The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-08-11
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hdtchet Out
The Truth
. NEW HOMES
. VALUE OF PRESS
. THE THIRD DEGREE
q RESPECT RIGHTS

Central labor unions all over the
nation are buying new homes.
They are putting up new buildings
or buying and remodeling old ones.
In either case, they are contributing
to increase of employment and busi-
ness activity.
Duluth, Minnesota, is the latest city
to report move by labor to own an
up-to-date headquarters building.
Duluth is only one of many
planning similar action. There is
long list of city central bodies
which, in the last twelve months,
have either moved into new homes
or taken steps to acquire new
quarters.
The labor movement has come of
age and demands headquarters build
ings in keeping with it's high status in
the national life.
Action of the central bodies is an
indication of the strength and vitality
of the American Federation of Labor,
of it's striving for progress and bet
ter things.
Colorado State Federation of Labor
knows the value of the labor press.
The federations last convention
said something about the labor press
that, if taken to heart by every trade
unionist in America, would benefit
the labor movement immeasurably.
"The function Of the labor press is
one of the most important activities
of the movement" said the conven-
ton, which went on to point out that
the labor press was the "only medium
through which the people of the state
of Colorado may be informed of the
true activities of the labor movement"
Then the convention placed the fed
GRAFTON on record as vigorously en-
couraging affiliated units to "give
more support, morally, physically and
financially to the labor press of the
state"
The convention was speaking of the
Colorado labor press but its words are
equally applicable to the labor press
everywhere.
Speaker Heck of the lower house of
the New York legislature wants a
"curb" on the use of the barbarous and
lawless "third degree"
Speaking to the State Police Chiefs
Association, Heck said:
"No public official wants a law
placed upon the statute books that
might hamper the efficiency of law
enforcement officials.
"You and your men can make such
action unnecessary. Every effort
should be made by you to curb the
use of the third degree in your juris-
diction."
But why only "curb," Speaker
Heck? Why not abolition of the "third
degree?
The "third degree" method of ex-
torting confessions from suspected
criminals by physical or mental tor
ture, or both, is not only brutal and
illegal; it is confession of police in
competency. Competent police work
convicts the criminal without the use
of the third degree" which was fit
tingly pilloried by the Wickersham
Commission in 1881.
Calling emphatically for end of the
third degree" the commission used
such terms as "unprintable barbarity,"
and naked, ugly facts" in discussing
it.
At the New York meeting, some of
the police officials made what seemed
to be an implied defense of the "third
degree" This is typical of certain
school of police thinking.
Whenever the "third degree" is UNI
der fire, police officials join in
chorus of denials or make feeble at
tempts to defend it's use. They talk
about "coddling" criminals and COM
plain of attempts to work up public
sympathy for vicious killers and other
desperate lawbreakers.
They should be sharply reminded
that there is no demand for coddling
or humoring criminals; the demand is
that their constitutional rights be re-
spected.