davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18
Writes from Jail Telling Why
Kentucky Miners Are Striking

for the day.
The coal companies haVs the
miners by the throat. They are gen
orally paid in scrip, which forces
them TO trade at the company store.
at prices from 20 percent to so per
cent higher than the chain stores
Their meager wages are cut for rent,
for coal for the doctor, for school,
for light. Tor Il burial fund and for
insurance which they almost never
get.
1t is not unusual for a miner 10
work for months and at the end OF
each month be in debt to the com
pany.
The Miners Answer
what is the miners answer Ia
these unparalleled conditions Of star
vatton and terror The answer Is
Organize and Strike Build the Ma
tional Miners Unioni Build the Wo-
mems Auxiltariesl Build the Inter
national Labor Defensel Build thz
Workers International Relief"
Hundreds Of rank and file miners
are the organizers and the backbone
Of the National Miners Union in
Kentucky and Tennessee. They are
the ones who signed thousands Of
miners up in the union, They Or
ganizcd the N. M. u. convention
which was held in PineWlle, Deem
Der 10, where the District Board OF
the union was established and the
strike date set.
Women on the Picket Line
And now these same rank. and file
miners, and their wives, under the
leadership of the National Miners
Union are conducting the strike. The
gunner try to intimidate the women;
they told fifteen Of them the other
day pointing their Empowered
rifles at them, to leave a demon
stration. The women stared back AZ
them and said, we didn't come
runnin' and We don't aim to leave
runnin' +" Women are on the picket
lines. women are active IN relief
work, women and men are in the
strike till we win or die"
Although workers all over the coun-
try are being modified by tbs Work
ers International Relief and National
Miners Union to support the strike.
relief is not coming in fast enough
In many sections the striking miners
and their families have had prac-
tically no food since the strike
started. One miners wife said Eve
have had no relief for six days. We're
near starving but We are in this
strike to win. We aim to stick, even
if we only get one cracker q day"
Comrades and fellow workers, rush
in relief! See to it that this fight OF
the Kentucky Tennessee miners Is
supported by the wheel working
class. The coal operators are doing
their best to see that the miners get
starved back to work. Help win the
strikel Send money to the Workers
Relief, 10 West 2lst
Street, New York. Send clothes and
food to las Pine Street, Pinevitle, KY.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18

ing rallied for a mass demonstration
in support of the Kentucky Tennes-
see mine strike and against the coal
operators terror.
General George ". Chamlee, at
torney for the nine Scottsboro boys
wired Governor Horton of Tennessee
demanding that II the two strike
leaders are in Tennessee they be not
be extradites to Kentucky.
kilograms of protest are being sent
from the strike regions and other
parts Of the country to Governor Lsf-
foon of Kentucky and TO the Sher-
ifs Of Harlan and Bell Counties,
Kentucky, and Claiborne County,
Tennessee, demanding the safety and
release of the two aresrted strike
leaders.
The monster section strike meet
ings being held throughout the strike
zone also vii adopt resolutions and
kilograms of protest as they go ahead
with their plans to extend the strike
against hunger.
1. L.. ID. Sends Protest kilograms.
The Chattanooga district of the
International Labor Defense has
sent kilograms of protest TO the
Governors of Tennessee and Ken
lucky and to the Sheriffs of all the
counties involved.
On FRIDAY there were general
raids In Harlan County and large
number Of arrests. The terror is
directed particularly against the
mass preparatory meetings for the
"Spread the Strike" Conference.
All preparations for the Confer
ence, however, are going ahead des-
pitethe intensified terror.
The injunction hearing in the Fed
eral Court against % of the strike
leaders has been postponed until
Monday
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18
sooNrrSUED rRo.s FACE oxEp

