davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19

against lettering and against sleeping on park
benches is directed against rich and poor alike
J. P. Morgan Of course is a good and law
abiding citizen. He makes it point not to
loiter on public thoroughfares and not to sleep
on park benches. Only the Clover classes"
have no respect for the law. They persistenty
refuse to sleep in their own palaces or to
gather in their own private parks. To the ex-
ASPIRATION of the police and to the sorrow of
democracy they insist on lettering on the pub
lie sidewalks and on sleeping on park benches.
Contrary to capitalist democracy the Soviets
do not pretend legal equality. The Soviets cor
rectly declare that in society torn by class
divisions all equalities are fiction. The rich
and the poor cannot be equal. The rich eat,
the poor go hungry. The rich live in palaces,
the poor live in novels. The rich have private
properties to defend and have policemen at
their disposal to defend them. The poor on
the other hand are the ones against whom the
capitalist police is defending the private prop
erty Of the rich.
The Soviets are based upon this reality.
They represent and defend the interests of the
poor against the rich. While American capi
talism defends the interests of private prop
erty against the interests of man, the Soviets
defend the interests of man against those of
private property While American capitalism
covers its class dictatorship with empty
phrases of democracy, the Soviets proudly de-
clare their proletarian democracy to be class
dictatorship. While American democracy pro-
tects the interests of the erich and well-born
against the turbulent majority the Soviets
protect the interests of the majority against
the profit-hunger of the few rich and we'll
born.
The Soviets do not deny this difference be-
tween them and American democracy. On
the contrary they are proud of it. The Soviets
present this difference as the historic title to
their existence.
About all the holy war myth accusations
against the Soviets the U. S. S. R. proudly
pleads guilty to the one that they have moth
ing in common with American democracy. The
Soviets have an easy task to show that the
principles of American democracy are nothing
but common capitalist fraud The purpose
of this fraud is to keep the workers contented
with the facts of economic inequality by rivet-
ing their eyes on the phantom of a political
equality. The hopeless hope to become pres-
dent of the United States is conjured up be-
fore the eyes of millions of American workers
to keep them shackled to the grind of produc-
ing profits for their bosses. A horse can be
trained to believe itself tied to a post if it
feels the bride dragging on the ground; the
American worker is trained by the capitalists
to feel himself free because the chain that ties
him to the profit interests of capital leads
through a cloud of meaningless phrases of
| democracy and equality.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19

fore the strike-with the exception
Of two women members.
Lack of experience in organizing
and directing strike movements Gre
ates certain difficulties, but these are
discounted by the militancy and rep
resentative character Of the leader
ship. The National Miners Union, is
being welded together in the struggle
and leadership right from the mines
developed at a surprisingly rapid rate.
One of the best working local strike
and relief committees is at the Brad
ley mine, where there is a large per-
centage of Negroes. Their relief COM
mittee was the first to be organized
and yesterday they collected enough
food--including two cows-from the
farmers and merchandise take care
Of ali needs for several days. They
close check-up they make on collec-
lions is shown by their report which
listed 1856 eggs"
lllcI6 10 u ClIlClluOuS sympathy IOI
the miners and their families in this
sharp struggle on the part of the
workers. Clerks in the stores, employ
es in the telegraph companies. steel
workers, railway men, street carmen,
ETC., all say they want the miners to
win, and all seem to feel that the
miners struck the first decisive blow
against the wage-cuting starvation
program of the bosses and their gov
eminent.
1t is necessary now to organize
mass protest against the legal sup
preston and armed terrorism, to Or
ganize the mass resentment of all
sections of the working class, and
break through the iron ring of lega
suppression and armed attacks which
the coal operators and their govern.
ment are trying to strange this mas!
revolt against starvation and slavery
Above all 1t is necessary to spread
the strike. "A struck mine for every
arrest" is the slogan. At the same
time the black poverty in the mining
camps makes the organization O.
strike relief a central task.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19
Mine STRIKE
SPREADS IN THE
OHIO FIELD
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE,

