The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-01
lid Relief Fund Launches annual
Xmas DTiUe to Aid Glass Struggle
Prisoners and Needy Dependents
Families of Thousands
of jailed Workers
Need Help
By SHASTA SMALL
Editor of Labor Defender

Editor of Labor Defender
THERE are twenty three children
in different parts of the United
States today whose fathers are in
Jail for life. Some of them were
miners, others were mill workers,
whom the kids hardly saw because
they were asleep when they went
to work and often before they got
back. Nineteen political prisoners
serving life sentences for fighting
for decent homes, wages and bread
for their kids. Then there are q
kids who will be grown up men and
women before they see their fathers
again. These fathers are political
prisoners serving from 10 to IS year
sentences in different American
jails and penitentiaries. Some Of
them ere farmers, share troopers,
others are miners and marine work
ers.
And then there are thousands Of
women and children who are
striving to make ends meet while
the bread winner Of the family is
in Jail from anywhere from 6
months to 10 years.
How do they get along? How do
they live? Part of the answer Is to
be found in one of the elast known
yet most important activities Of the
International Labor Defense - its
prisoners relief work. Headlines
have proclaimed I. L. D. victories,
freedom for hundreds of workers,
in far flung corners of the country
Hundreds of thousands of people
know that the I. L. D. is the organ1-
zation that fights like hell to keep
workers who are framed or per-
secuted for their working class &C
tivity or for their political opinions
out of Jail. But few people know
that the I. L. D. struggles daily to
raise enough money to send regular
monthly sums to the prisoners and
their families-after they are put
in jail.
tECEIVED your money and
IL words can't tell how much I
appreciated it and need it," writes
the wife of one of the Kentucky
miners serving a life sentence. MY
dear husband was such good
provider and worker it sure is hard
to try and make living without
him"
81 have lived by myself for over
two years." writes the wife of an
other Kentucky miner. 81 live on a
very poor farm, a renter. Also 1
am not in shape to farm no way.
My children are too small to work
and the small ones are not big
enough to keep from getting burnt
up around the fire. If it had not
been for your relief I would have
had to send the children to the or
phans' home"
But this prisoners relief sent
monthly by the I. L. D. is more
than material help. more than
money to keep the whole family
from starving. 1t is a pledge of
solidarity and a sign that the politi-
cal prisoners and their families and
the sacrifices they have made are
not forgotten.
The wife of one of the Alabama
sharecroppers, serving a sentence of
from IL to Is years for helping a
neighbor fight off sheriff's posse
in Reeltown in December 1882,
writes to us; "They have moved
Ned to another jail and my heart
is running over with sorrie because
it will take three times as much to
60 and see him. I tried to get
help from the government relief,
but I didn't get anything but hard
words. 1t seems like some time
I'll give down over my trouble, but
when 1 think back over all the I. L.
D. workers has done for us I feel
happy as can be-" (There are eight
small children in this family)
IN addition to sending relief to the
1 prisoners and their families, I. L.
D. branches which have adopted
them write to them and send them
encouraging greetings. What these
messages from the world outside
mean to the prisoners is best ex-
pressed in letters like the follow
ing: IT would love to set forth in
black anG white my deep apprecia-
ton to your branch and all the
branches of the I. L. D. what
feel and think-but I would be
branded a red-the highest honor
assure you-and my letter would
not leave this place and reach YOU"
j. B. Nc Namara.
To the prisoners inside the jails,
deprived of all contact with the
world, working long hours for
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