The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-01-05
Miners URGE
SUPPORT FOR
LABOR DEFENSE
Protest Michigan Rule
As Suppression

That the white terror of the
capitalist dictatorship is rousing
the workers to a realization of
the threat against every worker
existing in the terminal syndi-
caIist" laws, is seen by the first
resolutions beginning to come
in protesting against the action
Of the Michigan state supreme
court in sustaining the convic-
ton of @. E. Ruthenberg and
opening the way for imprison-
ment of William 2. Foster, VIII
liam F. Dunno and the other
Michigan defendants.
Illustrative Of the rising protest is
the resolution, printed below, from the
United Mine Workers of America, Lo-
cal No. 1876, at Christopher Illinois.
1t is to be noticed that these coal min.
ers call upon labor to support the La.
Dor Defense Council, 166 West Wash.
ington street, Chicago, Illinois, in the
fight against the capitalist persecu.
ton. The resolution is as follows:
Resolution Against "criminaI SyndI.
caIism Laws"
WHEREAS, the many state "crim.
inal syndicalism" laws and "sedition
acts" are unconstitutional and instru.
ments Of employing class tyranny
over the workers and their organiza.
tions, and
WHEREAS, the state supreme court
of Michigan has upheld the convic.
ton of c. e. Ruthenberg for "assembl-
ing with" the Communists in an opin.
ion which calls for the punishment
of ideas and the denial of free speech
and assemblage, and which evades
the issue by ignoring the fact that, as
the defense showed, there was not
even violation of the state law since
nothing was done in Michigan by the
defendant in the way of any overt
act or advocacy, and
WHEREAS. Assistant Prosecuting
Attorney Breekwalter and others Of
his class insist on a maximum sen.
tence Of ten years Imprisonment and
$4,000 fine, for this crime" Of hold
ing an opinion counter to their own
rather than on the law and the consti.
tuition, and
WHEREAS, the sustaining of Ruth.
enberg's conviction by the United
States supreme court will mean also
the railroading to long terms in prison
Of William 2. Foster, VIM. F. Dunno
and 20 other well known fighters in
the ranks of the labor movement, and
would also encourage high-handed
suppression by the capitalist control
led government of all and any work
ing class organizations which dares
oppose their open shop rule, and
WHEREAS, the solidarity of the en-.
tire working class is essential to its
welfare and requires that those in the
forefront of the struggle must es.
pecially have the support Of all work
ers, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That we protest
against and condemn the action o
the Michigan supreme court, record
ourselves as in support of the Labor
Defense Council in this case and call
upon all labor bodies and working
class bodies to take the same stand.
That we petition the governor Of the
state Of Michigan to pardon the de-
PENDANT in the event that the United
States supreme court sustains the
conviction, it being our view that
such action on the part of the federal
supreme court would be a nullifica.
ton OF the constitution in the interest
Of instruments Of capitalist suppress.
sion of the workers, and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies Of this
resolution be sent to the governor OF
tho state OF Michigan and the labor
press.
Leon GremIlng, President,
Ed johnson, Recording Secretary.