The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-24
.RUTHENBERG CASE
|. NOW UP To u. S.
SUPREME COURT
Syndicalist Laws a Big
Danger to Workers ,


With the formal forwarding of the
court records of the Ruthenberu case
to the United States supreme court
from Lansing, Mich, as agreed upon
by the attorneys in the case, the con-
stitutionaIlty Of the criminal syndicaI-
ist law Of the state Of Michigan, and
that Of "a other states, is now in the
hands of the United States supreme
court.
Tied up with this is also the fate
Of the 80 defendants in the Michigan
cases, and of many other defendants
indicted under the criminal syndical-
list law of other states.
Delay Minors Trial.
The prosecution has not, as yet,
called the case of Robert Minor which
it had announced would be the next
case tried under the criminal syndical-
list law of the state of Michigan.
The calling of the case however, is
optional with the prosecution and. the
defense in the Michigan cases must
be prepared at any minute to supply
the necessary defense for Robert Mi
nor and any Of the other defendants
that will be called in this case.
Nothing but the best defense will
do, inasmuch as there is involved not
only these particular cases, but a
much broader principle than seems
obvious to many of people who do not
study the question closely.
1t is here not only question of
one section of the labor movement, in
this case the Communists, but also Of
the labor movement as whole-a
question Of whether the time will not
come when these laws will be used
against the labor unions and workers
in any fight they take up against the
employers for the betterment of their
conditions, and the relief of their bur-
dens.
Cite Danger in Idaho.
This has been brought sharply to
the fore by recent rewording of the
criminal syndicalist law in the state
of Idaho, which has reported some
time ago. The rewording of the Grim
inal syndicalist law in the state of
Idaho is to such effect that it will
prohibit all strikes and real organiza-
tional action in behalf of the work
ers.
The constitutionality therefore, of
the criminal syndicalist law in the
state of Michigan takes in the ques-
ton of the constitutionality of the
criminal syndicalist law in Idaho and
various other states.
Once decision can be gotten that
the criminal syndicahsm law of the
state of Michigan is unconstitutional,
it will be much easier to defeat the
aims of the criminal syndicalism law
of Idaho and other state laws which
have teeth in them for the destruc-
ton of the labor movement.
Must Have Best Defense.
Also, every effort must be put forth
at the same time to fight for the free
dom of the defendants under these
criminal syndicalist laws. In both
cases, the best defense is necessary
in order that the masters of this
country may be shown that the work
ers are prepared on every and all oc-
casions to combat any attack against
them. If the workers are strong
enough in their response, the de-
tense of these men in the Michigan
cases and other cases coming up I'M
der these laws, the purposes of these
laws will be defeated and the rest
Of the labor movement will be greatly
aided thereby.
The Labor Defense Council, which
is handling the criminal syndicalist
cases in Michigan and under the 9TH
er criminal syndicalism or sedition
laws, requests cooperation both NOR
al and financial in fighting against
these laws before the United States
supreme court, which is now to decide
on the constitutionality of the mat
ter, and before the courts in the vari-
Gus states.