The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1949-12-02
November D, 10

LOnCOIs SOpiS OiNS
Helena, Montana
Mr.. Charles w. Gardner Peoples
Voice, November a charges that the
real issue" involved in the trial and
conviction of the II Communist lead
ers in New York was whether or not
the Communist Party advocates the
overthrow of the government by force
and violence. l would like to deny
that this was the "real issue" in this
trial. Mr.. Gardner offered a quo
tation from document to prove even
to the most "skeptical' that the
Communist Party. advocates force
and violence. l would like to show
what this evidence amounts to. In
doing this | believe the charge made
by Mr.. Gardiner that the Communist
Party of Montana evaded the real
issue" in it's statement on the out
come of the New York trial will be
refuted
The prosecution theory of this case
was that it was an ordinary criminal
case involving only the II men on
trial. Actually however this case
put on trial the entire body of scien-
tific socialist theory and practice,
and on the final outcome of this
case will depend whether the 10000
members of the Communist Party can
legally continue to function as pol
itical organization. For the first
time since the Alien and Sedition
o+c - roo VIZ f;rd +bo IooJo~e of n
political party on trial, on trial for
what they said and on trial for the
ideas they advocate. On trial in this
case was the right of Americans to
fight for peaceful and friendly re-
lations between this country and the |
Soviet Union, to fight against the At
lantic Pact and the Marshall Plan, to |
be "agin the government" while it |
remains the instrument of monopoly. |
Mr.. Justice Tom Clark, Mr.. Medina, |
US Attorney McGohey, the press,
radio-and Mr.. Gardner-can at
tempt to confine the "real issue" in
volved in this case to the narrow is
sue of the advocacy of force and vio-
ence, but they will not succeed This
trial has brought the danger of fas-
cism thought-control to the doorstep
Of every American. In the words of |
Henry Wallace Defense of the civil
rights of the Communists is the first !
inc in the defense of the liberties
If a democratic people. The history
If Germany, Italy, Japan and Fran
20 Spain should teach us that the sup
preston of the Communists is but
he first step in an assault on the
rights of labor, national,
acial and religious minorities, and
II who oppose the government in
,ower. Henry A. Wallace, July
1, 1948.
AS to Mr.. Gardeners quotation ]
is 21 years of age-and it did not
nd does not represent blueprint !
or Communist activity. How light t
2, indeed, does Mr.. Gardner regard t
ne serious business of outlawing the I
Party and its 10000 I
lembers, when he will base his case {
n paragraph or two from the 1923 I
rogram of the Communist Interna- s
Ondlc, WHICH lIStlI Ids C0dS6Q 10 0X- n
t. And does Mr.. Gardner know
lat the Supreme Court reviewed c
lie entire document from which his s
notation was drawn, among others, c
handing down it's decision in the f
Case June, 1943).
he majority decision in that case, is
ritten by the late Justice Murphy, e
ated that from perusal of the Il
Tidence that it was a tenable con- Il
usion that the Communist Party n
.sired to achieve its purposes by a
,aceful and democratic means. NJ
anguage plain enough for the most
optical, indeed. G.
We Communists demanded in this tt
ial, and did not get the right to put il