The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-22
CONDUCT OF COMMUNIST
TRIALS

because he was organizer of the Communist
Party of southern California.
Frank Spector was convicted not for actual
leadership of the Imperial Valley struggle but
as one of the active members of the Commu-
mist Party in Los Angeles and secretary of the
I. L. D.
The same applies to the warrants for Frank
Waldron, Harry Harvey, and other comrades.
1t was in this way that the Imperial Valley
frame-up was calculated to cripple the entire
working class movement in southern California
and particularly the Communist Party.
Not to understand this, means not to under
stand what took place in the Imperial Valley
and also the entire situation in southern Cali
fornia 1t means not to understand the fact
that the Imperial Valley case was only a con-
tinuation of the previous fight which devel-
oped such sharp form in southern California
against the Communist Party and the entire
left wing, and also the fact that this attack
continues today with undated fury.
February ga Communist Trial
The trial of the comrades arrested at the
February 26 unemployment demonstration in
Los Angeles was truly a Communist trial
The policies applied in this trial are devoid
of illusions.
The issue Of class against class was clearly
put forward There was no shameful specu-
lation as to 'this juror or that juror" There
was no fear of "antagonizing" the Judge
The court room was used as a forum by
Communists who conveyed the issues involved
to the largest possible masses of workers.
The proceedings in the court room were used
by the organization as a means of propaganda
among the masses. The ten comrades on trial
act as their own attorneys. They fight for
the interests of the Party and the working
class in way that the workers can under
stand
Here capitalist class justice was exposed.
The entire jury panel was challenged and the
facts exposed. First: that there are no indus
trial workers on the jury. Second; that al
though Negroes and Mexicans comprise %
per cent of the city's population-not a single
Mexican or Negro was to be found among
more than 100 jurors examined Third: the
fact that Is per cent of jurors examined were
retired, the rest mostly in business and we'll
paid professions. Fourth: the jurors were
selected by the judges who in turn are AGENTS
of the capitalist class and select the jIry
along very strict class lines.
Other Issues Brought Out
Through the witness stand and through the
concluding speeches of the comrades. in fact
through every available means, the class
line was put forward.
The comrades were devoid of illusions and
testified clearly and militantly.
Labor Juries.
Just word about labor juries. The role
and purpose of the labor jury are ri
properly understood. For this reason ir1plr-
tant errors have been made in the selection
of labor juries
Usually twelve workers are selcct.d 1t
random. They may be picked up few day;
or few hours before the trial. i SINE
instances such a labor jury sits ourty in
the courtroom in order to avoid c,-:.c TIE
masses do not know there hc7 toer a 1u.y
of workers until hasty }ecf1et CIR es out
with the "decison.'
The real value Of workers jury is con-
tanned IN the campaign through whch the
jury is selected. Such a jury must be repre-
sentative of masses of wor':ers and -,Grk-
ers' organizations. The workers must know
of the existence of the jury and must look
forward to its decis;@1. In this way tie
selection of the labor jury must be part
of arousing mass support in the case Un-
less such mass basis is laid in the seec-
ton of the jury and is part of the mobiliza-
ton of the masses behind the class victims
the labor jury simply becomes a subter-
fuge. The jury does not have to consist of
the traditional number of twelve The Jury
can be larger in the event real mass response
comes from organizations and shops in the
selection of the jury.
This article is by no means intended to
analyze the ma ior trials such as Castona.
Sacco-Vanzetti, Mooney and Billings etc. 1t
can be said. however, that the experiences in
these cases including the Imperial Valley case
bear out in practice the conclusions OF the
article
These conclusions have been based on ex-
perences acquired in the struggle in South
ern California.
In the course of this experience the local
party has learned to continue the class strug-
gle in court and to discard legalistic illusions.
This has already had profound effect
upon the theology of the party members and
the workers generally.
The February 26 trial was a Communist
trial. 1t has placed into clearer light our
position and he's corrected the gross leealistic
policy applied in the trial in Imperial Valley.