There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 5, 1918
Duluth, Minnesota – Workingmen Demand Freedom for Mooney
Labor mass meetings, demanding justice for Tom Mooney, were held across the nation on Sunday July 28th. The labor unions of Duluth, Minnesota, joined the nationwide protests, listened to speeches, and passed resolutions.
From The Labor World of August 3, 1918:
DULUTH WORKINGMEN ASK
“TOM” MOONEY’S FREEDOM
—–
Declare Condemned Man Was Convicted
on Perjured Evidence and Demand
He Be Granted New Trial Without Delay.
—–
Rena and Tom Mooney
Duluth workingmen, at a largely attended meeting held at Owls’ hall last Sunday evening [July 28th], joined in the nation-wide protest against the proposed legal murder of Thomas J. Mooney at San Francisco. A. G. Catlin of Duluth Typographical union served as chairman and speeches were made by W. E. Towne of Duluth and Arthur Le Sueur of St. Paul.
Mr. Towne reviewed the history of the Mooney case, pointing out that all other persons charged with being participants in the alleged conspiracy had been acquitted by juries, including Mrs. Mooney, wife of the condemned man. He revealed the fact that since Mooney was tried it has been conclusively proven and admitted by the attorney general of the state that two of the witnesses against him were self-confessed perjurers and had been so found in other cases where they seemed to have served as professional witnesses.
U. S. Board Report.
The speaker also recited the fact that a special commission appointed by President Wilson, after a careful review of the case, had recommended that Mooney be given a new trial. They expressed the opinion that he was the victim of a bitter anti-union labor antipathy, and his conviction was secured by an organized opposition to union labor on the Pacific coast to satisfy its enmity against organized labor.
Mr. Towne showed how aspirants for political office, principally District Attorney Fiechert, who prosecuted the case against Mooney, was using the case as a stepping stone to the governor’s office in the state of California, and that the present governor was afraid to take action to save Mooney lest he would lose the support of the organized anti-union crowd. The speaker urged that labor throughout the country resort to every rightful means to save the life of this innocent man, whose only crime is that he is a member of organized labor.
Tribute To Wilson.
Arthur Le Sueur, who was present at the meeting, was invited to address the assemblage. Mr. Le Sueur is a lawyer of note and he reviewed the legal aspect of the Mooney case, and pointed out the importance of electing to the courts men of integrity who possessed the human viewpoint on all questions. He diverted from the main theme to pay a glowing tribute to the high purpose and aims of President Wilson during this trying world conflict.
Mr. Le Sueur discussed at some length the philosophy of autocracy and democracy, stating that there never was a time in the history of our country when the under dog was given such a square-deal as today. This situation is due almost entirely to the fact that a man of Woodrow Wilson’s ideals occupies the first position in the world, and its continuance will depend all together on how we the masses of the people stand behind him
He urged his hearers to get behind the President in a practical way.
[He said:]
Keep in the front ranks. Don’t lose control of affairs now, for when the war is over it will be more important to write into a peace treaty the ideals for which we are contending and for which the best blood on earth is being shed.
After the speaking the following resolutions were unanimously adopted by a rising vote
Whereas, Thomas J. Mooney has been convicted of guilt in connection with the San Francisco bomb outrage during the preparedness parade on July 22, 1916, and is now incarcerated under sentence of death in San Quentin penitentiary, and
Whereas, The character of the majority of the principal witnesses was such as to create a justification for the belief that the accused was convicted under circumstances which make it mandatory that he should be given a new and fair trial in order that a jury, the composition of which is above suspicion, may pass upon the evidence submitted by witnesses whose character warrant credence in their testimony and around whom there hangs no cloud of past vicious depravity and subornation of perjury. This is essential, as the records of the trial, as given the public, have been such as to leave no doubt whatever as to the unreliability of the testimony offered by those considered the state’s most important witnesses upon whose testimony Mooney was convicted committed perjury, therefore, be it
Resolved, by this mass protest meeting of the laboring men of Duluth, Minn., assembled on this 28th day of July, 1918, that in the name of justice President Wilson be urgently requested to take necessary steps in order that a new trial be granted Thomas J. Mooney, failing that, to abolish precedents and use the armed forces of the country as a means of preventing his judicial murder when it becomes evident that justice cannot be gotten through the courts of California. It is our well considered and deep-seated conviction that unless this is done, there must remain in the minds of the people in general the belief that in spite of our boasted love for justice and democracy there are interests so powerful as can defeat their ends whenever it is necessary for their own personal gain.
Resolved, That we sincerely approve the report of the Presidential commission that investigated the trial and that we believe as false and vicious, the affidavits made and given out to the press recently by District Attorney Fickert.
Resolved, That in view of the evidence at hand, we are certain and stand convinced of the absolute innocence of Thomas J. Mooney and that his conviction is a foul blot on the democratic institutions of America.
[Photograph added.]
From the International Socialist Review of May 1917:
…A ray of hope is seen in the protest demonstrations arranged for July 28, and in the large delegation waiting upon President Wilson on July 29. Representing our union in this delegation was International Vice-President Fannia M. Cohn. How terrible it will be if all these efforts will be of no avail.
…On Sunday, July 28, labor mass meetings were held in all parts of the United States protesting against Mooney’s execution. These meetings were under the auspices of the American Federation of Labor, and it is said that five hundred of them were held. At most of these meetings resolutions were adopted urging President Wilson to take such action as to bring the Mooney case within the jurisdiction of the federal authorities, and committees were appointed to carry this message to the President, who received these delegations on Tuesday…
Buffalo Labor Journal
(Buffalo, New York)
-April 11, 1918
Page 1: “Federal Commission Condemns
the Frame-Up in the Mooney Case”
(Commission appointed by Pres. Wilson) https://www.newspapers.com/image/255294998/
