The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-20

him. Here is the speech:
I'm that case, after the numerous
Interruptions to which have been
subjected by the President, there
is only one thing left for me to do
and that is to make what perhaps
is my last declaration. am quite
convinced now that the opinion
expressed by my comrades who re-
fused to make any statement at
the trial was quite right, namely
that in spite of the absence of pub
licity, would not be given the OPP
portunity of making clear the real
character of the case. Now, it is
obvious to everybody, that here at
every frank word uttered the ac-
cused is gagged. Now I can say, and
have every right to say it, that
this is not a trial, but an empty
farce, or something even worse,
hideous, shameful, more shameful"
At this point the gendarmeS seized
Mishkin and gagged him; but in
a Stifled voice he managed to finish
the sentence: :. than brothel;
there women sell their bodies be-
cause they are in want, but here
the judges are rascals and lick
spittles; for the sake of rank and
fat salaries they trade in others
lives and sell truth and justice and
all that is dearest to humanity"
Mishkin is forcibly dragged out.
In the gallery women fall into hys-
terics, noise and confusion reign.
The session is closed, and the court
room is cleared.
ALEXEYEV.
The speech delivered by the
weaver, Peter Alexeyev, at the
Trial of the So was fully ilnbued
with class consciousness. He was
not an intellectual commoaer go
ing to the people" to rouse them
to rebellion, not merely an avenger
of the peoples suffering, but true
proletarian, who understood the
interests and the problems of his
CLASS. In spite of the Narodniki
teachings which he imbibed in the
circle organized by Sophie Bardin,
his class instinct triumphed over all
the Narodniki dogmas, and for the
first time in the history Of the re-
volutionary movement a class con-
scious proletarian, who bore the
marks of the terrible exploitation
of Russian capitalism and the poll
tical oppression of Tsarism spoke
out of the court. He faced the
TsariSt judges not as poor work.
ing man." crushed by exploitation,
but as a revolutionary proletarian,
submitting a bill of charges against
the enemy.
In the simplest manner imagin-
able, he described the conditions
Of the workers. They work II hours
a day for wage of 40 kopecks a
day, and from their meagre wages
fines are deducted for every trifle.
He described the ignorance and
degradation in which the workers
lived, the insults and tornents they
suffered at the hands of the capt.
taliSts.
Under present conditions" he
said, 'the workers cannot satisfy
the most elementary human needs.
Have we any leisure for study? Do
we, the poor, receive any education
in our childhood? Are useful books
published for the working man?
Where, and what may they study?
Look at the Russian popular lite
nature. Nothing can better Illus
trate this case than such books as
'Baya the Crown Prince 'Yerus-
Ian Lazarevitch,' 'Vailka Kain,
The Bride is in the Ink and the
Bridegroom in the Soup etc. That
Is why the popular opinion about
books is that: Some are amusing,
others are religious This Is reality.
In vain does the government think
that the workers don't understand
this reality.
ITO Re Confinuedl