The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 2, 1924, Page 2

< Page Two THE DAILY WORKER MILLIONS WIN COURT'S EAR FOR SLAYERS Workers’ Blood Money Aids Loeb-Leopold The “million-dollar defense” of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, confessed slayers of Robert Franks, won its right to- present “mitigating evidence” by the testimony of a dozen or more alienists. It was expected from the beginning of the legal | battle between defense counsel Clarence Darrow and state’s at- torney Robert E. Crowe that the defense would win, because Judge John R. Caverly had ruled immediately against Crowe’s demand for a jury if “mental irresponsibility” were to be brought up. It was a triumph of the newer ethics over the old; a victory for sci- entific criminology as opposed to the old melodramatic vengeance of “life for life.” It might be called an achievement of human kindness over thé hard-boiled hanging narrow-mind- edness of Crowe and his associates. Money Has Won. But all that is really beside the point. The fact is that the “millions- for-defense” have triumphed. In lit- erally thousands of other cases more or less similar, where youth and en- docrine gland irregularities and other abnormalities short of insanity could be offered to lessen the harsh sen- tence of hanging, there are no “mil- lions-for-defense” and the young who have misbehaved are ruthlessly given the rope. In countless lesser cases where cap- italism is to blame for depviving youngsters of proper physical develop-| ment, of sufficient education, and of work that would yield an adequate in- come to say nothing of an income without work, such as Loeb and Leo- pold have, the unfortunate young men or women are sentenced with all the viciousness the court can use against the helpless. It is only where there are “millions-for-defense,” as in the case of the wealthy young slayers, or in the Harry Thaw case, that science gets a hearing and reason is given a chance. What of Polish Lads? |you on a machine stitching, cutting, jyears old. She gave her age to Will- jiam Beckwith, the manager of the |less than one-half the union wage. (Continued from page 1) pold’s profit, is the deepest dis- grace to the quiet, little town whose businessmen try to put up such a respectable front. Heat, Fumes, Exhaustion. The workers in the paper foundry are forced to rush to the windows sev- | eral times a day to stave off collapse | brought on by the heat of the paper making machines. Fumes from the chemicals constantly emanate from the paper pulp vats and from the roll- the process of finishing and drying. No Labor Organizations. |the DAILY local newspaper, is a typical “boost- er,” drumming up trade for the busi- ness men and trying to keep the resi- dents satisfied with their lot. Ku Klux Klan news is prominently dis- played on the front page. Len Small in all his rotten corruption, is ar- dently championed at every opportu- nity. “Is Mayor Fessler a Republican,” WORKER reporter asked one of the town’s bankers. “Yes,” came the reply, “I guess pretty near all Illinois is Republican.” ing machines where the paper 18) 4 campaign is now-on in full swing chemically treated as it- goes thru in Morris to send the boy who sells the most “mercy bonds,” td Chicago to eat dinner with Jackie Coogan on There are no labor organizations in town, no union meetings and no or-} ganized rebellion against the sms hypocricy of the middle class rulers of the town who are content to see the young women and men labor in this Leopold mill at any price, rather than take their purchasing power to a larger city. The young men take the attitude: “If I only had the chance to leave it all and go to Chi cago, I would quit this damn factory. Child Labor. Out of every ten persons in the town works in the Leopold plant., At least one-half of the population has worked there at one time, genc in early youth. One girl, herself scarcely more than 15 years old, said, “They don’t require you to show a birth certificate when you ask for a job. If you say; you are 16 they put folding or stamping. If you say you are 14 or over they don’t turn you away, but put you at jobs sorting ma- terial or carrying the boxes.” Another girl admitted to the DAILY WORKER that she is only twelve plant, as 15. Pressmen Get $20 Only, The printing is done in the box factory. The printers who feed and run the printing presses which stamp the names of the firms on the boxes| make twenty dollars a week, much The middle class “angles” of the town, forgetting the sons and daught- ers who are foregoing an education and losing their health in order to provide Nathan Leopold with money to save his son from the gallows, prate about their “city beautiful.” When asked if he didn’t think the low wages and the speed-up piece work system used in the Morris plant were a blot on the community, a law- yer answered, “No, Morris is the big- August sixth, The mercy bonds fund will be used to send