The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-10-26
The Treachery OF the | W. w. in Kentucky

L. D. has mot spent cent on legal defense and
very little for relief" In another paragraph
they claim they are the only organization that
has really put up any money for defense of the
men in jail"
The General Defense Committee talks about
money, mshandling of funds, money not being
spent for defense, although every miner in Ken
lucky knows that the International Labor De-
Tense has had two attorneys in Harlan, Ken
lucky They also know that the General De-
Tense Committee instructed their attorney Col
den not to allow Attorney Bowling, an !. L. D.
attorney from New Orleans to be associated with
him in tine cases, and that two other attorneys
of conso crable experience have been engaged to
defend to Harlan County miners In this way,
the General Defense Committees puts organiza-
tional jealousy before workers lives.
When the I. L, D. gives money to prisoners
for themselves and their families, it is distrib-
uted equally among all the prisoners according
to the number in each family. 1t does not dis
criminate against any miner because of his Or
ganizational affiliations. The policy of the Cen
eral Defense Committee has been a disgrace.
They have distributed funds among a small
clique who are considered I. w. w. men, al
though all claim to belong to every organiza-
ton. They have been feeding some miners and
their families and allowing others to starve and
die of flux and other starvation diseases. They
have entrusted Ike Lane with the handling of
funds and records and in one case the records
were turned over to the "law," and in another
the funds have gone for Ike and privileged
few They talk about miners kitchens in Harlan
County. Kentucky without stating that the Ma
tonal Miners Union and the Workers Interna-
tional Relief (Which is supporting the I. L. d.
established these kitchens and are keeping them
in supplies. The T. w. W. uses its money for
narrow I. W. W. purposes, and thus puts money
before workers lives.
To date the International Labor Defense has
spent over $500 for the defense and relief of
Harlan prisoners, although this is more than it
has received. The I L. D. has published regu-
larly financial statements in the Labor De-
fender in the past, listing all income and expen-
ditures, and of course, will continue this prac-
tice in the future.
At the present time, the International Labor
Defense is organizing mass protest movement
for the freedom of Tom Mooney and all work.
ing class prisoners. 1t is defending the nine
Negro boys in Scottsboro, Ala. seven Imperial
Valley prisoners, 300 miners up for various
charges growing out of the miners strike under
the National Miners Union leadership in Penn
sylvania- Ohio-West Virginia; Camp Hill share
choppers; five silk workers in Paterson, N. j.,
charged with murder; scores of workers faced
with deportation to fascist countries and hun
dreds of local cases.
The International Labor Defense is part Of
an International movement which has as its aim
the freedom of political prisoners. Lately the
I L. D. organized protests in the principal Euro
pean countries for the freedom of the Scottsboro
boys. The same is now being done for the IIar-
Ian County miners. We cannot depend upon
narrow legal defense without bringing in the real
reasons why these workers are falsely accused
of murder, and will not let them go to slaugh-
ter without stirring up the workers all over the
word to defend them, and we will not allow any
miseaders Of the labor movement to stop US in
our working class duty.
We call upon all Organizations, mass meetings
and demonstrations to send resolutions and tele-
grams of protest TO Governor Tlem Sampson
Frankfort, Kentucky Judge D. G. Jones and
Sheriff John Henry Blair, Harlan, Kentucky We
urge every worker and sympathizer to build the
mass protest movement to send delegates to the
conferences being held in every city and town
throughout the country and to send funds tc
the 1-arlan Miners Defense and Aid Fund, 81
East 18th st.. Room 400. New York City.