The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-01-20
AUTO WORKERS
BEGIN MICHIGAN
|LABOR'S PROTEST
Pledge Support to Labor
Defense Council
tspeoIaI to the Daily Worker,

Especial TO the Daily Worksr)
DETROIT, Mich, Jan. 10. - The
workers Of Michigan are not parties
to the conspiracy Of the capitalist gov
eminent of that state with the CAPT.
talists OF the nation in railroading to
the Michigan prison the group OF
Communists Of whom G. E. Ruthen.
berg was the first victim now in the
Jackson penitentiary.
Auto Workers Of Michigan Speak.
At least the Auto Workers of De.
troit are speaking up and in a resolu.
ton condemning the persecution Of
best fighting element of the labor
movement, calls upon all labor bodies
to support the Labor Defense Coun.
Gil and pledges its own help.
The resolution, which is expected
to be followed by many similar resolu.
tions and protests from all over the
state of Michigan, is in full as fol,
lows:
ian Anti-Lahor Law--states Resolution
Whereas, since the world war many
states have passed so-called criminal
syndicalism" and criminal anarchy"
laws, which are in violation of the
spirit of the bill of rights of the
United States constitution, and are
instruments of the employing class
tyranny over the. workers and their
organizations, and
Whereas, the state supreme court
of Michigan has upheld the conviction
of c. z. Ruthenberg for assembling
with" the Communists in an opinion
which calls for the punishment of
ideas and is a denial of free speech
and assemblage, and which evades
the issue by ignoring the fact that, as
the defense showed, there was not
even a violation of the state law
since nothing was done in Michigan
by the defendant in the way Of an
overt act or advocacy, and
Whereas, Assistant Prosecuting At
torney Bookwalter of Berrien county
and others of his class insist upon
maximum punishment for this crime
OF holding opinions counter to their
own, and
Whereas, the sustaining of the
Ruthenberg conviction will mean the
attempt at railroading William 2
Foster, William F. Dunno, Robert
Minor, and the other 2S welI,known
fighters in the ranks Of the labor
movement, and will also encourage
high.handed suppression OF the work
ers and their organizations which
dare to oppose the open shop rule Of
the capitalist controlled government
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 especi
ally have the support of the workers
therefore be it
Resolved, that we, Local Union 12I
of the Auto Workers, protest ant
condemn the action Of the Michigan
supreme court, and record ourselves
as in support OF the Labor Defens'
Council in this case. and call ON al
labor bodies and working class organ
izations to take the same stand. w,
petition the governor of Michigan Il
issue an unconditional pardon to
z. Ruthenberg in the event that thu
United States supreme court sustain
the conviction, it being our opinion
that such action on the part Of tn
United States supreme court would b
a notification of the constitution II
the interests Of the employing class
We protest against any further prose
cution of those indicted along witt
Ruthenberg. Be 1t further
Resolved, that copies of this reso
luton be sent to the governor o
Michigan, to the prosecuting attorne,
Of Berrien county, Mich, and to tn
labor press.
A. G Weavar Chafrrnau