The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-11
By EDWARD LAMB
attorney for LID

TOLEDO, Ohio.-When the gov
ernor's militia marched into Toledo
the courts were suddenly instilled
with great bravery. The judges had
made outrageous restrictions upon
the right to picket, the workers had
politely told the courts to try en-
forcement. Mass picketing quickly
became mass violation Of iniunc-
ton. The misleaders had previously
violently opposed mass picketing;
when the rank and file took matters
into their own hands, the leaders
had the audacity to claim credit
for having always sanctioned mass
picketing.
Those first cited for contempt Of
Judge Roy R. Stuart's order limit
ing picketing to twenty-five union
members, were not even allowed the
usual and statutory right to secure
bail. The mass demonstrations, the
militancy Of the rank and file work
ers quickly revealed to the courts
such a strenuous offensive that the
elected judges saw the direction Of
the wind, and trimmed their sails
accordingly. The first persons cited
for contempt we're admonished to
go home and sin no more. The
workers accompanied the released
or acquitted persons back to the
picket line behind banners urging
mass violation Of the courts orders.
Dozens we're arrested; as in most
middle-western jails, however, the
facilities we're too limited; besides,
the elected officials we're beginning
to realize that they had hold of
hot potato. The court released more
than one hundred without bail. The
company howled for more deputies
and more arrests.
CHERIFF David M. Krieger accom-
y modated the company officials in
their noble purpose and wrote a
public letter to the officials telling
them how nice they were to all and
sundry. He hired another one hun
dred and fifty deputies-and re-
ceived approximately $1,000 from
the company, although he alone ac-
counts for the disposition Of that
money. The sheriff is running for
reelection, and another $50 de-
puties, or another $4,000 is bound
to help.
The trials came on. The court
house was packed by the strikers
The union officials refused to de-
fend even their own members,
claiming that they could not be a
party to mass violation of the in
junction orders. They even asked
the union members to deny union
membership. Counsel was not al
lowed the strikers by the unions.
The International Labor Defense
attempted to form legal aid COM
mittees to protect all class war
prisoners, but the lawyers, for the
most part, were cheering the efforts
of the company to break the strike.
We then offered all strikers and
sympathizers our assistance in the
labor defense struggle. The union
leaders even urged the workers to
stay away from the court! Mass
pressure seemed to increase as more
strikers saw the feasibility Of mass
violation.
The judge ordered the corridors
cleared. The sheriff ATTEMPTED to
do so, but the crowds pushed the
deputies away. Another conference.
The sheriff would show EN-, he'd
throw tear gas or Knockout gas at
the crowds-only violent argu-
ment dissuaded him from mass
murder. The judge had a trial, the
evidence consisted Of mass Of con-
tradictions-none of the hired de-
puties knew very much anyway, and
they hadn't been any too well train
ed on their testimony. The Judge
hedged and sought to hold a few of
the strikers "as examples" but he
saw that he was giving the work.
ers the very incentive they needed.
He postponed decision and all strik-
ers went Immediately back to the
picket lines. Another batch of de-
PENDANTS appeared the next day
The judge wanted all six common
pleas judges to sit with him, but at
least two of the other Judges are up
for reelection so the suggestion was
| turned down. The workers we're
tired of waiting for judge to hear
them on contempt charges so they
walked out of the court room, going
back to the picket lines.
CHERIFF David M. Krieger has
" now admitted in court that he
went to the Auto-Lite plant with
his armed thugs, intent upon car
rying fight to the peaceful picket
erS. These gangsters all carried
bombs. AS the police drove the
picketers across the street Gin direct
violation of the injunction order
the deputy hirelings tossed gas
bombs from the plant windows