The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-06-11
By WALTER 7. JOHNSON.

any rate there was reasonable doubt.
Maybe the jury lived in the woods and
did not know plumbing supplies were
in common use. So the officer was re-
leased on bail on certificate of
reasonable doubt" There is no know
ing what might happen if you get up
against it in a truly business-like
manner.
But C. E. Ruthenberg, one time So
cialist candidate for mayor Of Cleve-
land came up against it in a most
unbusiness-like manner. He was not
engaged in business. Industry, pro-
duction for use, engaged his atten-
tion. Production for use is even more
unbusiness-like than paying money to
lawyers. Production for use is the
very opposite Of business, which is
production for profit.
So Ruthenberg is up against it
up against the law. He served year
in prison for opposing the war. All
the workers in Ohio know him. The
workers know him because every one
knew what he was doing, doing the
work which must be done here, where
our struggle is. And the capitalists
know him for the same reason, and
they got him. They got him for
drafting, or publishing the Left Wing
Manifesto, although he was not in
town when that work was done. And
they sentenced him to the maximum
term, not ninety days, but five to ten
years. But the law was so unusual,
it was passed when someone thought
God had forsaken the country by al
lowing President Mckinley to be as
sassinated. 1t was an unusual law and
the jury had many difficult points to
decide, and the law had never been
tested in the higher courts. So Of
course the lawyers asked for Ger
tificate of reasonable doubt" But
Ruthenberg was up against it. 1t was
not question of whether the master
plumbers should be allowed to enjoy
these piping times, but only: "Shall
} Ruthenberg be kept behind the bars
with Ferguson, Larkin, Gitlow and
: Winitsky and the Others" There was
only one answer and it was given.
{ They kept them all. They have them
| now.
ol There is only one answer. Presi-
o dent Harding snarled it across the
t ocean to rival imperialists. "We want
e that which is righteously our own
/ and, by the eternal, we mean to have
e that. What we want we call our
n own, and what we call our own, by
e God, we'll take!"
! Ruthenberg is one of ours, one Of
( our class. Ferguson, Gitlow, Larkir
d and Winitsky and the others are
f ours. And, by Harding's small towr
/ God, we want them. There is only on,
d answer: Well get them out.
, 1t will cost S6,000.00 to print thu
# records. Without this expenditure fol
Al printing the cases cannot be appealed
d This is not a deal between friends
u members of the same class. 1t canno
F? be settled out of court. We are VI
ID against it-up against the law. Fer
" guson is lawyer, and good one
He will prepare the briefs though h
~ is in Jail. That means straight har
. fight. He will fight straight for him
~ self, his comrades, his class, our clas;
~ And it will save a deal of money TOT
as But don't forget, $6,OO0.Oo to put
y down in black and white; 100000 be
N cause our comrades are up against
70 up against the law.
90 There is only one committee worl
10 ing for these men. 1t is too hard
ka fight for liberals. 1t is part of ii
N real fight, the workers fight, ii
ov class war. The National Defen.
ed Committee, Of which Ruthenberg ar
of Ferguson are members will fig
4 these cases II you will remember Il
Is one answer and send it along to Il
~ Treasurer, Edgar Owens, 7 Bank S
4 New York City. Six Thousand Dc
ss lars must be forthcoming. Will y,