Evening star., 1939-01-09
100000 Gather
7oHear Tom Moonev
Make Labor Plea
Plans Unity Campaign
And Hits Fuscism
In Public Speech
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 9.-Fifty-
six-year-old Tom Mooney, a free
man in his home town after %
years in prison. vowed today to
spend the rest of his life in a CAM
paign for labor unity and drive
to organize every man, woman and
child who works for living"
There is only one thing in this
country that stands between the
people and slavery" said Mooney.
That is militant, aggressive labor
movement"
Crowds that labor leaders esti-
mated at more than 100000 cheered
Mr.. Mooney when he reached San
Francisco yesterday from Sacra-
mento, where he was given an I'M
conditional pardon Saturday by Gov.
Culbert L. Olson. newly-seated liberal
Democrat.
Governor Goes to Hospital.
The Governor, suffering from
nervous exhaustion, was sent to
hospital after pardoning Mooney.
His physicians said today he was
recovering rapidly.
Mr.. Mooney. flanked by labor lead
ers of the A. F. L., the c. I. o. and
the railroad brotherhoods, spoke yes
terday to massed thousands in the
San Francisco civic plaza. He told
In detail the story of his fight to
freedom after being convicted with
Warren K. Billings of participating
In the bombing of 1916 San Fran
cisco Preparedness Day parade in
which 10 persons were killed and
DO wounded.
Mr.. Mooney said he and Billings
were framed because they were labor
egitators.
A campaign to obtain pardon
for Billings was announced by Mr..
Mooney, who visited Billings at Fol-
som Prison Saturday. Billings is
ineligible to ask for pardon from
Nhe Governor without the concur
renee of the California Supreme
Court because he had a prior con-
viction before he was accused of
the bombing.
Mr.. Mooney shook a finger at the
State Building in which the Su-
preme Court meets and asked his
listeners to write to the Supreme
Court members asking them to rec
mend Billings pardon.
Those seven gentlemen can open |
the doors of Folsom Prison." Mr.. |
Mooney declared.
Billings is confined at Folsom, |
near Sacramento, CALIFORNIA; prison |
for two-time losers. Mr. Mooney
was imprisoned at San Quentin.
Denounces Fascism.
Mr.. Mooney, who spent much time
reading and studying while he was
in prison. alluded several times to
Fascism. which he deprecated with
determination.
Life in San Quentin today is
actually more comfortable than the
average man has in Germany and
Italy" he said.
Faint booes came from the edge
of the crowd
I'VE must not forget that the
trade union was the first thing that
was liquidated in Germany" said
Mr.. Mooney, then the Jews; and
after that it will be the Catholics
and Protestants; and then the in
ternational gangsters, the John
Dillingers and Al Capones will start
among themselves.
MY friends, do not think that
picture is 5000 or 1000 miles away
from you-the reactionary fraction
in California have a tremendous
Mr.. Mooney was introduced by
his lawyer, George T. Davis, who
called him "the greatest man of his
generation" Earlier, speeches had
been made by 1t. Gov. Ellis Patter-
son, Harry r. Bridges. West Coast
c. I. O. director; State Senator
John Shelley of San Francisco,
president of the San Francisco A.
F. of l.. Labor Council, and Others
Mr.. Mooney was ordered into the
hands of doctors today for physi-
cal examination. He was seriously
i'll twice in prison, but he appeared
In good health yesterday. He
mile and a half up Mar
ket street, past the spot where the
1916 bombing occurred, and looked
fresh when he sat down on the
platform at the city hall.
He drank pint of coffee, faced
four microphones and a score of
cameras, and spoke for 80 minutes
In q loud, clear voice to unnum-
bered thousands of persons.
Mrs. Rena Mooney, his wife, who
sat beside him on the platform, was
highly emotionalized. Her chin
quivered, and when she tried to
tie a shoe lace her fingers shook
and she was unable to do so.