The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 23, 1924, Page 5

“The idea becomes power when it pene- trates the masses.” —Karl Marx. The Changing A® political forces in the United States have been maneuvering for position in the coming presiden- tial election. But within the past few weeks unforseen events have thrown confusion over the scene, bringing well-laid plans to grief and many hopeful candidates heartache. Graft exposures, with ramifications in the various departments of the govern- ment, including the Treasury and Cabinets of two administrations hit- ting republican and democratic par- ties almost equally, are having poli- tical effects that, without touching fundamental issues, are reaching wide and deep. Complicating the sit- uation, a halt in the downward -trend of‘industry of a more,or less tempo- rary nature, is definitely making it- self felt. The Economic Situation. Without doubt the United States is headed towards a deep-going indus- trial crisis. The analysis upon which this judgment is based has been gone over many times and is doubtless cor- | rect, It would be a mistake, how- ever, particularly in judging the ef- fects of this trend upon the political events of this year, to conclude that it will be fully felt in the next few months. Statistics for December and January indicate that this develop- ment is being halted by a temporary counter-movement upward. Evidence that the financial inter- ests, with an eye to the political situ- ation, are stimulating this upward tendency, is seen in the increase in the unfilled orders for steel re- ported in December and January, and in the production of pig iron, while the railroads are still undecided upon the proposed extension and replace- ment program of from $1,000,000,- 000 to $2,000,000,000. The Ford in- dustry announces plant extensions for 1924 amounting to $150,000,000; building ‘permits issued in January, according to a report of S. W. Straus & Co., of Chicago, authorities, show an advance of 10 per cent over a year ago, altho the forecast for the entire year is 10 per cent below 1923. downward, but at a decidedly slower pace, and in view of the development in steel and building may turn up- ward and stand at the present level until next fall and winter. The effect of the stimulation of the basic in- dustries is to buoy up production of general consumption, check the threatening unemployment, slow down the wage-cutting campaign, and relieve the financial pressure upon the middle class (outside agri- culture) which is an important fac- tor in the “third party” movement in the present political struggle. The Political Situation. Thirty days ago the political line- up seemed to be crystallized in fairly definite directions. The republican party was tightly in ‘the grip of fin- ance capital, with Coolidge as the anointed standard bearer; the La- Follette group faced the alternative of complete submission or a_ split. Within the democratic-party a a progressive group was campaign for McAdoo, son-in-law of the late Wo’ draw Wilson, with hopes of cap- t. ang the democratic nomination. ‘The Socialist party (or what is left of it) was in alliance with the Con- ference for Progressive Political Ac- tion, supporters of McAdoo, afraid to cut loose from this last port of ref- uge, and hoping against hope that the C. P. P. A. would break with the capi- talist parties. The Farmer-Labor rty forces, including its extreme left, the Communists in the Workers Party, and its right, the followers of LaFollette outside the republican ranks, had agreed upon a call for a national convention on May 30th. Under pressure of the severe agri- cultural crisis and the threatening breakde~n in ind , the likelihood was — < of a serious in the republican party, aFollette leading the discontented agrarians, pew Heasnociie, and the ge bor movemen Minted party.” "Should MeAdoo then have been defeated in the democratic The general trend is still! Special Magazine Supplement THE DAILY WORKER. amen 050 SECOND SECTION February 23, 1924. This magazine supplement will appear every Saturday in The Daily Worker. ous 0 eemot Political Situation in the U. S. # £4xtRxsrowver convention many. of his followers would have swung over to the LaF ol- lette movement, even including the C. P. PP. A. (led by the railroad un- ion officialdom) if the democratic nominees proved to be distinctly re- actionary. LaFollette was playing very carefully, quite evidently with such a development in mind. During the last half of 1923, and early in January, this was the trend of political development. The eco- nomic upturn, described above, was promising to slow it down a bit, but jno major changes were in prospect, until the rapid succession of graft exposures broke in Washington. ‘There were the disclosures of $800,- 009 “swinnings” of General Leonard Wood’s son on the stock exchange ithru transactions carried on by cable from the Philippines; the uncovering of huge graft in the Veterans’ Bu- reau; the partial disclosure of forg- When Earth was younger mid toil and hunger, In hope we strove, and our hands were strong; us, with words they fed us, And bade us right the earthly wrong. Go read in story their deeds and glory, Theirs names amidst the nameless dead; Turn then from lying to us slow-dying In that good world to which they led; ® Then great men led Where fast and faster our iron master, The thing we made, forever drives, Bids us grind treasure and fashion pleasure For other hopes and other lives. Where home is a hovel and dull we grovel, Forgetting that the world is fair. . Where no hate we cherish, lest its very soul perish; Where mirth is crime, and love a snare. Who now shall lead us, what god shall heed us As we lie in the hell our