The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 17, 1924, Page 7

SP sine dnnccaneinaseaitacmmnaninntinedatamaeie Revival By J. RAMIREZ. PPARENTLY “Silent Cal” Cool- idge does not know his American history very well. And it is perhaps best for his peace of mind. Other- wise he might see what happened 74 years ago to John Adams, the second President of the United States, of what is going to happen to him. Adams was like Coolidge in many ways, altho a far bigger man from whatever angle you look at him. Like Coolidge, he wasa tool of the money- ed interests. He was almost as taci- turn as “Silent Cal,” and he had the same mean-looking mouth. In the year 1798, the reactionary Adams Administration forced thru Congress a series of laws known as the Alien Sedition Acts. These mea- sures looked so much like our pres- ent-day “Criminal Syndicalist laws” and “Anti-Alien bills” that it is clear they belong to the same family tree. Two years later, the Adams Admin- istration fell with a crash, dragging down the whole bloated structure of “Federalism” with it. Thomas Jef- ferson and the “Democratis-Republi- cans” were swept into power on the crest of what has become famous in American history as “the great Demo- cratic revolution of 1800.” Jefferson’s principal slogan was: “Down with the Alien and Sedition Acts!” and the American people rallied to this slogan en masse, notwithstanding the lying propaganda of the kept press of the day. There were other import- ant, and perhaps more fundamental, conditions in Jefferson’s victory over the Federalists, but the Alien and Se- dition Acts were certainly a potent factor. The Federalists were the Sinclairs and Denbys and Senator Falls of President Adams’ day. They repre- sented (and practiced) “high finance.” They stood for what Adams describ- ed as government by “the educated and propertied few.” They had no faith in the common people. The Federalist Party ruled the country from the establishment of the Con- stitution to the so-called Jeffersonian revolution of 1800. “The predominance of the Federal- ists in Congress, and in the country,” says the noted historian J.-S. Bas- sett, “suggested to the leaders of the Party that they might do what they pleased. It was a temptation of pow- er to which the wisest of them yield- ed. Their idea that government should be in the hands of the capable classes might now, for the first time They planned a concerted attack against the farming and poorer ur- ban classes and, naturally, they did not fail to make use of the bogey- man of “un-Americanism” to further their dark, aristocratic, un-American, Restrictive laws against the work- ers and farmers always seem to go hand in : laws had given this privilege to aliens resident in the country 5 years. It was now enacted that foreigners who wanted to become citizens would have to prove they had been in the country 14 years, and would have to make a declaration of intention 5 years be- fore sending in their final applica- tion. 34 By means of the vicious Alien Acts, the foreign-born masses were dis- criminated against in many ways. “Se- lective immigration” was proclaimed, as well as other similar schemes that are being revived now. There was also the Sedition Act. “The Sedition Act,” says Bassett, i 5 2 s 5 FS : of Alien Sedition Laws or aliens who, too severely criticized the government.” Like the Alien Acts, it originated in the Senate, where Federalism was rampant. In reading over John Adams’ Se- dition Act, one is struck by the startl- ing resemblance to the Michigan “Criminal Syndicalist” Law, under which W. Z. Foster and Charles E. Ruthenberg have been persecuted— and, indeed, to many other State Cri- minal Syndicalism Laws thruout the country. Im its final shape, it made it a high misdemeanor . “unlawfully to combine and conspire” or “to com- mit, advise, or attempt to procure any insurrection and riot, or unlawful assembly, or combination.” Under such a law, the powers that be could jail a class-conscious worker for almost anything—whieh is also the case under our contemporary as- sortment of Criminal Syndicalist laws. Ten persons, all of whom of course, belonged to an _ opposition party, were tried and convicted under the Sedition Act. Many others were indicted but not tried. ‘The political effect of these cases was to make popular martyrs of those whom the government was persecuting. The state legislators of Kentucky and Vir- ginia passed strong resolutions of protests, the Kentucky Legislature de- claring that it would refuse to recog- nize the law. On all sides, the ab- horrent Alien and Sedition Acts were denounced as um-constitutional and as a violation of the elementary rights of free speech and free assembly. In- dignation among the enraged people ran high. The Federalist Party tried to de- stroy the effect of the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions by insinuating that they were all part of a French plot—the French plot theory being an expedient which the adroit Feder- alists could employ on any occasion. But, Bassett tells us, “The imputa- tion of a French plot could not be sustained by the Federalists. The public realized that the issue was the Alien and Sedition Laws and back of them was the consolidating ten- dency of Federalism.” The results were seen in the out- come of -the election of 1800. “Silent Cal” Coolidge is in high fa- vor in the Republican Party today. He fs without peer, as a servant of Wall Street and consequently, he is without peer as candidate for the Re- publican presidential nomination. He has given his approval to Mr. John- son’s “Alien Bilf’ and has expressed himself as decidedly pleased with Mr. Sterling’s “Sedition Bill.” It was as a leading member of his Cabinet that the underworld character, Harry M. Daugherty planned his brutal raid on the convention of the Communist, Par- ty in Berrfen County, Michigan, in- dicting Foster, Ruthenberg, Dunne and 29 associates. Ruthenberg’s ap- peal, which is being financed by the Labor Defense Council, will soon be heard. For precisely the same reasons that the leaders of the Republican Party are so unanimously back of Coolidge for President, the workers and poor farmers