appear before Sheriff Duff today to
explain alleged intimidation Of min
ers there. They appeared voluntarily,
and, after they had denied charges,
were lectured by Prosecutor Paul
Waddell, Major Blount and Sheriff
Duff. They were allowed to return
TO their homes"
1.-THE men appeared voluntarily and
were allowed to return to their
homes" This is the apex of hypoc-
ricy. These miners had taken part
in a picket line so they are called in
to be browbeaten and threatened by
military triumvirate acting In be-
half of the coal operators with the
full sanction Of governor White, and
the Ohio state government.
Another delightful instance Of the
temper and methods Of the loyal
hirelings of the coal owners occurred
when Tony Minerich, was arrested at
the Powhatar1 mine. A special deputy
held a tear gas bomb under Tony's
nose and howled. 1--WE q notion to
smash this right In your face"
At Warwood, W. Va. where 300
minors struck yesterday, and where
'ssme 80 po9ee are ssescneA Q Leu
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19
THERE Is NO MIDDLE GROUND"

coal bosses, the state, and the scan
union. Fighting under union with
a militant strike policy for the first
time.
A young girl says to me, You're
for the United Mine Workers."
Certainly not" 1 answer.
"Well, then you're all right, l
just wanted to know"
A miner shows me his pay slip for
two months Minus what ht owes to
the company, minus smithing, minus
rent, doctor, relief" electric lamp
it equals just enough to balance what
the company owes in wages to the
miner, and tens of thousands of 9TH
ers have worked without pay-liv-
ing, no, starving, from day to day
Here is a sample pay slip.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19
HOLD SUCCESSFUL UNITED FRONT
SCOTTSBORO CONFERENCES IN
OKLAHOMA CITY AND DETROIT

DETROIT, June 1.-two hundred
Negro and white delegates represent
ing los organizations, attended the
local United Front Scottsboro De-
tense Conference called by the
League of Struggle for Negro Rights
and the International Labor Defense,
the two organizations charged by the
nine boys and their parents with
their defense.
The conferenence was held in the
New Workers Home, 1343 E. Ferry
Ave, Sunday, June IA Among the
organizations represented we're work
ers' clubs, trade unions, fraternal Or
CARNATIONS, Negro churches, wo-
mems organizations, and block COM
mittees. All joined in the united
front fight and pledged their soli-
darity to carry on the campaign to
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19

tenant Of the state troopers tried
this morning to terrorise miners into
confering with the coal operator and
agreeing to return to work. This &C.
Cured Immediately after the arrest
Of Minerich and Peris. The operators
following the same tactic: Arresting
the NNfU organizers, flooding the
field with gunner, and trying to
force the miners back into the pits
at the point Of automatics, rifles and
machine-guns. accompanied by hbe-
raj doses of tear gas.
The strike breaking UMWA off,
Gals to day we're brought into the
situation--which shows that the wide
spead terrorism is not sufficient alone
to break the strike, and that the Goa
operators know it. The UMWA at
| tempted to hold mass meeting al
the Gaylord mine, Martins Ferry
Two policemen were at the door OF
the hall and every one entering had
| to sign his name. The attendance
was Is, including police. This is q
bad beginning, but it is certain that
under the gun muzzles Of the Goa,
operators mercenaries, the UNWA
will be put in charge Of the attempts
to start back to work movements.
The strike in the Ohio-West Vir.
ginia district is barely eight days old
The strike machinery is still weak
especially the relief machinery, but
there has been big improvements
since the first regular meeting Of the
District Rank and File Strike Com
nittee, Sunday. The District Strike
Committee and the Strike Executive
Conlitee, is composed entirely Of
Committee, 10 composed entirely be-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19