CONTINUED FHozS FACE oNED
Miners Union met every wednesday
in OddtelloWs Hall in Wallins, Har-
Ian County. Every Wednesday, 20 to
80 gunner, armed with high-poWered
rifles TO sub-machine guns, surroun-
ded the hall raided the hall, and
raided nearby homes of miners. The
District comittee of the Workers In
ternational Relief met anyway. Min
ers from Eyarts, scene Of last
Springs blody battle, miners from
Straight Greek mines from ten and
twenty miles away, came into wal
Inns, pushed their way through the
gunner, and went through with
their meeting.
Fan to Break Demonstration,
The strike has crippled the actiyi-
ties Of the gunner. When the thous-
srds of miners had meetings at the
PineVille Court house. protesting the
arrests Of the nine organizers of the
National Miners Union, Workers In
ternationsl Relief and International
Labor Defense, the thugs, who came
in from Harlan to break It up, did
not dare to do so. Only in isola ted
cases do they dare get busy.
Two carloads of gunner surToun-
ded Workers International Relief
kitchen at the Board Tree mine, but
left when they saw the miners dc
termination to defend it. Thugs arc
used at certain mines by the coal
operators to try to terrorize the min
erS back to work.
The miners know and the gunner
know, that this mass strike is the
answer to the terror. The miners viii
strike till the terror is smashed.
And the miners are striking against
starvation. Probably in no other part
of the country is there is so much
real restitution as there is among
these American born, ex-mountaineer
miners. Even when working, the us
usl food was pinto beans, potatoes
and coffee, generally without sugar
or milk, with only Wo meals a day.
Milk, vegetables and bruit we're IN
heard Of, meat very rare luxury. A
few families who had COWS had to
give them up as they couldn't buy
fodder for them. Literally, hundreds
of children died of the starvation di-
sease, fiux,
Barefooted In December
The children, the whole family, are
in rags. It is not unusual to see
barefooted children in December.
Many women could not attend union
meetings because they had no shoes.
Men in tattered oyeralls are lucky
to have underwear and q coat.
The shacks the miners live in are
unfit for cattle. Roofs leak, walls
are plastered with newspapers in an
attempt to keep the cold out. There
are not even the barest necessities,
not enough plates, not enough spoons
and forks, not enough chairs. There
is no running water; in some camps
one well supplies the whole camp,
and by a. m. the water is all gone
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18
BOSSES TRY TO BLOCK
SPREAD THE STRIKE" MEET

criminal syndicahsm."
J. E. Smith, striking miner and
preacher, was framed-up on liquor
charge. Everybody knows Smith does
not drink. A deputy told Smith III
we get few more like you we will
smash the strike and the National
Miners Union in Harlan"
Mass Picketing Continues.
Despite the terror, increased
p;cketing is going OIL. There Is =
renewed n,iIitancy throughout the
strike area, and every effort is be
ing made TO get huge delegation
to the Spread the Strike" Confer
ence on January gath. On Mon
day there will be larger picket
lines, with new mines coming out
on strike. The coal operators
knowing this, are at this moment
letting loose an unparalleled reign
Of terror.
Miners walked 10 miles from Ken
lucky to picket mine in Tennessee.
They we're accompanied by women
and chcildren. Women alone pick
eted the King Mountain Mine in
Tennessee while their husbands pick
ted the Anthers Mine. Women are
refusing to cook for their husbands
who won't join the National Miners
Union. One miner brought in so
for the National Miners
Union. women's Auxiliary from Chain
Fork is very active. Another miner
brought in Is from Gatliff, Tenn.
Miners TO Protest Today.
To combat the growing terrorism,
and to rally the miners TO demand
the release OF all their arrested
strike leaders, as well MS to demand
to know wherebaucts of Joe Web
err and Bill Duncan, the Interna-
tionaI Labor Defense prepared a
huge mass meeting for FineyiIIe,
today.
The miners Of Pittsburgh are be-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18
TO DEMAND NEGRO JURORS AT
JONES TRIAL OPENING TODAY

ings Of workers and gy1npathiEers
protesting the attempt TO legally
lynch Jones.
Lynch Terror Continues
The lynch terror against Negro
workers and farm 1aborers continues
on the Eastern Shore. The Inter-
national Labor Defense Is taking the
Initiative in organizing mass defense
committees Of white and Negro
workers to prevent the lynch gangs
breaking into Negro homes.
All workers and their organizations
and all sympathetic elements in
terested In the fight for Negro
rights and against lynch terror, are
urged to rush kilograms TO the court
at Townsend, Maryland, protesting
against the frame-up of Orphan
Jones and demanding his release.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18

