The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-16

zen by the TWO ledulng JOiIllg
generally for the masses of toiling
farmers in the South.
Now therefore. we, members of the
Share Choppers Union, assembled
at its State Conference, recently
held at Montgomery. Alabama, Oct.
q, appeal to you members of the
Southern Tenant Farmers Union
to Join with us on united front
basis and in solid united front
struggle against the Roosevelt
New Deal" on the farm.
Eager for United Action
To this letter of Jackson from
Alabama, Mitchell of Arkansas re-
piled as follows:
Dear Comrade:
We appreciate very much your
letter of the Bird, which I am max
ing copies of and sending out to
all Council secretaries. suggesting
that they take action Immediately
On your program and your proposal
for united front on our common
problems.
We have heard quite bit about
your union down in Alabama, but
your letter is the first definite in
formation that I have been able to
get. I would like for you to write
me a brief account Of your or
ganization and the troubles that
YOU are having now as we'll as in
the past. Also I would like to have
copy of your organization set up
and any information that you
might send me that will be of help.
We are rather in the dark as to
the methods best to use as we have
a mass demonstration set for the
last Saturday in this month, to pro-
test mass evictions that are threat
ened here, which we have reasons
to believe are south-Wide. Every
union member is to be thrown off
the land on many plantations, and
in other sections where men have
stood up for their rights under the
A. A. A. contracts they are being
told to find another place, In addi-
ton to the proposed demonstration,
with the American Civil Liberties
Union cooperation we plan to file
a test case in the federal courts
on Section 7 of the 1934-35 Rental
Contract, which will, Of course, only
give us an opportunity to prove to
the share troopers that they can
not expect the Federal government
to force the planters to do as they
ere supposed to do. enclose q
COPY of our constitution and some
other literature, etc, that we have
been using.
Face Terrorism
We have faced the terror, too, but
I believe to a lesser extent than you
have in Alabama. I suppose you
saw the article in the Farmers Ma
tional Weekly some time ago, de-
scribing the things we faced-suct
as men beaten, organizers arrested
members who had their groceries
cut off, intimidation of all sorts
threats to shoot up meetings which
we only prevented by preparations
for them with armed guards posted
and members with shotgunS, and
posters on the streets threatening
retaliation and appealing to the
Constitution Of the U, s. A." in
short, bluffing, and at the same
time backing it up with steel.
! We knew. or some of us did, what
we were facing in the beginning
and tried to work faster than the
planters. Having our own grape
vine that led to their own houses
we usually know just what they in
tend to do. Now they are stopping
our sources of information. Oul
troubles will start this spring.
have myself been target for them
having an old 1926 Moon auto that
was very conspicuous. and they hate
and fear me more than all the rest
since they believe I am the cause Of
it all. VIII you write me AGAR
soon?
YoTrs fraternally,
H. L. MITCHELL.