The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-25

Elaine case it took white jury seven minutes
to return verdict of guilty of first degree muir
der against five Negroes; that in five days twelve
share-croppers we're sentenced to death, and 80
sentenced to prison terms running as high as
q years; that the charge of murder in the first
degree was changed against some defendants be-
cause the prosecution had no material wit
nesses" against them, and the defendants were
allowed" Through third-degree torture by
strangling drugs and an electric chair to plead
guilty to murder in the second degree, upon
which they were sentenced to 81 years impris-
onment-without a single witness appearing
against them
The N. A. A. c. p leaders know these facts
and many more like them, yet all they ask for
in Scottsboro is "a fair trial"
But even that they did not begin to ask for
until about month after the boys were con-
vcted. Which was not unusual 1t was only a
continuation of their regular policy, as is evil
denced by the Elaine case
In that case "a Negroes were put on trial on
charges carrying the death penalty for some
and near-life Imprisonment for many Of them.
All were defended by lawyer who was ap
pointed by the court He did not consult the
defendants; he did not ask for change of
venue And at the trial he called no witnesses
lOT GIl6 QelellSGi Ill case VI AlNC VIII WCIC
sentenced to death jointly the lawyer did not
ask for a severance and separate trial for each
defendant as was their right under the law;
nor did he address the jury in their behalf Gust
as Roddy failed to make these elementary de-
mands in Scottsboro).
This lawyer was appointed by the court the
day before the trial, which began month after
the lynching and rioting that precipitated it.
All this time the N. A. A. c. P. stood idly by
and took no part at all in the case.
Nor did they take hand in it for about
year after the trial and conviction, as can be
seen in their, official reports.
In the Crisis, the official organ of the N. A. A.
c. P, the organization reports its monthly ac-
tivities and following an annual meeting they
print report Of their activities during the pre-
ceding year.
The December, 1915 issue contains a long
article describing the Elaine events, which
proves that the Association knew all about it.
And in their issue Of March, 1920 appears an
abridged" report made by officers to the an
nual meeting held January 5, 1920. Under the
heading, What Has the Association Done?"
they list briefly their major activities since 1911
But Elaine is not mentioned.
Further on is heading, what the Associa-
ton is Doing" Under this are divisions entitled
Tense" But there is no mention of Elaine. And
only in their issue of December, 1920, does the
Association mention its being active in the
Elaine case
Thus, it seems, that it took the N. A. A. C. p.
about year to enter the Elaine case, in which
they allowed "a men to go on trial on murder
charges, to be defended by court-appointed
lawyer.
In the Scottsboro case, on the other hand the
International Labor Defense QLD), took up
the fight for the nine boys Immediately it be-
bent on legally numbering them. And unlike
the N. A. A. G. p, the !. L. u. did not rest
tent with asking fair trial for Negroes in a
southern court, but launched campaign which
aroused a wave of indignation and protest not
only throughout this country, but abroad.
Meantime the N. A. A. G. p. continued their
policy of "wstchful waiting" and inactivity,
which brought down upon them storm Of cri-
ticism, especially from section of the Negro
Press. AS result they felt constrained to make
an effort to get into the Scottsboro case-about
month after the boys we're convicted.
And instead of pointing out--as they well
know-that just like in Elaine, it was economic
interests that prompted the 1ynchers in Camp
Hill, and condemning them; instead Of doing
that they justify the Alabama plantation owning
murderers by joining them in blaming the Camp
Hill lynching on the Communists. Just like the
Arkansas governor blamed the Elaine atrocities
onathe N, A. A. G. P.
4 ~ ~ .