miners had been organized and had
fought for their local demands. The
part-tiIne miners entered the fight
for relief also, and when the wage
cuts took place in these mine areas,
the employed and part-time miners
struck and the strike spread like
wildf1re. These are the simple and
fundamental lessons for the develop
ment of struggle today that we have
not taken advantage Of and have not
practiced In our work. The inlmedi-
ate organization Of Unemployed
Branches OF the M. w. I. l.. and
Unemployed Councils in the steel
centers is imperative. Struggle for
the immediate demands Of the un-
employed and part-time steel work
ers will lead to mass activity that
will bring hundreds and thousands
Of steel workers into our union and
will lead to strikes In the mills under
our leadership. There can be no
union formed in April, unless we can
come to this city at that time with
history OF three months sharp
struggles behind us and at least a
hundred delegates from the unem-
ployed branches and councils along
with the delegates of the employed
steel workers groups that have grown
n1tttee and the delegates from the
various steel centers laid down per-
spective Of organizing and develop
ing struggles among the unemployed
and part-ttme workers In all centers
out of this mass activity"
In the discussion Of this point OF
Meldon's report, the National Com
where there is M. w. I. L. groups
within the next four weeks period.
The remainder of his report was
devoted to building organs of strug-
gle inside the mills, the formation
and action Of united front grievance
committees, committees of action
against special conditions, the organ
national forms and functioning Of
the department committees and mill
branches.
Weak In Unemployed Work
Meldon also brought forth sharply
the weakness Of work among the un-
employed and employed Negro steel
workers, and characterized this
shortcouing as the second most dan
gerous weakness in the activity Of
the M. W !. l., A series of practical
measures for recruiting Negro work
ers into the NJ ". I. l.. we're pro-
posed and adopted by the National
Committee.
In speaking on the Negro in the
industry, Mellon stated: "The I'M
portance OF the Negro workers in the
industry cannot be overestimated,
neither in an economic or political
sense. Over 100000 Negroes are en-
ployed or unemployed in steel. They
constitute the backbone of heavy
manual labor in the mills, both I'M
skilled and seni-skilled, and are
therefore the most oppressed, lowest
paid, most discontented, and conse-
quently, the source of unlimited re-
strength for building our
union, once this source is seriously
and utilized. This great
army of Negro workers along with
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18
MARITAL LAW IN Swallow, CHINA,
AS MASS-UPRISING LOOMS

, into relaxing its vigilance against the
irnperialist war plans, which are part
and parcel of the capitalist hunger
program and wage slashing against
the home masses.
In further attempt to deceive the
masses and mobilize chauvinist pa
triotisn1 in support Of the murder
plans of the imperialiSts, Arthur
Brisbane in yesterdays New York
American attempts to present the
coming world slaughter as war be-
tween races and civilizations, thus
attempting to conceal the fact that
the coming war, like the last i'm
perialist war, will be a war for loot,
a war against the colonial masses,
against the starving unemployed
masses in the home" countries, and
for armed Intervention against the
proletarian revolution in Germany
and against the new society rising in
the Soviet Union.
Brisbane admits that the Soviet
Union has won the sympathy and
support of the colonial masses by its
consistent recognition and support
of their right to self-determination
and national independence. He says:
"Russia's motto, Asia for the
Asiatics,' pleaSes the Asiatics.7
He follows this up with an open
call to the imperialists for war
against the Soviet Union, declaring:
ut may be necessary some day
for capitalism TO suspend its IA
vorite sports of bleeding, gouging,
borrowing and not paying, hating,
fighting and swindling, and con-
centrate ON the new power that is
rising in the East"
1t is precisely the toiling masses,
bled, gouged and swindled by the
capitalists, according to the admis-
sion of this high priest of imperial
ism, who will be called upon to muir
der other workers, bled gouged and
swindled by capitalism, for the
sacred cause" of protecting the in
vestments of the capitalists and
their right to bleed, rob and
swindle the Negro and colonial
masses.
The American working class must
organize now to resist the plans OF
the imperialists for another world
slaughter. Workers! Raise the
question Of the fight against i'm
periaIist war in all your organiza-
tons! Organize factory gate, stress
and indoor protest meetings! De
mand all war funds for the unem-
ployed:
Support the FEB. 4 demonstra-
tions against unemployment and
for unemployment relief and social
insurance. Demand hands off the
Chinese masses and their Soviet
Republic. Defend the Soviet Union!
Defend the revolutionary struggles
Of the colonial masses.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18
Build a workers correspondence
group In your factory, shop or
neigbborhood. Send regular letters
70 the Daily Worker.