American capitalism covers the nakedness of
its dictatorship. Democracy is the name and
form under which this dictatorship operates.
The fundamental principles of Soviet rule
have nothing in common with American demo-
cracy. In the Soviet Union the workers are
the ruling class. The Soviets are the mach
inery of government in the Soviet Union. The
workers organize the Soviets. Contrary to
American democracy the Soviets defend the
living interests of the masses. While Amer
lean democracy defends the profit interests of
the bosses against the workers, the Soviets
defend the living interests of the workers
against the bosses. Hillquit is right: the
proletarian principles of the Soviet govern
ment violate every capitalist principle Of
American democracy. The basic ideal of Amer
lean democracy is the defense of private prop
crty; the basic ideal of the Soviet government
is the abolition of private property. Demo-
racy spells capitalism Sovietism spells So
/ alism.
y By concealng and covering up property in
terests with phrases about the sacred prin-
cples Of democracy the ruling class of Amer
lea succeeds in selling" the inseparable COM
panion of capitalist democracy, equal rights.
The empty phrase of equality before the law
aims at concealng the fact of the inequality
of the citizens before the law, the inequality
Of the capitalist property owner with the
propertyless worker The whole structure of
laws deal with private property. Those that
do not own any private property cannot de-
mand the protection of the law The law pro-
tects the man only insofar as it protects his
property.
Tho heaI,tv of the nhrase IF equality before
the law turns into a bitter farce when viewed
in the light of reality. This may be illustrated
with little controversy that arose some time
ago in a Philadelphia Open Forum discussion
The speaker in that meeting had pointed to
the farcical character of equality before the
law. He cited as an example how brutally the
Chicago police kept the crowds of unemployed
and migratory workers moving on Canal Street
while the same police would never dare to even
speak idsrespectfully' to an inhabitant of the
Gold Coast Uake Shore Drive), not to men
ton telling him to ''nove on" A Y. M. c. A
representative present at that meeting accused
the Communist speaker Of demagogy He as
serted that the trouble was not with the po-
lice nor with the law; it was with the I'M
employed He pointed out that these unenl-
ployed migratory workers congregate on Canal
Street to the point of blocking traffic. Ac-
cording to this YMCA defender of American
democracy the police has to keep these work
ers moving while the inhabitants of the Gold
Coast never create such necessity for the
Chicago police. The Gold Coast inhabitants do
not park on the sidewalk.
Here we have equality before the law i'm
pressively illustrated. The legal prohibition
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE,

an handles the baby Of Negro wor1-
an in her arms. The baby Is III
from undernourishnent.
my husband hasn't brought pay
home In months" one young girl
says. works like a dog-and the
company takes all his pay. Seventy
five cents every two weeks for the
doctor-forty cents for some fake in
surance-always in debt to the COM
pany-s6o or $40. Well, I'm down
at the picket line with him 4 o'clock
every morning"
At Houston, a man with ten chill
dren, made a bare 81 a day, before
the strike, loading Is cars of coal
q day. Ten small children, without
shoes, without clothes-depending for
their very life on the ability of the
mother ta make little notlrishment
out Of scraps.
But miners children don't need
shoes--according to Bartram, mine
superintendent, and good church
member.
The miner had given % years of
his youth and health to the mine
owners in exchange for the liberty to
starve while he worked. 81 not go
back and starve," the miner said,
looking down at the little girl he
held by the hand. 81 fight like hell
with National (Miners) Union"
The school teachers at the COM
pany school house think the same
way as the superintendent. you
had enough for bread and butter, :"
one OF them said scornfully.
The young miners, and the girls at
Houston, were talking 1t over. Miners
and their families seldom see butter,
except in the company stores. One
boy was telling Of a man he knew,
whom the company store had refused
to give credit. He began eating
grass.
IT amt done that yet" the boy,
shout 16, said. But I'd be willing to
to win this strike. Anybody who
goes back, ought to starve to DEATH"
But the miners do not 60 back.
Nine thousand out, 10000 out 10000
$4,000, not going back, but strength
ened by increasing numbers of miners
Joining the strike. The miners backs
are to the wall. They are fighting
for their actual existence. The U. M.
w. A. has been thoroughly discredit-
ed. The NMU is the only hope Of
these coal town. Not only the miners
but wives Of miners, young men, boys
and girls, call 1t "our union" Thirty
three thousand miners, fighting with
the NA6U. fighting starvation. the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19

