Evening star., 1939-06-07
2,200 Hear Mooney Plead
For Freedom of Billings
Famous Ex-Prisoner Also Calls for United
Unionism at MoyfIower Hotel Meeting

Just 81 years ago a young labor
leader by the name of Tom Mooney
rode into Washington from Cali
fornia aboard "the red special" with
the late Eugene Debs, who was
running for President on the So
cialist ticket at the time. Last night
this same Tom Mooney, until re-
Gently labor's most famous prisoner,
was back in Washington at the
Mayflower Hotel, where 1900 peo-
pie jammed the hotels west ball
room to hear the man whose tale
has almost become an historical
legend
After % years in prison the re-
Gently pardoned suspect in the San
Francisco's Preparedness Day bomb
ing came to Washington and ap-
pealed for efforts to free Warren
Billings, who was sent to prison
along with Mr.. Mooney and who still
remains behind prison bars. Mr..
Mooney also made plea for unity
among labor's warning factions.
Still "Not Free"
"As long as Warren Billings is in
prison I myself am not really free"
he told the audience who frequently
applauded. II ask you here to join
me now in giving your solemn pledge
that you also, together with me,
will not rest a single day until
Warren Billings is free. Will you
do it?"
The audience pounded its answer
with its hands, and Mr.. Mooney
accepted 1t as an affirmative re-
sponse."
Division in the ranks of labor is
one of the greatest dangers to Amer
lean democracy, Mr. Mooney, men,
ber of the American Federation of
Labor for 81 years, warned the audi
ence. At the same time he expressed
hope that the evidence which ran
the gamut OF the factions of organ
lied labor, might "be taken as one
of the mighty incidents that for
shadow the early and complete unity
of the labor movement"
I'VE are proud that there are
nearly 100000 members in the
trade unions" Mr. Mooney declared
but there are at least 24,000,000
more workers who can and will be
organized. Only united labor
movement can bring these workers
into our ranks"
Sees Changed World.
After % years in prison it is
new and strange world for Mr..
Mooney, especially the change in
the labor movement
When I went to an unjust i'm
priSonment back in the summer OF
1916, the American labor movement
was only little more than 100000
strong" he said. Trade unionism
was still just a small fragment
among the many millions of people
engaged in the industry of our coun-
try. The trade unions in the United
States now have nearly 100000
members, about three times as many
as there were in the summer of
1916 when I started out to organize
the 2 200 street car men in San Fran
cisco and brought down upon myself
that vengeance which is called the
Mooney-Billings case"
Years in prison have not dimin-
ished his faith in American in
stitutions, Mr.. Mooney told his au-
dience.
During all that time I was fight
ing not against American justice as
established in the Constitution of
the United States, but for enforce
ment of the fundamental rights
which are guaranteed in the Consti-
tuition. but which were denied me by
corrupt agents of the unscrupulous,
anti-union employers of the country
in control of the courts and the ex-
ecutive branch of the State
Turning the modern American
life, Mr. Mooney defending the