The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-21

strike area brought floral wreaths
of tribute to be banked around the
casket of their dead comrade.
Following the gray casket across
the muddy field to roped-off cano-
pied section, where the body was
laid in state, was the little working
class wife of the heroic fighter and
his seven children. They wept bit
terly as they sat in rowk of chairs
in front of the casket.
After a mass meeting on the open
lot under clouded skies, the great
mass of workers, their heads barred,
followed the hearse bearing the
remains of what was once an heroic
fighter for labor to the Long Greek
Church Cemetery where the body
was inferred.
Riley, who was employed prior
to the strike in a Mount Holly
Mill, was survived by his wife, Ber-
tina Riley, and seven children,
Mabel, Christine, Margaret, Paul,
Jack, Virginia and Patricia.
CHARLOTTE, N. c., Sept. 90
Everybody who came to the Meek
lenburg County Court House last
night to hear Norman Thomas, So
cialist leader, speak on the textile
strike went home with at least
three pieces of Communist litera-
ture. Textile workers who were
denied the right to hear Paul
Crouch, the Communist organizer,
on the Court House steps last Mon
day night received the Communist
message through thousands of leaf
lets, pamphlets and copies of the
Daily Worker, which were passed
out in the corridor of the Court
Building after Thomas had finished
his speech.
While Crouch, the Communist.
was arrested and threatened with
lynching when he attempted to read
a section of the Constitution on
the steps of the Court House last
Monday, Thomas, the Socialist, was
given every courtesy by the City
and County officials.
Seeks Hyde Park Audience
And why not? Thomas in his
speech, while he deplored the use
of troops and the denial of the
workers right to strike, at the same
time INDUCED in considerable log
rolling with President Roosevelt.
Il am on my way to New York, !"
declared Mr.. Thomas, and my
schedule takes me to Poughkeepsie,
near Hyde Park, and if I can find
time, and if Franklin Roosevelt
will let me see him or one of his
secretaries, shall report these dis
graceful conditions in North Caro-
lima.
Il am a political opponent of the
President, but I think Franklin
Roosevelt would not for moment
tolerate conditions existent in this
state"
c. p. Proposes United Action
During the middle of his speech
Thomas was handed a letter from
Paul Crouch proposing united front
actions of the Socialist Party and
the Communist Party of the Caro-
linas IN support of the strike.
The letter said in part:
THE Communist Party of Dis
trict Is North and South Cardinal
transmits to you, as a member of
the National Executive Committee
Of the Socialist Party, and through
you to the State Executive Commit
tees of the Socialist Party of North
and South Carolina and Georgia, q
proposal for immediate formation
of a joint committee to formulate
united action Of the Socialist and
Communist Parties to assist the
textile workers in their struggle for
the right to organize, strike and
picket; for united action against the
murderous terror now unleashed
against the strikers by the mill
owners, and, finally, to mobilize the
entire Southern working class to
come to the aid and give all posi-
bic help to the textile strikers"
asked Mr.. Thomas after the
meeting what would be his answer
to the letter. He advised me that