Open forum, vol. 13, no. 18 (May, 1936)

OPEN FORUM

Free Speech - Free Press - Free Assemblage

Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.- Milton

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Vol. XIil.

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, MAY 2, 1936

No. 18

ee

Police Attack Aericultatal Workers

The Red Squad, deputy sheriffs, police

officers and vigilantes of Los Angeles are

again engaged in their customary acts of

terrorism against striking workers. The

association of Japanese, Mexican, Filipino

and American agricultural workers have

peen out on strike for increase in wages

and recognition of their union since April

99, So far all acts of violence or destruc-

ton of property have been by officers

sworn to enforce the laws of the State of

California.

On Saturday, eight men were badly beat-

en, cut and bruised about the head after

being set upon by the Red Squad with clubs

and fists. As the injured men proceeded

home after this onslaught, they were again

sized by the Red Squad, dragged~up a

nearby hill and beaten. Several suffered

broken ribs and several arms were either

badly hurt and bruised or fractured.

On Sunday, April 26, a group of pickets

sanding in a picket line were ordered by

ificers to move along, and before they had

hen given time to comply with this order

ihe police, deputy sheriffs and Red Squad

opened fire with gas: guns. -A Filipino,

Victor Gonzales, while standing on Cen-

tnela Blvd., a public highway, was shot by

a police officer standing about 14 feet be-

hind him, the charge entering the heel of

his left foot.

There were about 85 strikers and pickets

gathered in the picket line at the time of

the attack by the peace officers with gas

guns and clubs. Feliz Lopez, a Mexican

_ Worker, was shot in the chest by a peace

officer's gas gun from a distance of eight to

ten feet. His chest was badly burned and he

was blinded by the gas. It was necessary

for his companions to lead him back to

camp. How serious the damage to his eyes

ly remains to be seen. He was also beaten

about the chest with night clubs.

An old man of 50 or 60 years of age, one

of the strikers was hit on the head with a

club and a gash of 4 to 5 inches cut in the

Side and top of his head. He was taken to

the Culver City hospital in a serious con-

dition and has since been taken home. He

still in serious condition. A woman, wife

of a striker, about 45 years of age, suf-

ered injuries at the hands of the peace

oiicers and an arm was broken, fractured

or very badly sprained.

he strikers are practically marooned in

"r camp at Venice, and when they at-

`mpt to leave camp in any of their old

a they are followed by the police officers

N autos,

ae officers have attempted to force the

Bn eurors into the curb or into a telephone

(c) on several occasions and have caused

Wreck of three of the workers' cars.

eral more have been pursued and have

"en able to escape.

euro demands of the strikers have been

a j e,.e

of the: Increase in wages and recognition

mey ie union. One of the growers, Mes-

ions wus Some 200 acres under cultiva-

io

with t the Venice area, has already signed

an ho (c) union for a minimum of 30 cents

ur and a closed shop.

fet ikers are particularly in need of

thaing (c) carry on their strike. They are

~ ning soup kitchens for the workers,

but supplies are low. All persons desiring

to contribute money or food for the cause

of this union and for the cause generally of

workers, and against the use of police vio-

lence by employers, should send their con-

tributions to 128 North Main Street, Los

Angeles, headquarters of the union. This

is a practical way in which American cit-

izens who disapprove of police violence on

behalf of employers can demonstrate their

belief in the principles upon which this

country was founded.

SENTENCING OF THREE

CHILDREN FOR REFUSAL

TO SALUTE FLAG APPEALED

A judicial decision, separating three

school children in Massachusetts from their

family and sentencing them to the County

Training School for refusing on religious

grounds to salute the flag, will be appealed

by the Civil Liberties Union, if necessary

to the Supreme Court of the United States,

Roger N. Baldwin, director, declared at

Northampton.

The children, whose family belong to

Johovah's Witnesses who hold that the law

of God forbids saluting the flag, were dis-

charged from school more than two months

ago. Charges of delinquency were brought

against them and they were sentenced

April 17 by Judge W. Mason of North-

ampton, Mass. The father was fined $20

in the case. The children's names and ages

are Dominick Opielouski, 15; Sophie

Opielouski, 12; and Anna Opielouski, 10.

They will live with their family at South

Belchertown until the appeal has been set-

tled.

