The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-31
BY YERN SMITH


y to carry on the fight, and some
losses are certain. The casualties
are replaced many times over, the
fight goes on-but suppose you Just
happen to be one Of the casualties?
You know you have some duties.
You have to make your case useful
to the workers. You have to plan
your defense, do what Will make
the right sort Of agitational pub
Lcity. You have to send out and
sometimes smuggle out statements
and exposures. You have to con-
duct yourself in court with judge
ment, and a certain audacity, turn
ing everything to your use and the
use of your fellow workers. You
have to take the offensive. You do
what you can to win the case, but
most Of all, you make the case show
up the capitalist system, and lead
other workers to struggle.
If you are convicted, the chance
to do propaganda is not ended, but
it is much harder. There are more
veXations, interferences; more
subtlety and ingenuity is required
of the prisoner.
And if, as sometimes happens,
they watch you so closely, you can
do little but endure, that, too, is
useful, and has to be carried on
with sSaunchness and courage, and
a constant alertness for the chance
to change from a passive to an
active role.
Well, while you are doing all this,
either in Jail or "the pen" you're
locked up. your movements consid-
erably circmmscribed, your food is
bad, your news of the struggle out
side cut down, and there is some
danger. You may be third degreed,
lynched or framed If you are
caught in the monotonous machin-
cry Of the Big House" you still
have some risks Of abuse, etc.
Time wears on you. You are under
a nervous strain.
CONFINEMENT MAKES
YOU JUMPY
Just at the time you need your
greatest keenness and best judge
ment, conditions make it hardest
to exercise good sense. Contine-
ment, either isolation or enforced
companionship and overcrowding
with other prisoners, makes you
juInpy. Some brood and grow
morose. Some get into quarrel
some mood, leading to disgraceful
"jail rows" in which even comrades
fight each other over little things
that outside would cause only
passing frown. Some feel that
they are cut off from activity, for
gotten. Usually there is an ag-
gravating sense Of time being
wasted. However, you reason
against it, everybody suffers more
or less, in a way that impairs eff
cheney just when it is most needed.
Now the best way to keep up
morale in jail is to be sure that
your time is not being wasted, that
| you are not cut off, that you are
preparing yourself for better activ-
ity once you get out. The warden
or jailor treats you better If he
sees that lot of people outside
are interested enough in you to
send you papers and books. The
best way to avoid the irritations
of prison life is to be educating
yourself and educating other pris-
oners. Or, even light reading
passes the time" and releases the
tension, varies the monotony and
in that elevates morale.
Until this year there was no cen
trail committee looking after Just
this part of the prisoners needs,
in a systematic manner. Recently,
however, there was founded the
Committee for Books for Political
Prisoners, subcommittee of the
National Committee for Defense Of
Political Prisoners and the Prison
ers Relief Fund. 1t gets books
anyway it can. Any donation. sent
to the Committee, Room 1877, 80
East 18th Street, New York, would
be welcome. Usually in county
and city jails secondhand books
are allowed in; usually in prisons
they must be sent new through the
publisher. Books or money, there
fore, would both be useful.
Some idea of the practical value
of this committees work can be
gained from the letters it has re-
| ceived.
SCOTTSBORo BOY WRITES
Haywood Paterson, one OF the
Scottsboro boys, framed and facing
electrocution, writes from his death
cell in Kilby Prison:
1T am proud of our friends and I
wish that they knew that I really
do appreciate all that they are
doing for US. :. just feel good
tonight and feel like writing. Again
I want to let you know that we
received some books a few days
ago, which you were so kind as to
send us and they have been ac-
cepted and appreciated with the
warmest gratitude. Our diction-
aries are Just wonderful -"
Teddy JackoWsk writes from the
Jail at London, Ohio: Just 1 am
not reply you Immediately to your
letter because I couldn't write any
time when want, only when ]
get permission to write. And l was
very glad to get them books. SO
like to read them books. So l am
very much appreciate for that
books. I would like 10 get more
if you could send me. Please for
give me of l the accurately do not
write letter because 1 am foreign
born"
Irving Keith, from Deer Island
penitentiary, Massachusetts, (now
released, wrote:
81 would like to get whatever
works on Marxist theory that you
| a nrnA fn,. ma I'D . Leo fnnmnlc and