The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-05-28

the crlmindl pOiiits, put "ouiu u
the case purely on the "propert,
issues
This promise, whether kept o
broken, is of little consequence, TO
the criminal charges were not to b
withdrawn, but merely moi to b
stressed" However, there appears T.
be behind Stedman's denials a fain
shadow of reliance upon, the pre-
tense (not yet published) that afte1
making the criminal charges agains
the defendants, he did not "stress'
them. So let us look at the steno
graphic record.
The import of the questions in this
record can only be understood wher
we remember that the concerted
opinion throughout the country al
the time was that proof of member
ship in Communist party woult
bring automatic conviction with de-
portation or, in the case of citizens
ten years. prison condemnation. Sted-
man compelled the arrested Com.
munists with the alternative Of
giving up the property without max
ing a defense) to take the witness
stand and answer his questions OF
which we quote few from the
stenographic record.
Of one witness who denied that
he was member of the Communist
Party, Stedman asked:
as it not a fact that you left
that party after your indictment in
Chicago, or arrest in Chicago?'
Another Of the defendants under
the criminal charge of being mem
ber of the Communist Party, had de.
MED being a member. Stedman asked
him on the witness stand:
@. You went to the convention at
Chicago as delegate for the Com
munist Party in MICHIGAN?
A. l went to the convention at
Chicago for the Socialist Party OF
Michigan.
@. Was there Communist Party
of Michigan at any time?
A. No.
@. Were you ever Secretary of the
Communist Party of Michigan?
A. was secretary appointed tenn
porarily by the State Executive Com
mittee of the Socialist Party of Mi
chigan.
@. Did you ever use any stationery
of the Communist Party Of Michigan
and write letters on it?
A. We had stationery in the office
that was printed prior to the Com.
munist Party convention in 1919
which was used. I do not know
whether I ever wrote letters on il
or not.
@. am referring to prior to the
convention.
A. Prior to the convention the sta
tionery was printed.
@. You had stationery "Commun.
ist Party of Michigan?"
A. Yes.
@. You wrote letters on it?
A. No, did not.
@. Quite sure of that?
A. No.
@. You did not write a letter tc
I. Paul Taylor, signing yourself as
secretary?
A. Not prior to the convention.
The Reverend Paul Taylor took the
stand for Stedman and swore that
he had received a letter from the
above witness and that "in that let.
ter he 1.-THE accused MANI stated that
he had been elected secretary Of the
Communist Party Of the State oi
Michigan"
Of witness of the Left Wing
faction on the stand Stedman asked
@. Were you at the convention il
August and September in Chicago?
A. I was not at the convention o.
the Socialist Party.
@. Were you at the convention?
A. was at the convention Of tn,
Communist Party.
@. True. That is what we want Z,
get at. You attended the convention
Of the Communist Party.
Then q fusillade of questions abou
the witness affiliation with Com
munist Party, it being understoo,
that If the witness could be provel
to be such member IL would cos
him ten years Of his life in prison.
"You were a delegate ~. "Di
you present your credentials at tn
Communist convention?". -. "Di
you hold any office at any time 4
the Communist Party?". "Di
you act as advisor to the Communis
Party when it was organized?". I.
"Was the manager Of the House O
the Masses a delegate to the Com
munist convention ?".... "Was h
present and helped form the Com
munist party?".
To another Communist whom h
had called in the same manner:
"You attended as a delegate
the Communist convention ?".... Yo