Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL
Newspaper Page Text
Far-seeing unionists can begin-to view this seeming calamity as A BLESSING IN DISGUISE. Had the 'trial proceeded, a'ndHhe McNamaras been convicted, many thousands of honest unionists would have still believed that it was a frame-up, and that the McNamaras wee innocent martyrs to labor's cause, railroaded to the gallows on perjured testimony. And the class feeling would have been more deadly than it is now. Had the McNamaras been acquitted, they would have been heioes in the eyes of labor, even though the McNamaras and their confederates themselves knew they were guilty. And that kind of fighting would have gone on, emboldened by acquittal. The dyna miters in labor's ranks would have continued in leadership until FINALLY SOME GREATER CATASTROPHE WOULD HAVE EXPOSED THEM, AND WROUGHT EVEN MORE SERIOUS INJURY TO THE CAUSE. AS IT IS, LABOR KNOWS THE TRUTH. THAT KNOWLEDGE IS WORTH ALL IT COST IN DEFENSE 'FUND. FOR NOW LEADERS WHO FJGHT WITH DYNA MITE WILL HAVE TO MAKE WAY FOR' LEADERS WHO REALLY REPRESENT THE HONEST RANK AND FILE OF UNIONISM. As for Darnpw, he will probably be misunderstood. In time, however, men may come to understand that he did the only thing he could do in he dual capacity of a friend of'unionism and an at torney for the guilty McNamaras.. Once he accepted service as attorney for the McNama'ras, he was in honor "bound to protect his clients. He could not tell his union friends that his clients were guilty, without letting the world lenow. Therefore, he had to sit silent while they contributed to the defense fund. v If the case went to trial and the McNamaras were convicted, then both they and labor would suffer in spite of anything that Dar iow could do. When he became convinced that nothing would prevent con viction of his guilty clients, he did what he could to save their necks, and at the same time did the best thing that could, be done for honest trades unionism. BUT TRADES UNIONISM HAS BEFORE IT NOW MORE VITAL PROBLEMS THAN THE- FATE OF AN IN DIVIDUAL. . IN OUR JUDGMENT HONEST TRADED UNIONISM WILL NOT SUFFER PERMANENTLY FROM THIS BE TRAYAL. ON THE CONTRARY, WJErBELJEVE.iT WILL