are solidly against him, The toiling masses of today are no less determined to fight for the elemen- tary rights of free speech ant free assembly than their ancestors were in 1800; they will refuse to allow their unions to. be weakened by a “selec- tive immigration” which would “se- lect” those docile workers making good scabs, and exclude all those who might add to the fighting power of the American labor movement. There may well be a “revolution of 1924” comparable to “the great democratic revolution” which put an end to Federalism. I do not, of course, refer to a thorogoing revolution, in the sense of a complete overturn of society; Jefferson’s triumph in 1800 was not that either. Nor do I wish to draw any serious parallel between 1800 and 1924, except the obvious one of the Alien and Sedition Acts—altho other points of similarity might well be urged. The anti-alien (Johnson) and anti- labor (Sterling) bills before Congress typify the present period of Wall Street rule. They are not specifically Coolidge’s, for they follow on the heels of the Espionage and Criminal Syndicalist Laws of Woodrow Wil- son’s term. wvpposition to the resur- rected Alien and Sedition Acts her- alds the downfall of Republicans and Democrats alike. Already the Farm- er-Labor forces are forming every- where. MAY DAY, 1924 - - NCE more May day is here. Once more the earth will’ tremble with the sound of the march of the working masses all over the world. May Day is here. The Workers’ Day of Freedom has come. May Day, what hope it brings forth, how great is it# significance. The day of the revolu- tionary working class the world over. From China to Russia, from America to the farthermost corner of Europe, May Day will see the proletariat marching with its slogan, “Down with International Capitalism,” “Up with the rule of the Workers.” The working masses of Europe, Asia and America are completely un- der the heel of international capital- ism which is grinding them down to lower levels. The capitalist structure has collapsed economically and is only able to exist by the naked suppression of the workers, afid forcing them to accept living conditions which means for them a life of starvation and g s : B 2 & § é ; jugate them to the capitalist program. That is the meaning of the Dawes re- port, which is so heartily supported by the -copitalist press. This report which has so readily been approved by the liberals and the yellow socialists the world over, the traitors who have so long deceived the workers is noth- ing but a program to force the Ger- man workers to greater exploitation so that they will provide not only profit for German capitalism but also pay reparations to the Allies. If the German working class can be smash- ed politically and their organizations annihilated, a great step towards the enslavement of the world working class will have been achieved. The White Terror is triumphant and reigns supreme over the fallen bedy of the proletariat. In Germany, Finland, Roumania, Poland, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Greece, and other European countries, the naked dicta- torship of the capitalist class is open- ly exercised crushing every attempt of the workers to maintain their con- ditions. The social democrats, the heroes of the Second International, as well as the trade union bureaucrats, have openly sold out to the capitalist class. In spite of the misery of the masses, in spite of their poverty and wretchedness, they openly preach sub- mission to the capitalist regime, and crush any attempt to organize resist- Yes, the White Terror is supreme at least on the surface, but the work- back of the workers. By increas-|€rs are stirring everywhere and are the ing hours and cutting wages im all | | again beginning to fight the capitalist class openly. A new wave of militancy is sweeping the world, and the work- ing class is once more preparing its forces for battle. In Great Britain mass strikes swept the country, which have been partially successful and which were prevented from realizing their full demand by By ERNST ETTLINGER. the action of the trade union leaders and the Labor Party. In Europe and America the ferment is at work, and the masses are desperately trying to unite forces against the common enemy. With the approach of May Day, the workers are once more showing their militancy and their determination to overthrow capitalism. May Day 1924 in spite of the White Terror and re- action raging spells hope to the work- ers and death to the capitalist dicta- torship. In one country, however, there will be a May Day different from that of ony other country, a day of rejoicing, a day of real celebration. In Russia there will be a May Day which will symbolize all the hopes of the workers the world over. May Day this year will find Russia well on the road of economic reconstruction. When the Russian workers and peasants cel- ebrate this year, they will, with pride be able to point out to the world their achievements, and how in spite of suf- fering and sacrifice they are laying down the foundation for the Commu- nist society. Russia having smashed capitalism is now turning all her energy to build up her economic sys- tem and rgise the material well be- ing of the masses. Im spite of hav- ing no aid from the outside, Russia is today the most stable country in Europe, and the only one where the position of the workers is constantly becoming better. Yes, there will be great demonstrations in Russia this year, demonstrations symbolizing the achievements of the past year as well as embodying the hopes of the future. Great meetings will take place in that country pledging the energy and strength of the Russian workers to aid the revolutionary workers the world over in their struggle against capitalism. at and Po E ished in Soviet Russia. are in Russia now to arrange for a suitable = Our delegates farm for this Commune. HUTT TT HERALD COMMUNE rise on a Collective Basis to be = workers of the various trades may join us now, as the first group is ex to leave soon. ‘z We meet every second “4, f fourth Sunday at 3 P. M. at the Society for Russia, 1902 W. Division St., 2nd floor, Chicago. Chicago, Illinois Lo a