The talk will be illustrated. On
the 9th he will speak in the Rainier
Valley and on the Goth before the
Citizens Unemployed League of Bal
lard, Wash, where strike OF lumber
workers recently took place and
where the I. l.. D. successfully
smashed frame-up against six OF
the strikers.
The largest hall in the downtown
cection Of the city has been hired for
Garlin's meeting In Seattle to be held
in the Eagles Auditorium on Sun
day evening, Jan. 81.
All the meetings are linked up
With the campaign for the repeal OF
kne criminal vnticelsss lpTr go
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18

Mrs. Ada Wright, mother Of Roy
and Andy Wright, and Mrs. Patter-
son, mother Of another Of the
scottsboro boys, yesterday issued
signed statements to the local press
giving the lie to the charges made
by the N. A. a. C. r. and Its Khan
attorney, Stephen Roddy, that the
Scottsboro mothers who made tours
for the defense were imposters.
Local Legionnaires yesterday held
secret meeting to take up a report
on the activities of the International
Labor Defense in organizing the
Scottsboro Defense. A resolution was
adopted urging strong arm methods
against the white and Negro workers
and their organizations who are de-
Tending the boys.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, Jan. 1.-THE
Knoxville NeWs-Sentlnel carries. an
article lauding Thomas r. Knight,
attorney general of Alabama, for his
declaration that he will oppose the
appeal against the lynch verdicts and
will demand the chair for the eight
innocent Negro boys.
Another article in the same paper
the action of the boys in
demanding that Clarence barrow
and Arthur Garfield Hays cooperate
with the I. l.. D. or stay out of the
case. carries the lying headline that
Eight Repudiate I. L. D." The ar
ticle itself states:
The National Association for the
advancement of CoIored People
also has withdrawn from the case,
the action being taken after a tel
egram signed by the eight Negroes
repudiating the organization for
the International Labor Defense
was received by the N. A. A. C. p"
1t is plain that the meaning Of the
paragraph Is that the N. A. A. C. P.
was repudiated by the boys in favor
OF the militant defense policy of the
Labor Defense. But
the wish is father to the thought.
The southern lynch bosses have all
along tried TO force the N. A. A. G. P.
upon the boys, because they know
tina the N. A. A. G. p. has been help
ing to cover up the lynch terror nat
IRE of the death verdicts and to stem
the anger Of the masses, thus seek
Ing to block the mass movement
which alone esn ssrs and tses TIE
bcgx w<,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18


militia have inflicted crushing de-
feats upon Japanese military units
within the past week. The troop
movements we're backed by an open
declaration by the Japanese to
avenge their defeats on the worker
peasant masses who, repudiating the
Kuon1intang party, have rallied to
resist the Japanese invaders.
In North Manchuria, the Japanese
are using corrupt Chinese militarists
to gain full control of that territory.
Backed by japanese bayonets, money
and munitions, several puppet gov
ernnentS have been set up in that
area. The Japanese are now plan
ming to consolidate these puppet gov
ernmertS into one central govern
ment This means that the whole
of Manchuria is being converted into
military base against the Soviet
Union. in preparation for an indi-
Gated attack on the Soviet Union
this spring. The japanese penetra-
ton into Jehol Province is for the
purpose of broadening this military
base, by bringing all of Inner Man
churia under japanese military con-
troll
The Chinese militarist, General
Nah Chan-Shan, who was used last
December by the Japanese In fake
resistance to the Japanese in order
to afford the pretext for an advance
toward the Soviet frontier, is to head
q new army which will work with
the Japanese-supported regime in
the Province of Heilungkiang, North
Manchuria.
Japanese airplanes yester d y
bombed several Chinese villages in
the mountains near Lungluo, killing
300 persons.
That the Japanese seizure of Man
churia is approved by the rest of the
imperialist powers on the basis that
Japan is to convert Manchria into a
base against the Soviet Union and
to act as the spearhead in the at
tack on workers Russia, is openly
stated by Karl Fl. Won Wiegand in
Yesterdays New York American. Won
Wiegand says:
"a big war Is looming in the Far
East. The Chinese-Japanese con-
flict growing out of Japan's seizure
of Manchuria is the prelude, the
first roll of drums"
Referring to the presence of $4,000
Russian White Guards in Manchuria,
Won Wiegand further declares:
"Japan's plans In Northern
China are for long sight, not for
quick realization. There Is a
'spcar-head' In them against Rus
STA"
The "long-sight' Characterization
of the Japanese plans is made to de-
ceive the international working class
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18