hands have won. For us are no rulers but fools and befoolers, j The great are fallen, the wise men are gone. Let dead hearts tarry and trade and marry, And trembling nurse their dreams of mirth, While we the living our lives are giving To bring the bright new world to birth. Come, shoulder to shoulder, ere earth The Cause spreads over land and sea; Now the world shaketh, and fear awaketh, And joy at last for thee and One Million Passed His Bier THE VOICE OF TOIL By WILLIAM MORRIS. I heard men saying, Leave hope and praying, All days shall be as all have been; Today and tomorrow bring fear and sorrow, The never ending toil between. I heard men saying, Leave tears and praying, The sharp knife heedeth not the sheep; Are we not stronger than the rich and the wronger, When day breaks over dreams and sleep? Come, shoulder to shoulder, ere the world grows older! Help lies in nought but thee and me; Hope is before us, the long years that bore us Bore leaders more than men may be. ‘ ery of millions in Liberty Bonds in the Treasury Department; and the culmination, the Teapot Dome naval reserve oil scandals, with revelation of wholesale purchase of cabinet members and a thousand rumors -of shady transactions in all parties and circles of the bourgeoisie. All po- litical alignments were thrown into confusion and a mad scrambe began. Political “prophets” in many camps, froni the liberal Villard, and the socialists, Berger and Hillquit, to labor leaders in the Farmer-Labor movement, hailed the storm as a sig- nal for the LaFollette split in the republican party. The “third party’ was inevitable, so they thought; only a miracle could prevent it. One and all they put their hopes upon LaFol- lette leading all the forces of revolt to Armageddon in November. But politics is not so simple, and the men who lead various sections of grows older! Cd me. P ae ~~ ~ yer Ais the Workers and Farmers of Soviet Russia Last Saw the Face of Their Dead*Comrade. Pen. me pn eee nz nanbururenmenrpuesan the labor and farmer forces are not so courageous, that a large break- away from the republican and demo- cratic parties can be prophesied safely. LaFollette did not announce his adhesion to the Muy 30th Con- yention in St. Paul; on the contrary he inspired a move to postpone that gathering. The Conference for Pro- gressive Political Action did not en- dorse McAdoo, because of his newly acquired oil taint, but neither did it commit itself either to LaFollette or to May 30th, and its vague talk of a “third party” was evidently but a stop-gap to fill in a lack of any policy. The net results of the Teapot bomb seem to be: McAdoo was seriously damaged, and his labor following is now wavering uncertainly between him and LaFollette; his chances of the democratic nomination aré not so good as they were. ° LaFollette has received new hopes of becoming the republican nominee, and thus a re- publican president, thru the blow de- livered Coolidge by the scandals; the chance of his splitting has been re- duced to the extent that the republi- ean machine has been demoralized by the shake-up. LaFollette is di- recting all his forces toward obtain- ing the republican nomination in June; or failing in this to get con- cessions in the shape of platform planks that will satisfy his followers, he is the one candidate in the capi- talist parties that gained strength from the Teapot being spilled. Within the Labor Movement. Until February 12th, the Farmer- Labor Convention agreed upon for May 30th, at St. Paul, was the only rallying center for the organizations wishing to unite for the presidential election against the republican and democratic parties. The elimination of McAdoo, who was slated for the endorsement of the Conference for Progressive Political Action on that date in St. Louis, created the situa- tion that forced the “progressive” leaders on February 12th, to talk of a “third party” and call a conference in Cleveland, for July 4th, “to con- sider the question of presidential candidates.” Critical Situation. ° This has created a dangerous situa- tion for the Farmer-Labor movement. Both the LaFollette and McAdoo forces are now out to knife the May 30th convention, wishing to use the threat of a later split to force con- sideration for their old-party con- ventions, and hoping to split the Farmer-Labor forces and drag away sections for the republican or demo- cratic party if LaFollette or Mc- Adoo obtain nomination. There is little guarantee that July 4th will be anything but another great betrayal of the farmers and workers, and there are many new reasons to expect that it will be such a betrayal. Dangerous as the situation is for the Farmer-Labor movement, it forces one development that is fav- jorable for the left-wing. All the elass-conscious elements among the workers and farmers can be made to see the great danger and to fight for the holding of the May 30th conven- tion as the only safeguard and guar- antee of the Farmer-Labor movement against betrayal, while the door to July 4th can still be left open for the possibility of that gathering break- ing with the old parties. Thus we are naw witnessing, in the line-up for and against May 80th, the be- ginning of the true class division be- tween the representatives of the Farmer-Labor class party on the one hand, and the petty-bourgeois and cavitalist-lackey elements on the other. The struggle for a class party of the farmers and workers in the United States has thus, due in large measure to the effects of the Teapot being upset and dripping oil over the political landscape, becomes-a fight against postponement of the May 80th convention in St. Paul. The date, fortuitously selected last No- vember, becomes a historic one in the political history of Labor.