While there are cases in many states in-

volving the right of children of Jehovah's

Witnesses to refuse to salute the flag and

still secure a public school education, this

is the first time a judge has ordered child-

ren who put loyalty.to God above loyalty to

state separated from their parents and

committed to a juvenile institution, the Un-

ion declared. The decision is a shocking

violation of the religious freedom guaran-

ties of the constitution.

Reflecting local indignation against this

decision, an Opielouski Defense Commit-

tee was formed representing civil rights

and religious organizations. A thorough

investigation of the incident was promptly

conducted for the Massachusetts Civil Lib-

erties Committee by Prof. and Mrs. Colston

Warne of Amherst College, David Boyd of

the Student Union, and Richard Merritt of

the College Christian Association. Their

report says that the Opielouski family is an

unusually harmonious one and the children

intelligent and of high character. The

father, Ignace Opielouski, came from Po-

land 35 years ago. He has lived for many

years on a sixteen acre farm in South

Belchertown and worked as a dyer ina

local factory. There are nine children in

all, the three youngest being the ones in-

volved in the present proceedings. Until

a year and a half ago the family attended

the Roman Catholic Church. Having join-

ed Jehovah's Witnesses, they have tried

enthusiastically to seek other converts in

what is a predominantly Catholic com-

munity.

CAMPAIGN TO REPEAL C. S.

LAW GETS UNDER HEADWAY

San Francisco, Calif., April 22. A sig-

nature collecting campaign to repeal the

California Criminal Syndicalism Act was

launched today as a result of the action

taken by 3438 delegates representing 231

trade unions, fraternal, church, unemploy-

ed and political organizations at the state-

wide Conference for Repeal of the Crimi-

nal Syndicalism Act held at Sacramento,

April 19. (It will be observed that these

figures vary from those which we gave you

last week in an article on the conference.

We were quoting from persons who attend-

ed the gathering and assumed that they

gave us correct information. Later reports

indicate that 109 trade unionist delegates

were present, representing over 100,000

members of unions.)

The delegates, representing more than

300,000 organized Californians, voted to

collect two hundred thousand signatures by

June 5 through committees to be set up in

their organizations and local communities

and to support the campaign for the free-

dom of the three young women and five

men who are serving prison terms under

the Criminal Syndicalism Act for organiz-

ing and leading in successful strikes Cali-

fornia's agricultural and cannery workers.

Assemblyman Paul A. Richie of San

Diego delivered the keynote speech at the

Conference. He declared that repeal of

the law by the State Legislature is not pos-

sible because of the reactionary Senate and

endorsed the initiative method to remove

from the statutes the law that is con-

demned as anti-labor by the California

Federation of Labor and hundreds of other

groups. He was followed by labor and

progressive leaders from all sections of Cal-

ifornia.

Leo Gallagher, labor attorney, told the

delegates that they were making history

and that the protection of the Constitution-

al guarantees and the opposition to Fascist

inroads on the rights of the people can only

-be carried on by the organized, united

watchfulness and activity of all labor and

progressive organizations. He warned the

Conference that the powerful financial and

employing interests of the state were deter-

mined on a program to lower the people's

living standard through the use of the Crim-

inal Syndicalism Act to destroy unions and

other worker's organizations.

The delegates voted to oppose for pub-

lic office all candidates who do not favor

immediate repeal of the Criminal Syndical-

ism Act and planned a campaign of mass

meetings, radio broadcasts and demonstra-

tions to orgainze public opinion for the re-

peal of the Act and the freedom of all con-

victed under it.

Resolutions were passed calling for the

immediate freedom of all labor and politi-

cal prisoners, for a complete investigation

of the violation of civil rights and the use of

labor spies in the Sacramento Criminal

Syndicalism Act trial and for the immed-

late release of the Modesto maritime work-

ers and the Scottsboro boys.

More than 300 observers were present at

the Conference in addition to the delegates,

and hundreds of visitors were unable to

attend due to lack of room in the hall. Bus

caravans and private automobile parties

transported the delegates to and from

Sacramento for the Conference.

As 177,000 signatures must be secured to

put the C. S. Repeal Measure on the No-

vember ballot-and twenty to thirty thou-

sand more ought to be gathered, in order

(Continued on Page 2)

GEIL IS PULL AR SLE OLA L LENE NLS IEL ED IODA 5/2 BEALE LONG 1

7 BTID FON GORDO Fic! LP ICME Ne NAG ODA

SW ass pan ae eS:

THE OPEN FORUM

Published every Saturday at 624 American Bank

Building, 129 West Second Street

Los Angeles, California, by the Southern California

Branch of The American Civil Liberties Union.

