The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-18
THE MICHIGAN SLAVE BILL

born" 1t means the basic industries OF America,
and all of the workers in the basic industries,
both foreign-born and native. We do not for
get that the majority of all the workers in the
steel industry are foreign-born; that the ma
jority of all the workers in the coal industry
are foreign born; that the majority of all the
workers in the heavy industries in the country
and a large proportion in all industries OF any
character, are foreign-born.
Wage-Cuts, Arrests, Fingerprints
The Michigan slave bill is intended to become
the basis upon which the police will raid, ar
rest and take finger prints, Photographic police
records of every worker COR, at least every
worker engaged in disputes with employers) in
the Michigan big industries and especially de-
signed to apply to the automobile industry Of
that state. The automobile industry is catas-
trophically affected by the present economic de-
preston. and wage-cuts, speed-up and a gen.
eral harassng of the working class are the
measures by which the auto manufacturers in
tend to drive down the labor costs Of the in
dustry" to a point never before seen in the
United States.
1t is intended to bring about a condition
where every worker, native American natural
lied, or unnaturahzed, will be reduced to a
number on the police records, either to prove
his right" to be in the country as an alien or
to prove his naturalization, or else to prove his
being a legal resident" Foreign-born workers
are most directly affected by being required to
carry certificates of legal residence with photo
graphs and fingerprints, and to be compelled to
show such certificates at every turn Of their
daily life For the slightest stir of activity
against Wage-cuts for the slightest hint OF VII
lingness to join union such workers would be
Immediately thrown into the category OF 'un-
desirable aliens" reported by employers to the
state police as required in this bill, taken into
custody as also required in this bill, and turned
over to the United States immigration officials
to be deported
Establish State Passports"
1t will be observed that this bill goes beyond
anything ever conceived before in the country,
of establishing virtually "a passport control" at
the borders of an individual state within the
United States. The auto magnates of Michigan
wish to have virtually a guarded frontier be-
tween Michigan and all other states, with prac-
tically passport control for the entry of any
worker into the state of Michigan.
Let no American-born worker become the VIC
tim of narrow nationalist spirit in this matter.
Let him not think that this bill means that
"the jobs will be given to Americans" On the
contrary, no foreign-born worker who is willing
to scab and work cheap will be deported. Only
those workers who fight for higher standards
of living or resist the drive for lower standards
of living will be deported under this law. 1t
even goes so far as to make room for:
ANY regulations that may hereafter be put
into effect by the United States government
to permit the temporary importation of emer-
gency labor for agriculture any other neces-
sary work art -" etc.
This means slavery for the whole American
working class in Michigan-and more! For such
measures are cropping up in many states and
systematic drive to put them through not only
in all states but also to put them through the
federal government as national laws
Part of War Preparation.
| These measures are adopted consciously also
| as part Of the preparation for inperialist war
1t is well known that the claiming down Of the
working class in prison-like slavery is one of
| the most necessary war measures, as the capt.
| talists know perfectly well that they cannot
put through another imperialist world slaughter
without the war being interrupted by a revolU-
tionary upSurge of the American working class
| especially in defense of the U. S. S. r.
| The workers can meet this savage reaction
only by fighting. Don't let anyone dream that
the voodooism Of some liberal lawyer will get
| it declared unconstitutional"
CONSTITUTIONAL and unconstitutional" are
words that mean nothing more than what the
bosses want and what the bosses don't want"
Only by lighting can the workers make tne
slightest progress against these increasing mea-
sures of slavery. Only by going ahead full speed,
organizing unions under the revolutionary Trade
Union Unity League, only by fighting wage-cuts
fighting against the speed-up. fighting every
inch of the way, can these hideous slave mea-
sures be defeated.
But in this given case-the workers must as
a mass resist the enforcement of this law
There must be a mass refusal to be regis
tered to be fingerprinted and photographed as
an acknowledged slave of the Michigan auto
mobile manufacturers.
Native American Workers-Fight
But this mass resistance must be a demon
stration of the solidarity of the American-borr
workers with the foreign-born Every American
born workere must march shoulder to shoulder
with the foreign-born workers-and even in the
front lne-to defeat this additional yoke Of
slavery intended to be put upon the whole
American working class in these stirring times
when the capitalist system has struck the great.
est crisis in its history and when everybody
knows that facing us today are the most terrific
class struggles and revolutionary events
Fight the Michigan slave law!
Form a united front of all workers, native anc
| Fora{ tor, eyod ,rI,i fot