery Drivers,
stated there would be no compromise
on the Mooney case, that complete
and unconditional freedom was the
only solution acceptable to Mooney
and to labor. H. c. Carraseo, divi-
sion chairman of the Railway Clerks,
and secretary of the Railroad EN-
ployees' Committee for Justice for
Thomas ]. Mooney, brought a pledge
of continued support from thousands
of railroad workers. George T. Davis,
Mooney counsel, expressed the be-
lief that victory in the case was not
far off.
Harry Bridges, longshoremen's
leader and C. l. o. director for the
West Coast, stated that his union
and the c, I. o. was one hundred
per cent behind Mooney and would
throw the whole resources of both
organizations behind the fight to free
Mooney. Paul Richie, San Diego
Assemblyman, told the crowd about
the legislative fight to pardon Moo
ney, and stated that mass pressure
would make the court realize that
they must free Tom Mooney.
Vito Marcantonio, ex-New York
Congressman, and campaign director
for Mayor La Guardia, delivered the
main address, and made an eloquent
plea in behalf of Mooney. He stated:
tom Mooney is the living symbol
of the unity of labor, and an injury
to Tom Mooney is an injury to all
labor"
Marcantonio urged a united front
of all democracy loving people to
combat fascism, defeat reaction, and
force the freedom of Mooney. He
urged labor to unite in the battle
against the common enemy. He drew
cheers when he said: II have heard
a great deal about sit-down strikes.
Well, if they want to investigate sit
down strikes, we will give them a
good sit-down strike to investigate:
Let them investigate the sit-down
of the California Supreme
Court on the Tom Mooney easel"
Herbert Resner, secretary of the
San Francisco Bay Area A. F. of L.
Committee for the Freedom of Moo
ney and Billings, presided and read
messages of continued support from
unions, workers, and organizations
and prominent individuals through
out the country.
On July 26, more than three thou
sand people packed the Los Angeles
Philharmonic Auditorium to again
protest the frame-up. DR.. Floyd
Seamen, Methodist minister, presid-
ed over an enthusiastic meeting at
which Mr. Marcantonio again spoke.
speakers were Assemblyman
Paul Richie, Lee Geyer of the A. F.
Of l.. Teachers Union, Attorney
George 7. Davis, and George Rob-
erts of the c, I. o. Rubber Workers.
Mr.. Marcantonio's address at the !
San Francisco meeting follows:
Mr.. Chairman and Friends:
AS president of the International
Labor Defense, l bring to you its
f%raternal greetings and its pledge of