Jackson County, Ala, ever seeing
Victoria and charged that Chamlee
had bribed him. Campbell claimed
that Landers said he was in the
tennessee State Penitentiary at the
time. The Sentinel, which is pub
hshed in the town Of Scottsboro. has
been foremost IN bowling for the
blood Of these innocent boys.
Today, randers signed new AFT
davit denying that he had been in
prison and declaring that he still
recognizes Victoria as the girl he saw
in drunken state soliciting men In
the Negro section. He denies he was
ever bribed by Chsmlee.
No action has been taken by the
Bar Association on the
fake charges raised against Chamlee
by Jack Neil OF the Red Squad. work
ing hand in hand with Stephen
Roddy, N. A. A. G.. p. attorney. to
discredit the Scottsboro Defense.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18

fight against social discrimination
and lyncting outside the mills"
Youth Report
The Youth report was given by z.
Brtscoe, national youth organizer.
The proposals to have every district
committee of the M. w T. L. to take
up the problem OF the youth as a
direct problem In the life OF the
union was adopted. Immediate
establishment of youth committees
was also adopted. Meetings are to
be held with young steel workers in
all centers to work out the special
youth demands and to prepare for
the district youth conferences to be
held in Pittsburgh district, Feb, ii,
Youngstown, Feb. II; Chicago and
Baltimore dates to be set. District
youth committees are to be elected
at these conferences and the draft
youth problem to be discussed and
applied to local conditions. A Ma
tjonal Youth program with local and
national demands is to be ready for
the National convention in April. A
national resident youth committee
composed OF Edith Brlscoe, Tom
Watkins and Frank Hill was elected.
This committee is to be responsible
for the issuance Of national youth
bulletin every two weeks, to direct
the youth work and to establish
youth Corner" in the Daily Worker
Steel Page that will start soon. The
district organizers Of the M. w. 1. L.
are responsible to check-up and see
that the decisions are carried out.
Following the discussion of the dis
trict organizers and committee mem
bers on the report of comrade Mel
don, the National Resident Buro,
composed Of Chapa, Crampo, ballet,
Briscoe, B. Carruthers, Lubresky,
Beaumont and Meldon was elected.
A resolution for support OF the
Kentucky strike was adopted, and
q resolution Of protest against the
threatened deportation Of Edith
Berkman was also adopted
The proposals and motions adopted
by the National Committee following
the discussion and election of the
National Board was as follows:
!. Immediate preparations for
district conferences, based on three
months plans of work.
2. Development Of active organs
Of struggle grievance committees,
committees Of action in all mills
where there exists M.WI.L. groups
at present within the next four
weeks.
;. More mass work, especially
concentration among the unem-
ployed and part-time steel workers
and development of mass struggle
in the main centers within four
weeks based on the demands Of
the unemployed and part time
workers.
4. Setting up of functioning dis
trict and mill branch committees
within three weeks.
5. Double our present member
ship and groups by April Is mini
NUM-.
6. A National Convention to form
the union by April Is, Is, II, based
on deep-rooted tunctioning organ
izations in the mills and Unem-
ployed Branches of the M.WI.L.
Other motions we're:
]. All districts to hold conferen-
ceS within a month.
2. National Committee 10 meet
April IA, in Pittsburgh.
3. The newly elected National
BurO to prepare draft constitution
for the new union to be submitted
to the field three weeks before the
convention for discussion.
National office to issue a
monthly Org. bulletin in prepare
ton for the convention.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-18
A Report of the Recent Meeting of the National
Committee for Building the Steel
Workers Industrial Union

the semi-sdlled and unskilled white
workers must become the iron found
alton for the founding of the union
in April"
Special Demands For Negroes
In our approach to this problem
we must bear in mind that mere
recognition Of these facts are not