TOM MANN'S SENTENCE

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1449, 25 May 1912, Page 5

TOM MANN'S SENTENCE

LABOUR PARTY APPEAL. By Telcsraph-Press Association-Copyright. London, May 23. In the House of Commons, Mr. J. RamBay MacEonald, Leader of tho Labour 'party, asked for Mr. Tom Mann's release from the prison or his treatment as a first-class prisoner, on the ground that •Jlann had merely expressed a general opinion daily expressed by the churches. Mr MacDoidald also urged that the authorities should . not expel the militant Anarchist, Errico Malatesta, recently sentenced to three ' months' imprisonment, and afterwards to be for libelling one Bellilli by alleging that Bellilli was an Italian police spy. Tne Attorney-General (Sir Eufus Isaacs) emphasised the point that the publication of Tom Mann's "Don't Shoot" letter was intended to have certain consequences, ond the case was, therefore, not one for a nominal punishment. Hβ also referred t<l tho absence of.any expression of regret for the publication of the letter, and of any promise not to repeat the offence. ■ A REBEL AGAINST SOCIETY. Some idea of Mr. Tom Mann's attitude towards society in general may be gathered from this report of a speech of Ins «t Wednesbury, on April 10, as published in the "Daily Mail":— "It is too late now for the employers to come along with whining statements concerning the working community, lho workers have ownfd nothing beyond their physical frames, for the -capitalists have possessed everything else. "Pavl"aai«nt is to be destroyed. I mean it. I shall spaak as freely here oa I have ever spoken. I shall withhold no principles. I shall modify nothing. "To-day I defy the Government as thoroughly as I have ever done. I will let them know my opinions although they may be. conveyed to Scotland Yard. "I 'am going to rebel against society, If they were, not fearful they would not havo tried to tis my tongue." Speaking in a loud voice and with outetretched arms, Mr. Mann, apparently addressing the Government, said: "Take .your laws, take yourselves, and go to ..the devil. "The Government are trying to drop Horn Mann like a hot potato. I dare them to imprison him for long. I won't be sorry if ■ they say five years. There will Vβ a glorious time outside."