The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-10-07
The socialist" Platform Wants
More Prisons

fearful rate-but only members of the working
class are considered Criminals" for using mar
cotics and sent to prison for their "crime,"
while drug addicts of the upper classes are
mere "unfortunates"
9S% Asylum Inmates Workers.
This together with the fact that 99T of all
inmates of penal institutions are workers-on
whatever Charge" and through whatever
methods they were railroaded to prison-in-
dicates that this is a class basis to crime. In
this period of economic crisis this becomes
clear to the workers.
How could it otherwise happen that big
noise is made over the case of "poor" Senator
FALL who when Secretary of the Interior, ac-
copied "oan" from Sinclair; and he and
Sinclair after many years were convicted =
while men and women for stealing loaf of
bread, for committing petty larceny are ar
rested, tried and convicted and begin serving
their time within twenty-four hours?
Grafters and Lynchers Go Free.
How does it otherwise happen that single
capitalist swindler of Queens County is the
only Tammany politician enjoying vacation"
in jail, while scores are under charges, the
whole Tammany machine under suspicion and
Mayor Walker refuses an investigation of his
office? How about corruption in Philadel-
phia, Detroit, Chicago, Albany-with the cap
italist politicians enjoying their loot-while a
working mother is sent to prison for stealing
bottle of milk? All to preserve the majesty
of capitalist law and order.
How does it happen that lynching mobs who
are known to the authorities are not molested
or prosecuted? That open threats, acts of
violence, assault and murder of militant labor
organizers and Communists take place, not
only unhampered but aided by the authorities?
Do the lynchings of thirty-six Negroes thus
far this year, the attacks on Communists and
revolutionary trade unionists of the Trade
Union Unity League, the numerous sentences
to the rock-pile in the South on the charge
of "vagrancy," the Imprisonment of revolution
airy workers for assembling in California to
organize a union; the threat of the electric
chair in Atlanta-do these few examples not
clearly demonstrate that the capitalist courts
and prisons class institutions, part of the
capitalist state whose function it is to protect
the interests Of the capitalist class against
the other class-the working class :?
Socialists" Covering Up Fundamental Cause.
This is perfectly cear-and is being en-
phasized every day by the crowding of the
prisons with the working class victims of cap
italism-so-caled Criminals direct VIC
tins Of the class struggle within capitalism
Communists and revolutionary working-class
leaders.
When, therefore, the Socialist" state plat
form declares that "crime is in large measure
rooted in our social and economic system" (em-
phasis mine, l. AZ, in real capitalst-reform
manner, the social-fascists wishing to serve
capitalism well, are covering up the funda-
mental cause of crime the capitalist system
of exploitation.
Then let us consider few more factors.
To be worker is supposed to be disgrace"
to be poor is worse "disgrace"-to be I'M
employed is the worst disgrace" 1t is sup
posed to be sign of incapacity, ignorance and
low character. To rise out Of the working
class, to educate ones children to enter a
"higher class" is the highest achievement
worker is inspired to by capitalists. The cap
i+n'ists sot ~o~d ~-.----'- -
bride certain sections Of workers to separate
them from the unskilled masses = to ACT as