The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-05
Ex-NRA Aide Hits
falling of HilIsbOrO
II, Illinois Terror
tContinued from Pege y

Continued from Pege y
Party. Eleven leaders of the or
ganizsd unemployed have been
arrested on the trumped-up
charge of conspiracy to over
throw the government.
These men had also been ac-
tive in demonstrations protest
ing dictatorial proclamations of
mayors and town councils which
abrogated the constitutional
right of freedom of assembly. I
submit, Mr.. Governor, that these
men deserve the commentator
from any person who honestly
opposes fascism. The proclama-
tons cannot be considered any
thing but fascist in their spirit.
Two Of Jailed Men Town Officers
1t is interesting to note that,
despite the almost hysterical
hatred towards these men evil
denced by certain elements in
the county, they are respected
by hundreds of their fellow
citizens. Two of them were
elected to the town board of
Taylor Springs.
In spite of this, and in spite
of the fact that all but two of
the men are permanent resi-
dents OF the county, an eXorbi-
tant bail of $4,000 has been set
on each of the men, an obvi-
ously impossible sum for an I'M
employed man to raise. This,
and the fact that the Grand
Jury does not meet till No
vember, condemns these uncon-
victed men to six months in Jail
until a trial.
Attempts by deputy sheriffs
and vigilantes to terrorize fami-
lies of the prisoners have been
made. Lawyers Of the men were
driven out of Hillsboro by a mob
led by the chief of police, when
they attempted to see the mitti-
muses.. The judge refused them
this, and stalled them off till the
mob arrived.
Friends Barred
A harsh prison regime has
barred friends and defense COM
mittee men from visiting the
eleven prisoners. Western Union
kilograms sent to known friends
OF the defendants have been
turned over to the sheriff before
delivery.
DR.. Hoyt, leader of the vigil
ante gangs which have been &C
tive against these men, publicly
stated that friends of the pris-
oners had better make their
peace with Cod if they do not
remain silent.
The situation in Montgomery
County exemplif1es a wide
spread fascist deVe lop m n
throughout the whole of Ill-
nois, notably in Du Page, Chris
tian, Franklin and st. Clair
counties. I need only mention
the arrest of Norman Thomas
and the gassing of a crowd in
Christian County by the sheriff
and his men, the arrest of A. j.
Music, for having in his posses
sion labor literature, and the or
ders of the American Legion of
Du Page County forbidding So
cialist meetings.
This growing wave of repres-
sion, led by officials of state and
county, constitutes a fascist at
tack on the economic and po-
litical organizations of the work
ers. Free speech is dead in the
counties named, and the right
of workers to organize and pc
tition have become empty
phrases.
The responsibility is Squarely
upon you, as Governor of the
State of Illinois, to stop this
terror. I urge you to issue a
proclamation demanding the re-
storation of the rights destroyed
by peace officers and self-consti-
tuted vigilante bands.
urge you also to use your
full power as chief executive to
enforce this proclamation by
removing from Office any peace
officers who persist in this law
less persecution of the working
people.
I further urge, and this most
strongly, that you Immediately
demonstrate your opposition to
the forces that are driving the
state towards fascism, by using