democracy. The fundamental purpose of
American government is to defend these
rights. The government has to defend the
rights of private property against those who
do not own any and suffer from the conse-
quences; it has to defend the rights of private
property against the rights of man. The right
of man is attached to the right of property.
The man who owns no property, therefore, has
no rights There are no rights of man; there
are only rights of classes.
The present situation affords clear illus
tration of this fact. The rights of private
property demand that one cannot get even the
most indispensable necessities without paying
for them. The rights of man demand that one
get the most Indispensable necessities whether
he can pay for them or not. Law and order
under American democracy decree that the
workers cannot get what they need, except if
they can pay for it. If they cannot pay they
must starve. If they refuse to starve and take
what they need without paying they violate
law and order; they are adjudged thieves and
felons.
AS abstract beings the boss and "his" work.
er are equal before the law But neither the
boss nor "his' worker are abstract beings; the
first is the owner of a factory, the second is
an injunction he does not appear there as an
abstract citizen; he appears as a capitalist in
defense of his property and of his property
interests. The worker likewise does not ap-
pear as an abstract citizen; he appears as a
propertyless worker in defense of his chance
to live. Between the rights of private prop
erty and the right to live, the property rights
always win The boss right to be paid for his
commodity always precedes the right of the
worker to live The boss right to make
profits on his investments always wins out
against the right of the worker to get living
wage for his labor. The capitalists as the
rulers of America made the defense of private
roperty and of the interests attached to that
property the embodiment of law and order.
Under American democracy the worker has a
| right to help determine under what conditions
and by what methods the capitalists may tan
his hide into profit, providing the tanning
process decided upon tends to bring greater
profits But the worker is not even allowed
| to think about the abolition of any practice of
tanning his hide into profits. Any such
thought is adjudged as reasonable, as revo-
lutionary
All the wealth and riches of the American
CAPITALISTS together with the lnvlolable right
to collect fat profits on this wealth are
wrapped into an American flag and are labeled
democracy. Whenever the American capital
lists have needs to defend this wealth and their
right to collect profits on it, they send forth
their policemen, they invoke their laws, they
manipulate their courts, they keep the turn
KEYS of their prisons busy in defense of demo
cracy. Democracy is the fig leaf with which
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19
STRIKE SPREADS
TO new MINES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE oNEI

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONED
come in from New Kensington, as
an organizer, how when he tried to
hold a meeting, the police stuck a
gun in his ribs and moved him on
five miles, while the whole mass
of miners followed in procession,
until they reached a place where
they could hold a meeting.
The next morning the mine was
struck.
At this mine so miners are known
to have had nothing but water in
their lunch buckets for the last six
months.
BRIDGEPORT, Ohio, June l8.--
Practically all the leaders of the
Ohio, West Virginia, district strike
we're in Jail on Wednesday, but the
strike swept on, nevertheless. At
Darkey, Unionvale and Rail Rover
NO. 6 mines over $50 men walked
out on strike today.
The country is filled with armed
men hired by the state and coal
companies, every attempt to mass
picket or hold meetings is broken up
with tear gas and the menace of bull
let's. The mass picketing at the
Stewart mine was tear gassed this
morning.
District Secretary Sivert of the Ma
tional Miners Union and Whitley
Nelson, its district president, are
both arrested. Nelson is also chair
man of the District Rank and File
Strike Committee. He and his wife
and one other union member were
arrested on the Piney Fork, Ohio
picket line. Five were arrested in
Warwood, West Virginia. Most of the
members, including the chairman
and secretary of the Rank and File
Strike Committee, are in Jail.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19

free the nine boys.
Boys, Mooney. Billings on Presidium.
The conference was opened by
william Novel;, secretary Of the LIS.
Mr., who made the main report. The
conference was reused to frenzy Of
applause when the nine framed-up
boys with Tom Mooney and Warren
Billings were made honorary mem
bers of the presiding committee. The
report on the legal work done in the
case was made by George Kristalsky.
Michigan secretary Of the I. L. D.,
after which the delegates in their
discussions of the reports enthusiast
tically expressed themselves in favor
of the mass fight policy and program
of the L.S.N.R. and the LID, and
pledged the moral and financial s'tp-
port Of their organizations.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19