food to starving orphans of the Near East. But the starvation wages in Leopold’s factory are allowed by the business men here without protest. They know that a ‘suggestion” made by @W. H. Beck- th or Nathan Leopold carries more |weight with their business than the violent protest of the 500 employes of 4eopold, At Leopold’s Order. It was at the “suggestion” of the Leopold company that the Western Union company, an equally anti union coneern, moved the branch of- fice from the Rock Island depot to a separate office on Main Street. Beck- with, not entirely satisfied with the service at present, has written the Western Union company making 4 “suggestion” that the joffice again be changed. The Western Union com- pany has just replied, stating that the matter will be taken up at once. The DAILY WORKER has asked many citizens of the town if they didn’t think the Leopold employes {Were getting a “dirty deal” and should receive more wages, and have their hours shortened. The reply, unless the person works in the factory, is generally a long while in coming. Afraid of Leopolds. Morris citizens are afraid of offend- ing the Leopolds, because of the taxes paid to the town on the property, and because of the general business given the town by>the factory hands. “I guess they get a pretty fair wage if they’re fast enough” is the way most of the Morris citizens salve their con- science. ‘ The 500 employes, not realizing their power as purchasers of commod- ities and producers of wealth, are slaving away at break-neck speed. The cheap pleasures of the flickering movie and the bumpy dance floor at Goold Park are not enough to ease gest and best smail town in Illinois.” the resentment in their heart, caused by the slave conditions imposed by The two Polish lads, Walter Borcyal The Morris Daily Herald, the onlyithe union hating Leopold. and Iguatius Clombras, who aped the rich Jewish boys’ kidnapping threat and were caught trying to intimidate Jacob Franks, the usurer, again will not have “millions-for-defense”; yet certainly as plausable a case of “mental disease, but not insanity” could be made for their defense. They may not be the degenerates that Loeb and Leopold are because they have not “enjoyed” the wealth and carefree environment which allowed vicious experiments. These boys, who are even younger than Loeb and Leopold, have always been very poor; have had to work for years; have had to help support their families instead of being supported; have not had much education; have been beaten down by a system which gives millions to some and to them and their fellow workers a scant liy- ing. Squeezed Out of Workers. And the “millions-for-defense” which will try to keep (and almost assuredly succeed) Loeb and Leopold from the gellows are being squeezed and ex- torted out of the workers in the Mor- ris Paper Box Mills and the Sears- Roebuck Company, as the DAILY WORKER is showing in other col- umns. The outcome of the trial means lit- tle to these exploited workers, or to any other workers, except as the out- come of any drama which is outside one’s own life. Darrow must be ad- mired for his intelligent plea, which is sincere, as his life has shown, He has defended labor cases with equal skill and feeling for the injusticé of the system of society which allows such topsy-turvy justice to be meted out. STRIKING CAR BUILDERS HOLD LINE UNBROKEN (Continued from page 1) plete standstill. Five hundred work- ers who reported for work this morn- ing were compelled to go home due to the effectiveness of the strike. It was reported this morning that out of the twenty-five hundred workers weeks when they will inaugurate a wage reduction in the production and in other departments. You must real- ize that the bosses are well organized and because of the power this organ- ization gives them, «they can reduce your wages to any level as long as you are willing to stand for it. The only way to prevent this is, for you to learn a lesson from the bosses and organize yourselves into a real fight- ing organization. The conditions of the organized workers in the building trades or in the railroad industry are relatively good because of the fact that they are organized. These work- ers in their struggles for better con- working in the plant at the time that the strike started there are now not more than two hundred of these work ers within the gates. It 1s expected that before Monday morning these two hundred workers will be also un- employed. Meet Monday. Before the meeting adjourned and after the committee reported the second time it was decided that an- other meeting be held in the same hall on Monday morning at 8 o'clock. And that every effort be made by the three or four hundred men in the hall at that time to-get the strikers not present at this morning’s: meeting and also the other workers affected by the strike in the meeting on Monday morning. This was the reply made by the strikérs meeting this morning to