Honolulu Record, August 19, 1948, vol. 1 no. 2, p. 4
The Reinecke case is just another effort of Governor Ingram Stainback to control the political situation in the islands. If any person or organization does not do his bidding, the Governor will attempt to destroy him.
This charge was directed at the Governor by Meyer C. Symonds at a mass Hawaii Civil Liberties Committee rally held at Aala Park Sunday night. About 400 people attended to hear four speakers explain the development and significance of the Reinecke hearing now being conducted by the Territorial Commissioners of Public Instruction.
Dr. and Mrs. John Reinecke are public school teachers who were suspended last November on charges of being members of the Communist Party and therefore not possessing "the ideals of democracy."
Board Without Jurisdiction
Attorney Harriet Bouslog, who is defending the Reineckes with Mr. Symonds and Attorney Richard Gladstein of San Francisco, told the gathering that the school board has no legal right to hear the case. This case involves basic constitutional rights of a person, she said, and legally constituted courts are the proper place to try such a case as this.
Both Mrs. Bouslog and Mr. Symonds explained the recent decision of the three-judge court which heard the appeal of the Reineckes to restrain the school board from hearing their case.
At that time the court stated that it cannot take up the case until the defendents [sic] had exhausted all means to obtain a fair hearing from the school board. The attorneys had argued, according to Mr. Symonds, that the members of the school board were prejudiced against the Reineckes and therefore cannot be impartial. The court stated that it saw no reason why the school board would not disqualify itself if its members were proved to be prejudiced.
Mr. Symonds briefly reviewed his two and a half hour presentation at the hearing in which he specifically challenged the qualification of five members of the board, including its chairman to sit in the hearing.
Board Prejudged Case
He again charged the school board as a whole for prejudging the case. He read from a circular which School Superintendent Harold Loper had distributed among the principals which stated that "Communism is the very anthithesis [sic] of democracy." During the hearing last week, Dr. Loper said that the school board— with the exception of Chairman Edward N. Sylva who very recently became a member — had endorsed his circular. Dr. Reinecke who spoke at the rally gave his impression of the "biased and prejudiced" hearing. He said that the board had made up its mind. He spoke highly of the ability of the defense attorneys, particularly Mr. Gladstein. Many times, Dr. Reinecke said, Chairman Sylva ruled according to Attorney General Water Ackerman's objections.
To Smash Unions
Henry Epstein, executive secretary of the United Public Workers of America - CIO in the territory, said the Reinecke case is an attempt of the Big Five, and the Governor to smash the trade unions.
Epstein urged the audience to attend the current hearing in order to find out for themselves and to tell their friends what is actually happening in the courtroom, and what is being reported in the major newspapers here. Steven Murin, chairman of the HCLC, appealed for contribution from the audience for the Reinecke defense fund. In sums of pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and a few dollars, the people from the laboring district gave $42.