The Omaha guide., 1957-10-11
A Letter From
Mrs. Edna Winston


has been there close 10 two years.
He faces six more years. While
his physical movements are re-
stricted TO a federal prison at
Terre Haute. Indiana. each time
I visit him I see his keen mind
travel afar, following every skir
mish in the great battle for con-
stitutional liberty, integration and
full citizenship for his people.
Last year it was Clinton, Tennes.
see, and Sturgis. Kentucky, nov
Little Rock and Nashville.
This man, Henry Winston.
Negro, IS my husband. He has de-
voted all his mature years 10 the
battle for democracy. lie is
good man. Born in Hatliesbirg
Mississippi, TO a life Of Jim
Grow, he early began TO seek a
way out of the humiliation and
injustice suffered BY his people.
Because this search led him. as
it did tens of thousands of 9th.
ers, Negro and white. to the Com
munist Party, he Is now behind
prison bars.
ask no agreement with ny
husbands political concepts. Il
wish. however, that you could
read. as I have. the record Of his
trial under the Smith Act. l am
sure that it would convince you
that Henry Winston was not coT-
victed for "conspiring to teach
and advocate overthrow Of our
government" but rather for
teaching and advocating an eno
to the violence against his peO
pie and a peaceful and better
life for all mankind No overt
acts were cited against my hus-
band. Even the charge OF having
organized The Communist Party in
1945 evaporated, because in 1915
my husband was fighting in the
United States Army where be re-
ceiyed a Certificate OF Merit"
in recognition of conspicuously
meritorious and outstanding per.
formance of military duty"
Supreme Court Justices Hugo
Black and William Douglas felt
that the conviction Of my husband
and his colleagues was a serioLs
violation Of constitutional rights. /
Justice Black. in 1880, dissented
in these words:
Public opinion being what
il is. few viii protest the con-
yiction Of these Communist
petitioners. There Is hope.
however, that In calmcr
times. when present pres
sures, passions and fears sub
side this or some later court
viii restore the First Amend ]
ment liberties TO the high
preferred place where they
belong in free society"
The recent sessions Of the L. S.
Supreme Court did in part fulfill
the prophecy Of Justice Black
The convictions Of a number Of
defendants tried under the same
law as my husband with an al
most Identical show Of evidence, 2
we're reversed. And in Connect
cut. Denver, and Pittsburgh. the
federal courts have either revCr.
sed or granted new trials to sim
Why then does Henry Tinsion
liar defendants.
remain in PRISON. | know he has
committed no crime but that
Of political unorthodoxy. and the
so-caIled crime Of guilt-by-asso-
citation. But has not our America
grown strong precisely because
it welcomed and encouraged its
non-conformists7 Tom Paine,
Frederick Douglass, John Brown,
are they to be honored or re-
viIed7 Our nations name today
is being dragged in the miro by
the white supreraacists who call
out troops to prevent little child
ren from going to school. Does Il
improve the reputation Of our na
ton to keep a man in prison who
IN his early youth pioneered in
the Southland against Jim Grow
and Segregation
President Eisenhower could
set my husband free tomorrow.
! believe, be would II he knew
that thousands of Americans dis
approved what in view Of the s.
bove can only be called political
vengeance. l believe. the Prcsl-
dent viii act 10 grant amnesty
il The traditional Christmas spir.
It if you and many others will
write him asking him to grant
amnesty for Henry Winston in
the American tradition Of justice
and fair play
OF course. / want my husband
home. And our young children
Larry 10. and Judith, 7, need him
al their side But as urgently as
We need him. America needs even
more 70 know that II Is ecrueI
and unusual punishment" 70 keep
a nan in prison because ms ideas
are different
I pray that you viii write 10