Phone: TUcker 6836

Clinton J. Taft

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Upton Sinclair Kate Crane Gartz

Doremus Scudder A. L. Wirin

Leo Gallagher Ethelwyn Mills Ernest Besig

John Packard Edwin P. Ryland

Editor

Subscription Rates-One Dollar a Year, Five Cents

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Hintered as second-class matter Dec. 13, 1924, at the

post office of Los Angeles, California, under the

Act of March 3, 1879.

LOS ANGELES, CALIF., MAY 2, 1936

COLORADO FOLLOWS SUIT

Following in the lead of California, Col-

orado now has established its border patrol.

The technique is slightly different, how-

ever. Instead of the chief of police of Den-

ver or some other large Colorado city send-

ing his patrolmen out away beyond his

jurisdiction, as Chief Davis did here, the

Governor of the state, E. C. Johnson, has

ordered martial law along the Colorado-

New Mexico boundry for three hundred

and sixty miles and has called out the Na-

tional Guard to see that his order is ob-

served.

The purpose of the move, it is said, is to

prevent indigents from crossing into Col-

orado from New Mexico to secure jobs in

the sugar beet fields or to become possible |

dependents upon charity. Five National

Guard camps have been set up along stra-

tegic highways and the Governor declares

he will keep the troops on duty as long as

is necessary to prevent ``an invasion of

work and relief seekers.'"' Busses, local

trains, automobiles and trucks are stopped,

and people aboard these are examined as

to "financial stability' before they are al-

lowed to enter the state. Nineteen have

been detained as prisoners under the Gov-

ernor's orders. And now the patrol has

been extended to include the border ad-

joining Oklahoma and the State of Kansas.

The principle involved, it will be seen, is

`the same as that in California, and the

same constitutional provisions as to free-

dom of travel are being violated. The

time may come when one will need a pass-

port to travel from state to state in this

"land of the free."

MAVERICK ATTACKS `RED RIDER'

AT UNION'S ANNUAL MEETING

Declaring that the worst violation of civil

rights in the country today was in the na-

tion's capitol, Congressman Maury Maver-

ick, Democrat of Texas, guest of honor at

the American Civil Liberties Union's six-

teenth annual dinner meeting in New York

City, called for the repeal of the so-called

"Red Rider" which requires all teachers in

the District of Columbia to take a solemn

oath each month that they have not taught

or advocated communism. Mr. Maverick,

a member of the American Legion and the

Veterans of Foreign Wars, predicted that

the repealer of this oath law, the Sisson

Bill, H. R. 11375, would be passed in the

next week.

Speeches urging unity of liberal and la-

bor forces in the fight for democratic rights

were also delivered by Harry F. Ward,

chairman of the Union, and Roger N. Bald-

win, director. Reports were given by

spokesmen for various joint defense com-

mittees with which the Union has cooper-

ated on the status of important civil rights

cases. The meeting concluded with a

panel discussion of all types of attacks on

American liberties. Speakers included

Prof. George S. Counts, of Teachers' Col-

lege, Frank Palmer, editor of the Peoples'

Press, Arthur Garfield Hays and Morris L.

Ernst, general counsel for the Union, Elmer

Rice, dramatist, Osmond K. Fraenkel, coun-

sel for the New York City Civil Liberties

Committee, Roy Wilkins, assistant secre-

tary of the National Association for the Ad-

vancement of Colored People, and Hey-

wood Broun, President of the Newspaper

Guild of America.

While touching on all aspects of the civil

rights fight in Congress Rep. Maverick de-

voted most attention to the threat to aca-

demic freedom. "Education," he said, ``is

in extreme danger. Teachers' oaths and

persecutions of all kinds go on all over the

United States. In about thirty states there

is some form of unnecessary persecution.

"The worst persecution in the United

States is in the national capitol, where they

have what they call the `Red Rider.' This

requires each teacher to take an oath every

month; minor school officials every two

weeks. Such persecution as this has never

before been known in the history of the

world. Through a staff of thirty research-

ers in the Library of Congress, my own

work, dozens of University professors, we

find there is no such persecutory law on

record in.the history of the world. There

has been persecution through oaths since

time began, but such regular, insistent, and

bitter persecution has never been known,

as I said in the history of the world, includ-

ing Africa and the Orient. It is of outstand-

ing importance, above all other subjects,

that this bill be repealed. If it is not, the

germ of tyranny and persecution will

spread. In fact this `Red Rider' must be

repealed or education will be destroyed in

this country"'

and Kiev.

who will personally conduct them on the tour.

way $35.

