See:
Leo P. Ribuffo, The Old Christian Right: The Protestant Hard Right from the Great Depression to the Cold War, (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1983).
----- Original Message -----
From: Gary Bramstedt
To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2000 10:49 PM
Subject: Re: CNN on CPUSA
Chris Burford wrote:
The follow report from the CNN website does not look wholly unfair or
inaccurate even though it ends in a patronising fashion.
The biggest weakness I could see is it does not mention McCarthyism.
Is it obviously incorrect on any point?
Chris Burford
London
Congress passed the Smith Act in 1940 -- making it unlawful to advocate the
violent overthrow of the U.S. government. That statute was used against
leaders of the Socialist Workers Party and fascist organizations before
World War II -- and against the CPUSA during the postwar years.
glb:
Was the Smith Act ever used retroactively?
It certainly was not applied to the attempt to "nulify" the FDR presidency in the '30's. Congress investigated but they found that the DuPont family, Morgan Bank, and others of that kind, were some of the main instigators. The DuPonts, with their contol of Remington Arms, were willing to supply the weapons. End of investigation; George Seldes (if I remember correctly my reading of "Plot to Seize the White House" by Jules Archer) salvaged the hearing's records, which were to be destroyed.
If I may opine, I would guess that the Smith Act was not used very often against fascist activities.
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