The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-10
Preacher to Be Tried
For Communism and
''Disloyalty to Church"

PARIS, Arkansas, July 5.-An
Arkansas Presbyterian minister will
be tried for Communism" and dis
loyalty to the church" soon by his
church board
The preacher to be tried is Claude
G. Williams, minister Of the First
Presbyterian Church Of Paris, Ark
ansas. For the past few years he has
worked actively among the miners
and farmers Of Arkansas, preaching
militant revolutionary action from
the pulpit In 1882 he helped the
miners Of Paris, the largest and most
important mining center in the state
in their strike and did a great deal
towards the rebuilding of their
union. He preached in many Ark
ansas towns the necessity Of mili--,
tant action on the part of the work.
ers and farmers, the necessity Of
ending capitalism by revolutionary
means, and the necessity of estab-
fishing a workers and farmers gov
eminent in the United States. In
May, 1884, he called for a New
Era Forum" to take place at his
discussions on such topics as War,
Fascism, Socialism, Communism,
Revolution, etc, and called upon
radical writer's, teachers, and
speakers in and around the state
to take part in the Forum.
Two weeks before the proposed
Forum, however the preacher was
expelled from his church, the Lead
ing members of which are a hand>-
full Of wealthy merchants, bankers, .
landlords, and local operators Of
Paris. In addition to this, he was
ordered to leave his residence inn =
mediately despite the fact that the
church owes him $4,000 in back pay.
The church board, however, was
unable to force him and his wife
and three children out of their
house, because the preacher held in
the churchyard a confederation
picnic on the day of the eviction,
June 18th, with full support Of the
workers and farmers Of Paris.
Only about II Of the liz members
OF his church are against him. but
the church board is going to try him
for Communism" and "disloyalty
to the church" The trial will be
held in Van Buren,, small town
near Forth Smith, Arkansas. on
July 9.
Villains militancy is well known
throughout the southwest. In order
to divert the masses who are get
ting more and more militant, from
going towards the genuine revolu-
tlonary movement, and in order to
hide their counter revolutionary
nature, the leaders Of the Socialist
Party of Arkansas at their special
session held last week in Hot
Springs, Arkansas, nominated VIII
liams as their candidate for Cow
ernor, though he is not a men,
Der of the S.P. The militant miners
and farmers Of Paris and its sur
rounding localities say, however.
that Williams still does not realize
the real nature of the Socialist
Party which is certainly too far
from Williams ideals. They say
that soon Williams will find out
that the Socialist Party of Arkansag
which, according to a st. Louis pa
per, has decided not to fight the
NRA, is far from being a party Of
and for the working class, and that
ne will either leave the Socialist
Party or the Socialist Party will ex-
pei him for his sincerity to the
cause of the workers and farmers.
Already several revolutionary or
carnations in Arkansas, including
1. L. D. branches, have pledged sup
port to Williams and are making ar
engagements for mass meetings, lee
lures, etc,