Hellraisers Journal: Ricardo & Enrique Magón Jailed, Defense League Organized in Los Angeles

Submitted by JayRaye on Wed, 06/08/2016 - 12:41pm

We are free, truly free, when
we don't need to rent our arms to anybody
in order to be able to lift
a piece of bread to our mouths.
-Ricardo Flores Magón

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Thursday June 8, 1916
From the International Socialist Review: Magón Brothers Jailed

Ricardo y Enrique Flores Magón, ab 1914, archivomagon dot net.png

From the International Socialist Review of June 1916:

Mexican Editors Jailed—Charged with having used the mails "to incite murder, arson and treason," Ricardo Flores Magon and his brother, Enrique Flores Magon, editors of "El Regeneracion," a paper published in Los Angeles in the interests of free land and free men in Mexico, recently have been arrested and jailed. This is the third time the Magons have faced the penitentiary, for twice they have been convicted of breaking the neutrality laws and have served terms in the state prison of Arizona and the federal penitentiary on McNeil's Island. In a revolutionary career of twenty years, ten of which have been spent in the United States, they have passed more than five years behind the bars.

Justice and not bullets, is what ought to be meted out to the revolutionists of Texas; and from now on we should demand that the persecutions of innocent Mexicans should cease. And as to the revolutionists, we should also demand that they be not executed. The ones who should be shot are the 'rangers' and the band of bandits who accompany them in their depredations. Enough of reforms! What we hungry people want is entire liberty based on economic independence. Down with the so-called rights of private property; and as long as this evil right continues to exist we shall remain under arms. Enough of mockery!

These utterances constitute the counts against the Magons; and these, with one or two others of a similar nature, are quoted in the grand jury indictment against them. And for this they face from two to five years in the penitentiary!

In answer to this campaign of suppression a Workers' International Defense League of Los Angeles has been organized. The league has taken charge of the Magon case and has set itself to put up the heavy bail of $10,000 demanded by the court for the temporary release of the prisoners, and to raise the greatly needed funds for their defense. Attorneys Ryckman and Kirk have been engaged as counsel, both of them veterans in fighting the battles of the workers—the latter, indeed, having served six months in jail for his activities in the San Diego free speech fight. The treasurer of the league is J. D. Kaufman, 621 American Bank Building, Los Angeles.

[From "News and Views" section.]
[Photograph added.]