Not far from Houston, the COM
Ipany houses-red shacks- stand.
Bundles of sticks" a young miner
says. He has been making SO or So,
for two weeks pay. The soles Of
his shoes are almost worn through.
His sweater his worn to threads. His
family consists of a father, brother.
and smaller sister.
Fathers too old to work. He got
the asthma The mines do that too.
The family lives on $500 every two
weeks, and the salary of the brother
working in the factory. In most of
the mining towns there are only the
mines, and starvation is quicker.
"If we get enough relief up here"
many of the miners say nothing can
beat us. If we don't starve to death,
we'll keep on fighting until we win. .
And miners and their wives. Negro
and white, nod assent
The issue is summed up by one
young miner. "You're on one side or
the other" he said. Either you're a
boss, clubbing us down on the picket
line. Or you're miner, or work
err, fighting with the National Miners
Union, no matter what"
Already the danger has reared its
head The betrayers. the UMWA,
have come into the strike fields with
relief" and soft words, TO inveigle
the miners to go back to work Many
miners refuse to take relief from the
strike-breswers. Some say "sure we
will take their food--and they can
go to hell" But the danger Is there
The UMWA believes these. sneakins
tacticts WIN win tine miners ans
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19
Slump of All Districts
Grave Menace totally

is still far below the totals that
should be coming in daily from the
Detroit district since it has fallen
so far behind. Only S13 from District
10 California;. This district is also
conducting a campaign to establish
the Weekly Western Worker which
has placed an additional burden on
the comrades, but they must not let
the Daily Worker go under!
District (Philadelphia) and 6
(Cleveland) are still falling down,
practically all the others are badly
off, while 10 (Kansas city, II (Agri-.
culturaD, Is Cthe SOUTH and II
birmingham were not heard from
at all.
Comrades, buckle down again be-
fore it is too late! Visit readers.
get all the money you can from
your frineds and organizations, con
tribute out Of your own pockets
again.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19

Because the Daily Worker is in
such a critical condition. writes A..
P, D. w. agent, Gary, Ind, 1--WE are
calling an emergency conference in
the Calumet Section for Friday, June
10 at 215 w. 18th Ave. Gary, Ind"
All organizations in Calumet Section
are asked to elect three delegates
ITO this conference. "Workers must
organize committees un unions, clubs,
mass organizations to raise funds for
the Daily" appropriately adds the
d. w. agent. 1.-The hundreds of thou
sands of workers who sympathize
with the Party, who see in the Party
the fighter for their interests, who
answer the call of the Party in the
mass demonstrations, must mobilize
to save the Daily Worker"
BUILD ID. w. CLUBS IN SHOPS,
NEIGHBORHOOD!
Districts! Sections! Units! Fra
ternaI Organizations! Immediate
mobilization of hundreds of thou
sands of workers into Daily Work
err Clubs will wipe out the con-
stant and accommodating deficit of
the Daily Worker and pave the
way for self-supporting, revolu
tiOnHry paper.
The first meeting of the Yonkers,
N. Y. Daily Worker Club drew 3S
workers. Many valuable sugges-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-19

leading bosses and the government
officials to push through the scab
efforts of the United Mine Workers
of America is strikingly told in the
following capitalist dispatch from
Pittsburgh, sent out by the United
Press
PITTSBURGH, June 17.-Return
Of the United Mine Workers OF
America to power in the Western
Pennsylvania bituminous field was
predicted by some today on the eve
Of the conference between union Of
ficials and representatives Of the
Pittsburgh Terminal Co. with Gov
ernor Pinchot tomorrow in Harris.
burg.
"'The company is willing to recog.
nize the union, it was understood
provided a satisfactory wage rate o.
42R cents a ton for loading, instead
of As cents, the highest rate paic
before the strike, it was reported
after preliminary conferences.
"The operating company desires
the reduction in return for unior
recognition, which includes thu
check-off and check weighmen.
1.-THE Terminal Co. Is the secont
largest in the Western Pennsylvania
field and the agreement. II reached
would affect five mines employing
about 1850 men. It would go fat
toward restoration of the power o
the u. M. w. of A. in this field.
Twelve eviction notices were filet
with the prothonotary's office toda,
for service at the attention of miners
and operators was directed TO othe,
peace moves in western Pennsylva
MIA. The eviction writs will be ex
ecuted by deputy sheriffs at the com
/ panys property In Lem toHnatAN
Il IL. Z.