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From Socialist Appeal, Vol. IV No. 28, 13 July 1940, p. 4.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
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Gathered to gloat over the whitewashing of fourteen members of the Christian Front, more than two thousand persons packed Brooklyn Prospect Hall to listen to the most frenzied, anti-Semitic, anti-labor outpourings ever heard in New York. |
The meeting was called by the fascist Christian Front under the guise of a “patriotic” July 4th celebration to honor. ex-Magistrate Healy, chief defense counsel for the acquitted fascists, to glorify the acquitted fascists – and to cheer for federal prosecutor Harold M. Kennedy, who tried the case!
The meeting was, started by Thomas Ryan, Christian Front leader of Queens. He, whipped his boisterous audience into lusty cheers as he introduced, one by one, each of the thirteen defendants who had stood trial in Brooklyn Federal Court on charges of conspiracy to overthrow the government and of stealing government ammunition.
John F. Cassidy, national director of the Christian Front, received a standing ovation. He was described by the next speaker, Father Brophy, a Catholic priest, as a Christian martyr.
In describing him as such, Father Brophy was merely following the line laid down by Cassidy himself. His tactic during the whole trial was to camouflage the most virulent attack against the labor movement by dubbing it “defense of Christians who fight Communism.” The essence of his technique, copied from Coughlin, is summed up in the cry he shouted at the trial, “Long Live Christ, the King – Down with Communism.”
By the use of such slogans, the Frontist hoodlums have escaped unpunished for numerous stabbings of innocent Jews, beating of militant workers, provocations against trade union meetings, and confessed armed preparation for assaults on the labor movement.
Father Brophy is pastor of Precious Blood Church in Long Island City. Author of a booklet full of anti-Semitic filth and venom, he has earned, the title of “ideologist” of the Christian Front movement. At the meeting he boasted that Mrs. Helen Titus, foreman of the jury which acquitted the fascists, was his first cousin. That ought to supply no small clue as to how the jury arrived at their verdict.
Macklin Boettger, one of the defendants in the case, boasted that “at least ten members of our jury are going to apply for membership in the Christian Front.” That should surprise only those who don’t know that the prospective jurors were not asked whether they were affiliated with the Christian Front, or were in sympathy with it, or were followers of Father Coughlin. They were merely questioned as to whether they had any sympathy or connection with any of the radical or working class organizations! Mere membership in the American Labor Party was sufficient to disqualify anyone from serving on the jury.
The prosecutor, Harold M. Kennedy, had openly praised the Christian Front as based on “good sound American principles.” No wonder he received such loud cheers from the fascist audience.
No wonder the lawyer for the fascists apologized for him for having prosecuted the fascists!
Two features of the meeting which indicated official sanction by the Brooklyn Diocese of the Catholic Church were the appearance of Patrick Scanlon, editor of the Brooklyn Tablet, official Diocesan organ of Brooklyn, and the music furnished by the band of St. Thomas Acquinas Roman Catholic Church. The Tablet has been the only paper in New York which openly defended the indicted fascists.
The main speaker of the evening was ex-Magistrate Healy, chief defense counsel. He, more than anyone else, wove the lie of the twin menace, “Jews and Communism.” It was he who had raved at the trials that he would like to hang a few thousand Communists from the lamp-posts and shoot others.
The effect of the acquittal has been to encourage the Coughlin-Curran-Cassidy gang to take the offensive against the. working class and racial minorities. Quick upon the heels of the acquittal of the fascists came a brazen demand from Father Curran, President of the International Catholic Truth Society, to “investigate” the reasons why the government indicted the fascists. This demand is addressed to Attorney-General Jackson and its aim is to make scapegoats of lower functionaries in the Civil Service, who are of Jewish origin. In some of the churches, last Sunday, there was discussion of Curran’s letter demanding an investigation. The Brooklyn Tablet publicized the letter.
Social Justice, Coughlin’s mouthpiece, went further than it ever did before in its anti-Semitic incitement.
“Whether the Jews like it or not,” it said, “they will bear more than their brunt for some of their co-racials having used the majesty of government to reap revenge upon a group of men who were intent on saving America from Communism, from Jewish domination and from Semitic ideology.”
The Christian Front is making much capital out of an editorial which appeared in the Chicago Tribune, reactionary, anti-New Deal, anti-labor daily. This editorial justified the acquittals of the Christian Front purely on the issue of a “blow against Communism.”
For the workers, the lesson of the Christian Front trials is clear. No reliance upon the capitalist government to fight Fascism! Only the independent organizations of the working class can successfully combat and conquer Fascism.
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Last updated: 24 May 2019