In Defense of General Otis
By Editor
We hold no brief for Gen. H. G. Otis of the Los Angeles Times. We do not agree with him in many things. We think his methods of verbal warfare are too militant, harsh, irritating; but all this does not justify the cauterizing abuse, the fiery falsehood, the base insinuations to which he has been subjected, whether from a candidate for the governor of the State or an irresponsible labor agitator. If he were the low-dyed villain he is said to be (see expressions of this quoted in Current Literature for January) it is strange indeed that he and his paper should receive the patronage given by the Southern California community composed of a class of people of more than average intelligence, and strongly American. General Otis, as stated in the Times for December 14, supports “the vital principle of liberty under law. . . . We are for ‘equality of opportunity,’ fair play, an even chance for all workers and employers in the domain of labor everywhere,—labor of every grade and kind. We believe that workmen should be allowed to join or refuse to join, labor unions, according to the personal choice of each. We hold they should not be subjected to coercion under any circumstances or from any source. We repeat that the Times has never assailed law-abiding organized labor as such, or merely because it was organized. But we have opposed lawless labor, whether organized or unorganized, whenever it has shown itself to be so, or has tolerated lawless persons in its ranks, or justified lawless acts done by its members, or persecuted independent workmen exercising their indefeasible right to work freely, according to their own individual choice, and to have the full protection of the law in the exercise of that right—a right constitutional, industrial, and personal in its very nature.” We would suggest that if our readers wish to learn the real attitude of the Times that they send for the issue of December 14, 1911, “Its Stand on Labor.” Surely we do not see what is wrong with these principles.