The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-04-01
EDITORIALS
Breaking Thru Southern
SlaVe Traditions

For the first time history Negroes sit the witness
stand in court of white ynchjustce and accuse their
oters of violation of the thirteenth fourteenth and fiji
teenh amendments to constitution of the United States
What happening today in the court room of the provincial
town of Decatur Alabama far more than mere question
of the enforcement of the ruling class constitution.
The events transprng there gauge of the deep
ferment that surgng through the ranks of the Negro and
white workers. share choppers and tenant farmers of the
Black Belt.
The appearance the witness stand of Negroes who
the ruling class of Systematically deprivng them of
civil rights skaters many of the traditions and illusions
by the slave holders South These witnesses
resentave of the Negro Masses who have appeared and
will appear the further of the second trial of the
Scosboro bows have by their action hurled defiance
the brutal ruling class and its ageod tradition OF ntimida
ton and terror.
They fearess go the witness stand to before
the world practices of the lynch rulers because they
know that they do not stand alone They have during
these past years of struggle for Negro rights under the
leadership of the Communist Party and the International
Labor Defense the growing solidarity of the Negro masses
the growing unity of Negro and white workers and farmers
against the enemythe bosses and the landlords
They saw the case of these nine innocent victims of the
Scosboro and Alabama lynch taken up by the white
and Negro workers of the United States they heard the
protest that reechoed around the world they
these boys condemned to die nached from the hands of
the execuoner they know that it not worship of the
constitution but the retreat before the fury OF the aroused
that forced the Supreme Court of the United States
to order trial While this campaign getting under
way they the first resistance of the at
camp Ill., TO De followed year nan aUer Dy de-
termined struggle in Taapoosa county The Negroes of
that part of the South in this growing movement the
guarantee united defense against the lynch fends
It is the herald of mighty struggles ahead
The ruling class RACES under mingled fear and hate.
They know that they standing before the tong
of the world whose action has compelled them to listen to
those they have regarded slaves them to their
faces of the crimes that have become part of their
existence The white lynch ruling class has been forced to
retreat But they capable of any monsrous crime for
moment they imagine that the movement has
ed to advance against them
In this situation it would be the greatest and
suit in the most terrible tragedy for the workers and farm
to succmb for instant to illusions that these
boys be freed by purely egaistc action. While
legal defense must and viii be utilized must forget
that the freedom of the Scosboro boys be achieved
only by deepening and broadening the movement by
fighting for Negro rights against im-crowism segrega
ton and for the sedetenaton of the suppressed nation
the Negro majority in the Black Belt of the South.
Only through following up every advance made with
determined struggle will it be possible to achieve
plee victory and compel the avehodes and their political
acys to open the prison doors and admit the Scotsboro
boys to freedom and safety.