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Labor Is Undefended in Congress Price Fight

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Labor Is Undefended in Congress Price Fight Oral Argument On Minneapolis Appeal to Be Heard On Nov. 5 I Oral argument on the appeal in the Minneapolis lahoV “con­ spiracy” trial of 18 Socialist Workers Party and CIO members will be heard on November 5 in the Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, the Civil Rights Defense Committee announced this week. THE MILITANT Attorneys Osmund Frankel of the American Civil Liberties Union and Albert Goldman will present the argument for the PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE defense. Decision will probably be handed down several weeks after the hearing. VOL.. V I.—No. 40 NEW YORK, N. Y„ SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1942 The defense contention is that the Smith “Gag” Act, under FIVE (5) CENTS which the Minneapolis defendants were found guilty, is uncon­ stitutional; the defense also contends that even if the law is con­ stitutional, it was not applied in a constitutional manner in this British Attack Indian Masses case. The latter contention is made on the grounds that there is Labor Is Undefended In no proof in the record of the prosecution’s case that the cir­ cumstances under which the alleged conspiracy was entered into created any danger of the overthrow of the government, or the creation of insubordination in the army, as is claimed by the government. The defense attorneys contend that the “clear and Congress Price Fight present danger” doctrine applies to the Smith Law, while the government takes the contrary position. u The defense also argues that the Socialist Workers Party I'New Leader' Story does not advocate violence, but simply predicts that the capitalist Wage-Freezing Is minority will not permit the majority to take power and will Reactionary Congressmen Try ;On Leon Trotsky's use violence to prevent the majority from doing so, and that | Assassin Refuted Supported By All consequently the workers should prepare to defend their right to : THE MILITANT has been take power. To Prevent Vote On Poll Tax ; authoritatively informed from Congress Groups The Givil Rights Defense Committee, official defense agency Labor Forces M ust Protest Against Threat ; Mexico that the story of the of the 18 convicted in Minneapolis, is appealing for funds to ! trial of “Frank Jacson,” GPU finance the appeal of the convictions, which may have to go Of Filibusters and Technical Maneuvers ; assassin of Leon Trotsky, Farm Bloc And before the U. S. Supreme Court. Funds should be sent to the ; which was printed in the Sept. By ALBERT PARKER Administration Aim , Committee at 160 Fifth Avenue, New York City. ! 5 New Leader and picked up ’ by Labor Action, is unfounded Blows at Workers Police use tear gas to attack After many years of efforts to pass anti-poll tax legisla­ a mass meeting in Bombay, tions, it now appears that the House of Representatives may vote ; and false. By JOSEPH ANDREW S India, which was called to pro­ this month on the Geyer b ill introduced last year. There is also The New Leader article by test the arrest of the All-India the possibility that the U. S. Senate may get a chance to vote Paul Castelar claimed that at SEPT. 29. — The debate in Negroes Vote To Set Up Congress leaders and to demand the conclusion of a “secret the Senate on Roosevelt’s so- on similar legislation, the Pepper bill, which also would prohibit that India be granted its inde­ the payment of poll taxes as a requirement for voting in all elec­ Mexican trial” the assassin called anti-inflation bill devel-> pendence. The toll of Indians tions for federal office. ------------------------------------------------- had been sentenced to 23 years oped this week into a clash be­ murdered in the last two When the Geyer bill was first imprisonment. tween the administration sup­ A Militant Organization months is admitted by the Brit­ a filibuster to prevent a vote on introduced, it was referred to the There have been no new de­ porters and the Farm Bloc. ish authorities to be at least the bills. Unless the bills are House Judiciary Committee, acted on and go thru both Houses velopments in the Jacson case, While the Senate haggled over Detroit Conference of March-On-Washington Movement Decides 800. Thousands others have which is dominated by the poll of Congress before the end according to information in the farm prices, not one voice was been wounded and arrested for taxers, and it was buried there. To Establish A Permanent Organ ization to Fight Jim Crowism of the year, they are auto­ possession of T H E M IL I­ raised in protest against the asking for freedom. (Federated To bring it out of this commit­ photo.) matically killed, and the whole T A N T ; the assassin’s trial has granting of dictatorial author­ By ART PREIS tee for a vote by the House re­ long, wearisome, difficult job of not been concluded, and no ver­ ity to Roosevelt to freeze wages, See Page 4 for an editorial quired the signature of 218 getting it on the floor might have DETROIT, Sept. 27. — Taking a historic step forward in the struggle for democratic as embodied in the measures on India and the United States. Representatives to a discharge to be begun again next January dict has been announced by the rights for the oppressed 13,000,000 Negro Americans, 63 delegated representatives of the Ne­ passed in Congress last week. petition. This number of signa­ 1 when the new Congress takes judicial authorities. An article gro March-On-AVashington Movement at a policy conference held here yesterday and today tures has now been secured as its seats. from Mexico on the present Nor was a single voice heard in Congress in defense of the voted to establish a permanent national organ ization, based on a program of mass action, “to the result of pressure exerted by The filibuster is a favorite status of the case will be print­ fight to abolish discrimination, segregation and Jim Crow now, before the war ends.” Army Arbitrarily labor, Negro and liberal organiza­ device of the Southern Demo­ ed in a coming issue of this real interests of the exploited farm laborers and poor farmers, The m ilitant delegates, representing local March-On-VVashington Committees in New tions. crats, and has been used by them paper. York, Chicago. St. Louis, Washington,' D. C „ Detroit, Flint, Mich., and Tampa, Florida and Fires Unionists Meanwhile, the Pepper hill is to defeat such legislation as anti­ whose substandard incomes New Orleans in the Deep South, set as their immediate organizational goal the mobilization still bottled up in the Senate lynch bills, etc. There is little would not be greatly affected one Judiciary Committee, although doubt that they would resort to way or the other by the farm of a million Negro men and women. They drafted a provisional constitution; established a promises have been made by some price bills under debate. provisional national executive board of 13; worked out a broad plan for building local units In Buick Plant it, or threaten the administration of its members that it will soon with it, if they couldn’t destroy The difference between the and conducting immediate mass struggles on a local seal throughout the country; and set in Precedent Could Be be brought before the Senate as New Jersey SWP Roosevelt supporters and the motion machinery for a giant national conven tion to be convened in Chicago the week of the anti-poll tax bills any other as a whole. way. Farm Bloc on farm prices revolv­ May 1, 1943. j Used to Undermine But the enemies of the poll tax ed around the point at which par­ The planned convention, to be composed of elected representatives from the local units,| All Union Activity must be under no illusions. ADMINISTRATION ROLE Plans 3 Election ity prices would be set. The Farm w ill establish a permanent organization set-up, amend and ra tify the constitution, elect* The poll tax forces still intend There is also the strong possi­ Bloc derhanded a bill which would permanent officers and determine^ 'Lite reactionary Arm y officer a fight to the last ditch and they bility that the Roosevelt ad­ Radio Broadcasts in effect have set farm prices at if and when a national N egror caste took a step toward mili­ are prepared to resort to every ministration might interfere to 112% of parity. The administra­ technical trick and political device mass march on Washington shall tary rule in industry last week, sink the bills if the poll taxers N EW AR K, N. J „ Sept. 28— tion bill would set farm prices on October 12, when the bill take place next summer. Willkie Reveals Extent when the A ir Plant Protection demanded it. The administration The Campaign Committee of at 100% parity, with a provision should be called up, and there­ that Roosevelt could at his dis­ The resolutions adopted at the Office ordered the permanent has always leaned heavily on George Breitman, Socialist conference, the discussion of the after: their support in its Congressional Workers Party candidate for cretion raise the parity figure on Of Soviet Union Losses black-listing of two union lead­ the basis of “increased labor delegates and the key-note state­ POLL TAX TRICKS disputes as well as at elections. U. S. Senator from New Jer­ ers in the Buick aluminum Roosevelt, who briefly stated costs.” ment of A. Philip Randolph, N a­ By JOHN G. W RIGHT 1. A resolution attached to the sey, announced today that it foundry in Flint, Michigan, on early this year that he had never tional Director of the MOWM Geyer bill provides that its has arranged three broadcasts Senator Reed of Kansas cor- The Stalinist campaign for in Nazi hands.
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