Mr. Bock. The strikers left with a determination to carry on the strike to a successful conclusion and to get the other workers now out of work because of the strike to line up with the strikers in a united front against RIVERVIEW—RAIN OR SHINE AUGUST 10th—SUNDAY PRESS PICNIC DAY AREER AAR VTS REL AT: 28 A ANE OT SUNDAY August 10 ADMISSON 35c. The ticket also entitles holder to reduced rates on all the amusements, the wage reduction and the speedtup system of the Western Steel Car and Foundry Company. “If the bosses beat you in this fight it will be only a question of a few ditions and higher wages realize that as long as there are millions of un- organized workers in several indus- aries in the United States that their struggle is all the harder ba cause of the unorganized workers. Therefore, I as a representative of the Brotherhood of Railroad Carmen, am here to help you to organize and to prepare to fight effectively against the wage reduction of the boss,” said Hogan. Praises DAILY WORKER. In introducing Martin Abern of the Workers Party and the Young Work- ers League, Hogan said that if it had not been for the publicity in the DAILY WORKER and the co-opera- tion of those connected with it, “Your strike would have been broken long before now.” Martin Abern told the strikers that the company was weakening in their fight. The fact that the company has hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of material laying idle in their plant due to the strike, means that they cannot get along without you. The tactics of the boss in all strikes is to try to divide the men, therefore, it is your duty to stick together un- til you win what you struck for. eee eeeeen Belereferefereferelerere sel cheereerele ete) a esej el el eles el eles eseles oer eveseN GIRLS VICTIMS OF LEOPOLD, sR. ||RIVAL FACTIONS IN FIGHT FOR Rank aud File Back Doyle-Fisher Group (Continued from page 1) W. and with general disruptive tactics, The real cause of the controversy, however, goes much deeper than this, and center’ around a conflict over fundamental questions of policy, which will be analyzed in an early is- sue of the DAILY WORKER. | The I. W. W. is, without doubt, confronted with a deep-seated internal crisis, the outcome of which will have a vital bearing on the future of the organiza- tion. While all the issues appearing on the surface of the, present con- troversy have to do with technical questions, there is no doubt that the questions of principle which lie be- neath them will now, under the pres- sure of the struggle, make themselves manifest. Leavenworth Differences on Surface. One of the superficial causes of the fight is the hostility between two groups of released Leavenworth pri- soners, one group of which accepted conditional commutation in June, 1928, and those, and their supporters, who opposed such acceptance. This issue was before the last convention of the I. W. W. and resulted in the decision of the convention declaring that those who accepted commuta- tion acted within their rights as mem- bers of the organization, and prohib- iting any further agitation against them outside of regular organization |* channels. According to the charges of the group in control of headquarters at the present time, these attacks were continued in violation of the conven- tion decision. This has resulted in three members, Bert Lorton, James Quinlan and Frederick Blossom, be- ing suspended from membership. This‘action was resented by the other faction, which is led by James Rowan, representative of the Lumber Work- ers’ Union on the General Executive Board. On July 15th five members of this faction on the G. BE. B. held a meeting, declared itself to be the official body and rescinded the action of Joe Fisher, chairman, and Tom Doyle, general secretary, and issued publicity attacking them and their action. The administration faction there- upon declared this action outlaw, on the ground tha the last conven- tion had ruled t a two-thirds majority was necessary in such cases. Charges were filed against the whole group of five before the G. E. B. by two officials of industrial unions charg- ing disruptive methods. Ousted Group Rejected Peace. The administration officers called a G. E. B. meeting on July 22, and invited the five to appear to answer the charges. This, they refused to do and were at once suspended from the G. E. B. by the general officers, But the overture was made that if they would meet with the other members and proceed regularly, this suspen- sion would be lifted. Peace was rejected. It is alleged that James Rowan, Fred Bowerman of the Metal and Machinery Workers’ Union, P. D. Ryan, of the General Construction Workers’. Union, Charles Anderson of the Metal Miners’ Union and Harry Trotter, of the Railroad Workers’ Union, notified the bank holding the I. W. W. funds, that they were the authority of the I. W. W. and to pay money on their order and none other. Their effort to get an injunction