The Omaha guide., 1933-08-26

upOu oil OASdHAAdbiOiS, hN60AuASoS VI
political affiliations or religious be-
liefs. to enter this struggle. You re-
fused to associate your organization
with a working class defense organ
ization under any conditions. But you
held yourself out as still active IN
the case, and, unauthorized, you
raised thousands of dollars and gave
them to attorneys who, following
your instructions, called for reliance
upon lynchers' courts and for a ruth
less fight to GUST the i. /. d. and
the Communists.
The tremendous upsurge OF mass
protest and Indignation developed by
US around the Scottsboro case clearly
indicates the revolt of the Negro
masses against the ~unbearable on
ditions Of which they have been for
centuries the victims. This tremend-
Gus upheaval alamred your masters
and you were called back to lead the
Scottsboro case, to complete your
unfinished task of betrayal. You came,
attempting to smash the mass pro-
test now swinging into determined
action las evidenced by the march Of
5000 Negro and white workers TO
Washington. D. CO.; to destroy the
confidence Of the Negro masses in
our leadership, to break the bonds of
unity we were developing between
Negro and white workers.
For two years you had maintained
your refusal to come into this gigan-
tic struggle. Only the tremendous
activities Of the masses and the fear
engendered in your masters could
have drawn you back into this case.
You were morally and politically dis
credited by your early activities in
the Scottsboro case.
Of course it was not mass pressure
which forced you into disagreement
with US; it was mass pressure which
forced you into the case. You sought
by the terms of the agreement to
place yourselves in a position to con-
tinue your role of betrayal o. the
boys. Entering into the agreement
was u mistake, not yours.
We admitted our error in this. We
have analysed our mistake and ruth
lessly criticized ourselves. We should
have imposed upon you such condi-
tions as would have made it impos-
sible for you, at least in the Scots
boro case. to have again betrayed
the masses. In our desire for a united
struggle for the freedom of these in
nocent boys we became trustful,
momentarily ignoring the fact that
Scottsboro was not only a phase of
the struggle of an oppressed nation
Of fifteen millions of Negroes a.
gainst national oppression for their
constitutional rights, for full equal
ity against the rulers Of America,
but as such an inseparable part Of
the struggle of "class against class"
Therefore despite all Of your betray-
also we failed to recognize that your
class interests and your connections
made Of your leadership an irrecon-
cilable enemy of the Negro massel
and whit workers. It is because as a
working class defense organization,
constantly checking itself and being
checked by our membership, constant
ly subjected to criticism and self
criticism, that we can openly record
these mistakes and call thin to the
attention Of the workers and white
sympathizers before whom we stand
responsible. Therein lies our strength.
Therein lies the POSSIBILITIES of secur-
ing the help Of the masses in correct
ing u mistakes.
We come again to the question Of
your respect for condolences" Your
open ~blathering that you have treat
ed "as strictly confidential" certain
Investigations for which we have paid
the sum Of $500, together with your
earlier false statement that you paid
$135 to induce Ruby Bates to change
her testimony, is sufficient proof of
how you would respect confidence"
were you entrusted with them. Your
mere mentioning of these matters
shows your boundless meanness, your
absolute Righteousness, your limit
less hypocrisy.
Let US now treat some of the minor
points that you have raised:
In this last letter of July 18th, you
speak of your payment Of $1,000 to
Messrs Fort Beddow and Ray. as in
preparation of the bills of exception
to the Alabama Supreme Court, "on
which the successful appeal to the
United States Supreme Court and
other subsequent action was based
"This statement Is a deliberate false
hood. The bills of exception prepared