Life — August 25, 1927 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AUGUST VOL. 90, 2338 “While there is Life there’s Hope” Published by LIFE R. E. Suerwooo, Editor F. D. Casey, Art Editor [J NDOUBTEDLY Sacco and Vanzetti made it as difficult as they could for the Commonwealth of Mas- sachusetts to discover whether they were guilty of murder or not. Their lies, admitted, muddied the case at the start. An observer has ob- served that Reds, when they behave indiscrcetly and get mixed up with hold-ups and murder, would be well advised in the first place to hire a lawyer whose business is the prac- tice of law and who confines himself to that calling, and not a Red who does law on the side. But anyhow, being caught with incriminating weapons, Sacco and Vanzetti told a lot of fibs and had to take them back with resulting prejudice to their veracity. Nevertheless, there were doubts widespread, and not confined to their political sympathizers, as to whether they had a fair trial. These doubts led finally to Governor Ful- ler’s action, first by himself, then through the gentlemen drafted to examine the case from be- ginning to end. To many minds the problem was solved by that action of the Governor, and the result seemed to warrant that feeling. What Gov- ernor Fuller went about, and what Dr. Lowell, Dr. Stratton and Judg Grant went about, was not to hunt wild geese, but to discover whether used were guilty of the mur- They concluded they were, that they hada fair trial, and that the prejudices of the judge against them, in so far as they existed, had not affected the verdict of the jury. The and all sellors also agreed with that verdict ver. whom he Governor three coun- PUBLISHIN 598 Madison Avenu Citantes Dawa Gunso: Cram Maxwett, Vice-President Laxcnonne Ginson, Secretary and Treasurer COMPANY New York President Any one who read their report must conclude at least that Massachusetts had taken all pains possible to se- cure justice in the treatment of those men. In a way this momentous case has been a conflict between the old order in the world and that large and ac- tive company who think it has fin- ished and are out to destroy it. If there is any criticism to be made of Governor Fuller and his coadjutors it is that he appointed three men whose minds were shaped in and by the established order. But whom else could he select? Perhaps if he had chosen Mr. Felix Frankfurter to be one of the trio he could have secured a disagreement among the judges. But even that is not certain, and maybe he didn’t want one. HE argument of the Reds against the established order in| Massa- chusetts has for the most part been bombs and strikes all over the world. Certainly not by such means would one wish to have the course of jus- determined. It may be said with considerable confidence that the bombing and the striking have been done by persons who knew very little about the trial or the facts brought out of it. How many of them may one suppose read the report of the Goverr coadjutors? It was worth reading to any one who wished to know the facts of the case. To many it must have given their first strong impression that Sacco and Vanzetti might be guilty as charged and found. Capital punishment was inconve- nient in this case. The petitions for commutation of sentence were very and carried great weight of tice many influence, both because of their num- ber and of the source of them. Whatever Governor Fuller did was sure to be criticized. Never- theless, if no more than a choi possible mistakes was open to hi that was no worse than often hap- pens. some of M R. COOLIDGE pretty clearly AVE excused himself from running in for President. He has ex- pressed himself rather curiously with his “I choose not,” but that is said to be strong language in Vermont. It is accepted at least that he will make no effort to get the nomination nd raise not a finger to prevent its ring to some one - He is the most curious President we have ever had, but very few of his « been able to sat- isfy so large a proportion of the people of the United States for so long a time. His announcement makes for greater freedom and probably great- er usefulness in the year and a half which he still has to serve. It may be a momentous period in world history, both in difficult domestic situations and in complicated inter- national problems. By what he has said he has put himself in the best position to meet whatever crises may be immediately ahead. predecessors hi abounding RETTY much everybody has spoken handsomely of General Wood, giving him credit for very un- usual abilities employed in services of very unusual importance. He had bad luck in being physically dam- aged by an accident in Cuba. At least it seemed bad, for it modified War, though they went strong and usefully in spite of it. It did not interfere, ho ever, with his going to the Ph ippines and on the whole his service there added to the reputation he had made in Cuba. He was opposed to the independence of the Philippines at present and perhaps at any time, but he was very strong for a ministration of the Philippines that would be beneficial to the Filipinos. E. S. Martin. his activities in the comicbooks.com