Harry If You Would Like to

Visit Europe Next Summer!

(We must have your reservation, with $50 deposit, by May ist)

A 50-Day Trip (from New York to New York), leaving July 11, has been arranged under the

auspices of the Compass Travel Bureau, New York. Eight Countries will be visited-England,

Denmark, Finland, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland and France.

17 DAYS IN RUSSIA-Leningrad, Moscow, Kharkov, Dnieproges, Sevastopol, Yalta, Odessa

CONFERENCES with labor leaders in various cities.

SIGHTSEEING trips in London, Paris, Copenhagen and Prague.

GOOD HOTELS-round trip transportation--hand baggage transferred.

AlJl For Only $420

The S. Calif. delegation is now being organized by Clinton J. Taft, director of the A. C. L. as

Write him at 624 American Bank Bldg., Los

Angeles for circulars and full information concerning the tour.

We are arranging to take our tourists to New York by private autos.

Send in your reservations immediately. Boats going to Europe in July are rapidly filling up.

,

Round trip $50, one

GROWING UNITY OF CIVIL

RIGHTS DEFENDERS WELCOMED

AT A. C. L. U. DNNER IN jy, y

A welcome to the growing unity among

defenders of civil liberties of differe,,

classes and political faiths was expresso _

in a resolution, reviewing the status of centjyj

rights today, passed unanimously at the

Sixteenth Annual Dinner of the America) |

Civil Liberties Union in New York City,

The full resolution said:

"American liberties are subjected today

in the midst of unprecedented econonj |

crisis, to extraordinary attacks by violenc

law, court decisions and ceaseless props,

ganda by organized reaction.

the existing order attack the rights of Ol:

[es :

The force |

`which desire to prevent peaceful change of |

ganized labor, the unemployed, and rag

cal political parties. They seek to discred;

them all by cries of "Communism," "agen

of Moscow," "un-American." All progres.

sive, liberal and labor movements, eye,

New Deal reforms, are subjected to th

same attack.

"On the legal front, these reactionary

influences pretend to be serving America;

democracy by outlawing all advocacies

of "the overthrow of.government by force

and violence."' They champion federal] gag

bills based on this principle. They seek tj

take from the ballot political parties advo. |

They forbid teaching which 9). |

cating it.

legedly involves it. Aliens are deporte

for mere membership in organizations helt |

to believe it. |

"The effect of thus attacking freedon |

of opinion is to defeat the very democrati

process which these `patriots' claim to lr

serving. No penalty can be put upon aly |

doctrine, whatever its character, without.

endangering all freedom of opinion. Th.

Civil Liberties Union mobilizes all defent

ers of American democracy to oppose sutl|

proposals, whatever their form. They ar

in effect an attempt of employers and Te |

actionaries to strike at organization of las |

bor by raising a false issue. For no party

or group advocates any such doctrine a

the overthrow of government by force all

violence, unless it be some Fascist-inspirel |

agency. But the very reactionaries wht!

back this legislation are themselves cor |

stantly inciting and practicing violenc

against labor.

"This increasing resort to force and vit-|

lence by reactionary employers using Vvigi

lantes, mobs, troops, private gunmen ail |

complacent sheriffs and police to do thet!

bidding, is much more serious than the w!:

American and undemocratic gag bills. I!)

the rights of labor to organize, strike, pick |

et and bargain collectively are to be pit

served as an essential to democracy, it cal

be done only by unremitting resitance ti

every form of force and violence, no matte

by whom it is employed.

"We welcome the growing unity amon

the defenders of civil liberty as evidencel

in numerous defense committees. We wel

come those tendencies in the industrial and

political field which are bringing clos?

together the forces resisting a reactiol

which in its acts and attitude reflects the

spirit of Fascism. Only by widespreat

popular resistance can American liberties

be preserved for peaceful change."'

(Continued from Page 1)

to allow for signatures not accepted fo!

various reasons-it is imperative that tht

work start at once and be prosecuted vig

orously by a large number of workelS |

Come or send to the office of the Americal

Civil Liberties Union, 624 American Bath

Bldg., Los Angeles, for blank petitions and

get busy without delay if you are willing"!

help in this huge task.

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