The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-14
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
by LUDWELL DENNY

southern States, are reported by or
ganizations devoted to protection OF
civil and racial liberties.
This is the gist of the annual re-
port of the American Civi. Liberties
Union, made public today. and Of
recent reports of the National AS
ISOLATION for the Advancement of
Negro People.
Continued abuse of anti-labor in
functions, and revival of a lynching
wave in Texas and Mississippi are
described by Liberals as the chief
immediate evils demanding correc-
ton. This is apart from the inva-
sion Of civil rights by prohibition
enforcement officials, and the stu
alton created by the recent five to
four ruling Of the United States
Supreme Court holding telephone
overlapping by dry agents consti-
tutional.
Senators here and the American
Federation of Labor are now trying
to agree on bill to be introduced
in Congress next December to eradi-
cate the injunction evil.
The Norris subcommittee Of the
Senate Judiciary Committee has
worked out a substitute for the
Shipstead anti-injunction measure
introduced last session. This follows
the report of the special Senate
committee on an alleged "reign Of
terror" by company and State po-
lice and injunction judges in the
soft coal strike area centering in
Pennsylvania.
The Norris bill would guarantee
labor's right to strike, to hold peace
able meetings, to have jury trials in
contempt cases, and would prohibit
injunctions to sustain so-called
"yellow-dog" contracts.
Despite apparent improvement in
civil liberty conditions, the Ameri-
can Civil Liberties Union report is
pessimistic. Though the record for
the year shows less active repres-
sion, the union believes there Is
more settled intolerance.
1.-THE reason for the decrease in
repression is that there is little to
repress-militancy in the labor
movement has declined, and radi-
cal political movements are not
strong enough to arouse fear" says
the union.
Americans enjoy freedom Of
speech-except when there is a Seri-
Gus difference of opinion"
n
NN the credit side of the ledger
~ it lists for the year the re-
lease Of all political prisoners in
the country, except one; no new
prosecutions under criminal syndi-
calism or sedition laws, except in
Pennsylvania; the failure of all
repreSsive laws introduced in Con-
gress and State Legislatures; the
lowest number of cases of mob
violence and police interference
with meetings in years; and fewer
dismissals Of teachers for their
views on evolution and social lues-
tions.
AS the two outstanding events in
the field during the year, it lists
the execution in Massachusetts of
Sacco and Vanzetti, who we're
prosecuted primarily because Of
their radical views and activities"
and suppression in the coal strike.
Pennsylvania is tine worst State
today in the Union for wholesale
violations of civil rights" accord
ing to the report. other districts
given a black mark by the organ
ization are Colorado, Ohio and
West Virginia coal fields, New
England textile centers, and the
cities Of Newark, Philadelphia, Los
Angeles and Boston, where the
police adopt lawleSS tactics"
Here are the reasons the
Liberties Union believes that con-
Stitutional rights of Americans ara
endangered today.
"The Espionage Act sections au-
thorizing postoffice censorship are
still in force; thirty-four States
have criminal syndicalism or sedi-
ton laws; sweeping injunctions
against strikers and the rule: mov-
les, plays, books and periodicals
are censored in many localities:
anti-evolution laws are on the
books OF two States, while evolution
teaching is outlawed by regulation
in many others; United States
colonies are still ruled by the Navy
or War departments; aliens no
longer enjoy the right of political
asylum in the United States; de-
portation for radical political views
is easy and naturalization of rad
icalS and Paciflsts difficult; pro-
fessional patriots and militarists
are active in suppressing Pacihst
and even mildly progressive activ-
tiles; and the Khan, though dying.
still mobilizeS racial and religious
prejudice"
A CCORDING to w. E. B. Du Bots
4 Aof the National Association for
the advancement of colored people:
"DiSfranchisement of the Negro
in southern States has brought
about such distortion of political
power in the United States that a
small white oligarchy in the South
is the dictator of the Nation-from
30 to 80 per cent of voters in far
southern States refraining from vot-
ing in the election of 1920"
StreSS1ng economic restrictions
against Negroes, Arthur B. Sping-
arm of the same organization, says:
by our fight against peonage.
particularly in Arkansas, we have
helped to bring about a condition
making it impossible to exploit this
or any group"
For the first time in thirty-nine