against Doyle and Fisher tying up the funds on hand, failed so far on account of their inability to secure the bonds in the sum double the funds, required for this court ac- tion. This action brought about a climax. The bank refused and still refuses to pay on either faction’s order. Doyle and Fisher, supported’ by a rank and file committee of influential mem- bers, then suspended the five mem- bers of the other faction from mem- bership in the I. W. W. as well as from the General Executive Board. On the same day, July 29, the rank and file committee posted guard in headquarters and denied admission to the suspended members. Justus Ebert, editor of the Industrial Pioneer, recog- WILL BE HELD AT Super-Power Will Lift 1 W.W, CONTROL|Labor’s Burdens Only Under Rule of Labor By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. Topay, hew announcements are made of greater super- power projects, Plans for the north-eastern section of the United States, to be extended to other parts of the nation, call for the construction and development of tremendous inter-connected steam and hydro-electric power projects. One fact that should interest the workers, especially the coal miners, is that recommendations made by expert engi- neers say this will save 50,000,000 tons of coal annually. Another fact is that the plan will extend the use of elec- tricity genrally to farm areas. That ought to interest the farmers. : mae eS It was during the May convention, at Peoria, of the Illinois Mine Workers’ Union that the president, Frank Far- rington, hopelessly reactionary, urged support of super-power projects because they would call for an increase in the use of coal. The DAILY WORKER, at that time, issue of Thursday, May 15, exposed this attempt of Farrington to blind the members of the miners’ union. Unemployment is the great problem among the coal miners, everywhere thruout the nation. It is especially acute in Illinois. Farrington had to offer something. So he presented this lie. * * * * Super-power is one of the hopes of the New Day. Soviet Russia is rapidly being electrified. The burden of toil, in the Workers’ Republic, is being lifted from the shoulders of all who labor. In Soviet Russia super-power is developing in the control of the workers and peasants, and is being used for their benefit. Super-power in the United States must also be in the control of the workers and farmers. This means that they— the workers and farmers—must establish their own Workers’ and Farmers’ Rule over the Land—SOVIET RULE. « * * * * Under the capitalist rule of Coolidge and Davis super- power will be in the control of the big profiteers. In the dreams of La Follette, built of filmy clouds called “free and unlimited oompetition,” they would be in the hands of little profiteers. This would result in: FIRST:—No benefit to the workers. The work-day would not be shortened. Instead hundreds of thousands, if not millions of workers would lose their jobs. The expert engineers announce that their super-power project would result in “decrease of human labor.” But they/do not say it will give more leisure to the workers. They refuse to con- fess that it will throw more workers on the scrap heap of industry. SECOND:—No benefits to the farmers. The farmers will be compelled to pay for their super-power, “all the traffic will bear.” They will go into ss as usual, They will become mortgagees as always. They will be thrown into the renter class, and not only pay rent to the landlord, but also high prices to the power trust, in which the landlord may be a stockholder. . This will be true as long as capitalism lasts. While capitalism rules at Washington, national owner- ship or nationalization of super-power will be of no avail. The workers who slave in the government owned postal service have their demands rejected with the same brutality that the czars of private industry, in the coal mines for in- stance, fight the demands of their workers. Efforts of the postal workers to organize, and assert their rights, are op- posed just as bitterly by the government, as Judge Gary wars upon labors’ effort to organize in the steel industry. This will also be true as long as capitalism lasts. * Electric power is the super-power of the New Day. But it offers no relief for labor under capitalism. It takes no ac- count under capitalism of the hundreds of thousands of coal miners unemployed. The miners must fight as always, under capitalism, for the shorter work-day, for the six hour day, for “The Four-Hour Day,” in which the late Charles P. Steinmetz, the world-famous electrical wizard, said all the useful labor of the world could be accomplished. Superpower will free the shoulders of labor from toils’ heavy burden when the Rule of the Workers has been ac- complished. But in order to usher in that New Day the workers and farmers must dump the whole capitalist class off their backs. —_——________. eae@h group so far to define their