The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1934-09-20

h hell does that Yankee rat think
he is? Calm a niger Mister!
I'd like to cut his tongue out? To
hell with tn trial! A rope ovah a
limb is what them babies need."(
The Negroes sat up straighter,
leaning forward with hard clenched
fists and defiant eyes. The Judge
forgot his drawl and broke in
swiftly, angrily:
"That'll be enough of insultin'
our police in my co'rt, young man.
Just you watch your step and keep
to the point in your questioning or
I'll have you arrested right here
for con empt of coil"
Ferris took the stand and Harry
questioned him. He looked stiff
and awkward sitting there with |
his great hands hanging loosely be-
tween his knees, but he wasn't |
clustered and he wasn't scared. He
considered each question carefully !
and answered slowly.
"Why did you attend the meet !
ing Mr.. Ferris? ?"
"Cause my baby is dyin'. The
meal we git from the Chest amt
enuf. My wife's milk is dried up.
I've got to get me milk for my
baby"
Under the prosecutors buster
ing cross-eXamination he was firm,
dignified. Af'er each question he
looked at Harry and Harry smiled
back at him.
"Do you work, nigger?"
"Ah CANT git me no job. I've
been outa work fer ovah a year."
"Do you belong to these here
Reds?"
No sub, but An calk'lates to jins
once l gifts outa this trouble"
"Why do you want to hook up
with that rotten outfit? Don't YOU
know all they're after is to fill
their pockets with the nickels an
dimes you fool niggers shell out
to 'em? Pearson even took a col
lection off you."
"Ah amt got no money, sub. If
All did have some All reckon ia
give some of it to tn Reds. 1t
do seem like they's the only ones
that is standin' up fer the colored
folks, an 1 knows they need money
fer organizin' an bandin the peo>
pie together"
The prosecutor dismissed him in
disgust.
Harry didn't take the stand. He
introduced an affidavit from the
Communist Party headquarters in
the North, stating that he was
: regularly employed and paid by
the Communist Party as an orga-
nicer. He was granted ten minutes
. to sum up for the defense. The
, courtroom seethed; two hundred
hostile eyes were on him as ne rose
to speak.
II will not waste time with this
ridiculous charge of vagrancy.
That is not the issue here and
every man in this courtroom knows
it. What is the issue? Look out
that window across the street.
You will see two lines of hungry,
desperate, beaten men and women,
waiting before the Community
Chest Kitchen for their one mis-
cradle meal of the day. THAT is
the issue here. We say those
white and Negro workers, unem-
ployed through no fault of their
own, must and shall have bread.
shelter and clothing. The ABS
Corporation, the mill and the mine
owners who control this city, say
that they must starve. That is
the question at issue in this trial. -
The court was quiet now. Only
rustling of impatiently fingered
! papers on Judge Hadley's desk
1 broke the silence. The young pro-
secutor no longer smiled; he looked
uncomfortable. Harry spoke di-
rectly to the spectators and held
them with his eyes.
ITO prevent the unemployed or
ganizing for the fight for bread
the issues of Communism and out
! side agitators' is raised. The old
! bogy of social equality is paraded
through this courtroom. Look
= again from that window and YOU
: will see the equality the bosses
give you. Equal rights for both
: black and white to starve. EQUAL
:, opportunity to, sweat for the boss
and go hungry when he no longer
needs you. The Communist PARTY
is not a party of Negroes, nor q
party of whites, nor a party of
|. the North. It is a Party of the
workers = all workers - whethe,
: they be black or white, live and
: work in the North, or in the South
It fights for equal rights, equal
opportunity to live a full, decent
8 life for all workers, and against the
e oppressive rule CT the bosses that
forces both white and Negro to gc
hungry in the midst of plenty. >
o He paused and turned to the
Judge. Under that contemptuou:
gaze a slow flush crept up Judge
P Hadley's neck and colored his ole
and sunken cheeks. He shifted SUI
denly in his chair as if to breal
Y the tension. Harry spoke SLOWLY
I deliberately the knuckles of. one
, hand on the Judges desk.
Il "You may Jail US today; you
n probably will. But let me tell
you, and those whose orders vol