The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-09-16
DEFENSE BREAKS
JAIL BARS, SAYS
.C.E. RUTHENDERG
CONTINUED from page u

''Why is It that in 1910 they did not
need criminal syndicalist laws and IN
1919 they did?" Comrade Ruthenberg
continued. "The answer is the Inter
national revolution. The victory Of
| proletarian revolution in Soviet Rus
STA was an answer to the challenge OF
the rule of the capitalists. the rule Of
the capitalists. here In the United
States was challenged by the Com
munist movement"
"The International Labor Defense
can break the bars and save the work
ing class fighters from prison, Just as
the protest of the workers secured the
| freedom of the. members of the I. w.
W. in 1920, and saved several thous-
and workers from deportation after
the Palmer raids. The fight made for
those working class leaders shows
that the workers have the power and
| If they use it can save their champ
ions from the clutches of the capital
SITS" Comrade Ruthenberg declared
hat SO far the workers had won in
he Michigan Communist cases, keep
ng the Communist out Of jail for three
years.
"The International Labor Defense
can take up the fight for the forgotten
class war prisoners. 1t must also
think of the international situation, of
the white terror raging against the
workers of other countries"
Saved Fighters from Hangmen
Comrade Ruthenberg then told how
the protests of the workers of the Gu.
| ropean countries had done much to
save Sacco and Vanzetu and Tom
Mooney from the gallows. He told
how in Poland, Roumania. Bulgaria
and other countries the capitalists are
trying to wipe out the struggle of the
workers by killing of their leaders.
He told how the three million mem
bers of the International Red Aid are
sending help to the workers of all
! the world.
We In the United States must do
the same" Comrade Ruthenberg con-
cluded. I'VE must help those who
stand in the forefront of the struggle
against capitalism. That is the pur-
pose of the International Labor De-
ense. II we do that we may look for
ward to the day when the workers
will rule, and will put the capitalists
in jail"
unjust Enlist Masses" Foster
Comrade Foster told how the CAP
ttalists of Spain and other countries
/ are selling on the leaders of the work
ers and numbering them in cold blood.
The |. L. D., he said. must defend the
leaders of the working class. Some
Of the finest fighters for the workers
are now rotting away in the prisons
and the masses are not stirring a hand
to secure their release" Comrade
Foster said.
Comrade Foster told how Kline and
Wrangel in Texas, Mooney. Schmidt
and MacNamara of California. Sacco
and Vanzetti, are being prosecuted.
and forgotten.
| New systems, a new spirit is
needed" said Comrade Foster, "And
the |. L. d. is about to supply that
We must realize that the defense of
political prisoners is an established
part of our work OF fighting the can.
italists. We must enlist the masses
ana the only way is thru such an or
ganization as the international Labor
Defense, whose purpose is to teach
the workers the real meaning of this
class persecution. The /. L. D. il an
effective organization of the workers
to defend their leaders"
Struggle In ZeIgIer
George Maurer opened the meeting
by telling Of the successful conference
which organized a permanent local
unit OF the I. L. d.
Henry Corbishly went into detail
on the struggle of the Zeigler miners
against the Harrington machine of
bureaucratic mine union oficials. Cor
Dishly told how the progressives, with
himself az president of the zeigler
local, were twice arbitrarily deposed
from office by the mine union officiaIs
who enlisted the aid of the ku klux
klan. He told of the frauds perpe-
trated by harrington in the miners
elections.
Fne kluxers, Corbishly said, At a
meeting ofnthe local, following a dis
pute with the Bell and zoiier Coal
company, started tight and Alexand-
er Hargis. klansman and Harrington
nanser-on, shot and killed Mike saro.
vich. The next day IS OF the progress
sive miners were arrested on warrants
sworn to by Lon Fox, sub-distrtct
president of the union, and other Far.
rington machine men, charged with
assault with intent to kill"
Alexander Hargis, the khan murder
err on the other hand. was Released
on bonds supplied by Lon Fox The
dispute with the coal company, Cor.
oishly showed. was decided in the
company's favor by the mine union Of
Meals The coal was being run out
so fast that 1t was impossible N