posi- nized the authority of the suspended eewwsswvee severe: members and was relieved of his posi- tion. Efforts of a, third group to recon- cile the differences of the other two, met with a cold reception. Both sides are issuing statements to the mem- bership and preparing for a struggle for control. The rank and file com- mittee is very much in evidence around the general headquarters. The administration group has already sub- mitted to the membership the ques- tion of calling a special convention to decide the issue. Revolutionary Clarity Lacking. The whole situation is reminiscent of some of the early struggles of the I. W. W. The issue is not yet fully clarified because of the failure of Mage ae OPEN Areereet Ny Te eeweeeseceecererien The Workers Party PRESS PICNIC tion from the standpoint of revolution- ary unionism. The degree to which this is done in the near future will indicate whether the convulsion in the ranks of the I. W. W. is a symp- tom of decay symbolized by petty per- sonal quarrels, or of new lifé and energy brought about by a revival of revolutionary policy and revolt against the lethargy, pacifism and liberalism which in recent years has been laying its paralyzing hand on the organiza- tion, The movement from below, represented by the prominent part played by the rank and file committee in the controversy, makes the latter supposition appear to be the more probable. What is lacking yet, is a clarification of the real issues. Tepeserere rere seseresaeteselerelereseeresen RAIN OR SHINE Support the | Communist Press RIVERVIEW PARK |: Auispices: Workers Party, Local Chicago. All profits for the DAILY WORKER and other’ party papers, @ Saturday, August 2, 1924 MORGAN AGENT SEES VICTORY: OF DAWES PLAN Owen D. Young Gleeful at London Meet LONDON, August 1.—Owen D. Young, president of Mor- gan’s General Electric\company and member of the experts committee, triumphantly an- nounced this morning that the Dawes program was winning at the inter-allied conference. “We'll finish up this after- nogn,” he told newspapermen. The Morgan agent made this statement after leaving the British foreign office where he had been in consultation with representatives of the British and the French governments. He holds the belief that the Her. riot compromise proposals have saved the conference from breaking up and saved the Dawes plan for internation. al control of German industry and finance. The opinion is expressed by a majority of the delegates that suf ficient unity will have been achieved by Tuesday next to invite the German representatives. It is expected thai by that time the Anglo-American group will have come to some kind of an agreement with the French on the disputed issues, chief among which is the question of the amount of administrative control which shal. still remain with the French-con trolled reparations commission. The dispute between the Frenct and their rivals turns on this matte: of the reparations commission. The Herriot compromise leaves most o! the reparations administration in the hands of the old commission: th« proposed tribunal of three, on whict an American would hold the balanc< of power, would have judicial powe: but the administrative organizatior is more important. Revolt Against God Of White Man at Negro Conference (Continued from page 1) strikingly reflects not only the his torical background of all Negrc move ments, but also the trend of the time: —it is a discussicn of religion, anc from a peculiar standpoint. The firs article of the agenda reads: “RELIGIOUS.” “4, Discussing the deification of Jesus as a Black Man of Sorrows. “2. The Canonization of the Vir- gin Mary as a Negress. “3, The Idealization of God as a Holy Spirit, without physical form, but a Creature of imaginary sem- blance of the black race, being of like image and likeness.” Uprooting of Caste System. No one should discard his interes in the organization or in this conven tion because of the first article of th: agenda. Following it will come dis cussions of some of the weighties questions affecting the current hir tory of the world. The question o the liberation of all the darker race from the chains of imperialism, an: the question of the uprooting of th caste system in the United States an: éisewhere, occupy the major portio: of the convention’s time. Communist Speakers Denounce Preparednes: (Continued from page 1) “or Mr. Davis, the paid attorney o the Morgan bank, It is true that w have been given a third choice thi year: Mr. LaFollette, Mr. LaFollett represents the owner of the depar ment store around the corner; he rey resents the cockroach clothing mani facturer in his search for ways an means better to exploit the worker: But the workers cannot permit a hit torically dying class to assume lea ership over the working class, a clas destined in\the near future—neare than you think—to follow the examp! of the Russian working masses in th establishment of a world Soviet Ri public!