The Daily Worker Newspaper, July 12, 1924, Page 10

ee - ms ECAUSE it is a Communist news- paper, the DAILY WORKER can print the truth, whereas the capitalist papers dare not insert in their pages any news that goes counter to the economic interests of the master class. But the DAILY WORKER has a small staff and since a large percent- age of the news gleaned from the oth- er newspapers and from the press services is written from the stand- point of the large property owners, the DAILY WORKER must rely for much of its best news on the volun- teer contributions and “tips” of the Workers Party members. In order to retain its freshness, its originality, and its worth to the work- ing class, the DAILY WORKER must be backed by a well-trained corp of lo- cal correspondents regularly sending in news from all over the country. The first thing the DAILY WORK- ER’S volunteer reporters have to learn is to build up a nation-wide sys- tem for the gathering of exclusive working-class news is never to repress the impulse to write or telephone the DAILY WORKER their “tips” or news stories. Often good stories are lost to the DAILY WORKER because some com rade says to himself, “Well, I won’t write the DAILY WORKER about that. They probably know about it already and it may not be so import- ant anyhow.” Sources of News. What are some of the sources of news which the DAILY WORKER volunteer reporters can cultivate? Strikes, conventions, meetings of the City Federations of Labor, and trades and labor councils, speeches, court cases involving fights of work- ers or groups of workers against the bosses, campaigns and organization drives of working class organizations, such as tenant leagues or negro ad- vancement societies; any move of the capitalists against the workers, or any move of the workers to win their rights from the capitalists, should by means be sent to the DAILY eOneaen. if the event. of interest to the mili- tant working class occurs outside of JShicago, the volunteer reporter can yften clip the news out of his local 1ewspaper and send it in. The local aewspapers are, in fact, the most fre- quent source of news in. cities or towns outside of Chicago. The DAILY WORKER not long ago printed an editorial based on a clipping sent by a contributor from Miami, Florida. Local News Wanted. But the DAILY WORKER contri- butors must select their clippings carefully. Every week the DAILY WORKER receives clippings that are not the type which can be used. Only local news which occurs in the vici- nity where the paper is printed should be sent in. Washington dispatches, syndicated articles such as Brisbane’s column, any news story printed under an out-of-town date line, are almost always valueless, even as material for editorial comment, because the DAILY WORKER has already re- ceived such dispatches, - On the other hand, any local news items which bear on the class strug- gle are usable. Our correspondents will find it advisable to get into the habit of reading their local papers carefully, clipping those local news items which play up the” workers’ struggle for emancipation, and then using these clippings as “leads” to get better, longer, and exclusive DAILY WORKER news stories. Interviews often over the phone, can be secured with those persons and organizations mentioned in the clippings. Announce- ments of future events, meetings, demonstrations, etc., should be taken from the local papers and jotted down in a note book, and then “covereg” by our correspondents. Select Local Correspondents. Workers Party branches in points outside Chicago should make it their business to see that a correspondent covers every strike and every meet- ing of the Federation of Labor. The reporter should take complete notes EVERY READER A REPORTER of these meetings and from them write up a concise news story. To cover strikes, the correspondent should be in the court room as much as possible, if strikers are arrested, taking down especially the testimony of the defendants. He should go to the picket line fre- quently and notice whether there is any police violence, any drunken po- licemen, the number of the policemen, scabs, and pickets. Arrangements can be made with the union official in charge of the strike headquarters, to give the strike news over the phone at a regular time every day. It is preferable for each town to have its regular DAILY WORKER correspondent, to train himself to write the news as it will be printed in the DAILY WORKER. When each town has a regular correspondent, he becomes known as the DAILY WORK- ER reporter. One of the most value able assets of a reporter is the num- ber of connections he makes with in- dividuals and organizations in touch with the happenings of the town. The first few times the correspondent cov- ers a meeting he will get only the minutes of the action taken at the meeting. Build Up Connections. But as the correspondent, thru reg- ular attendance at the meetings, for instance union meetings, becomes bet- ter known, and talks to the different union delegates, he will find that they will be coming to him with union news items which are often valuable. All organizations, even liberal, la- bor and radical, want publicity. As the organizations of the town become ac- quainted with the DAILY WORKER correspondent, they will give him the publicity of their organizations. The only difference between publicity and news is the way it is written up. DAILY WORKER correspondents should expose themselves to the im- portant connections in their town. Organizational publicity ‘and wuhion news, especially where militant pro- gressive principles are involved, should be collected. The correspond- TO en By KARL REEVE ent will conserve his time by use of the telephone wherever possible, by taking clippings from the local papers, by building up regular and reliable channels of news, and by making ad- vance lists of unicn elections and oth- er labor events. Advance notices of important labor events are worthy of > a short news item and should be sent to the DAILY WORKER. Technical Changes. Many letters come into the editorial office of the DAILY WORKER, which, after a few minor meclianical chang- es, can be put into the DAILY WORK- ER just as they are written. But the editorial staff is very busy, and it is often these technical errors which keep otherwise acceptable news lay- ing around the editorial rooms for weeks. In the next article I will give a few suggestions as to how best write up these news stories for the DAILY WORKER. Every one on the editorial staff is talking about the organization of our army of news gatherers into a well- trained staff of volunteer reporters. Every one on the DAILY WORK staff realizes the immediate necessity of closer contact with our correspond- ents. Send In Suggestions. These articles are written to give a few suggestions whereby our volun- teer reporters can become more valu- able to*the paper. One of the most distinctive features of the DAILY WORKER is the exclusive news of the class struggle sent in by our read- ers. The business office has been preaching the slogan, “Every reader a subscriber.” An equally important slogan which, if followed out, will materially increase the value of their paper is “Every reader a reporter.” We will be glad to help solve any problem of our volunteer reporters. There will be other articles later by other members of the staff. Mean- while, don’t.fau to write us any sug- gestions or question which comes to mind concerning the building up of a DAILY WORKER staff of volunteer reporters. BENEVOLENT FEUDALISM IN EDUCATION (Continued from page 3.) Now and then, clever or disgruntled subordinates—usually the latter, for " we can always count upon clever teachers to aspire to higher posts; as- piration ties the tongue of the would- be-agigtator or truth-teller; muck-rak- ing is easily scotched—blurt out un- pleasant and well-known facts; they suffer accordingly. Unreflective loyalty is the “sine qua non” of benevolent despotism. That’s why our “democratic” school system will forgive any breach of excellence, except the violation of the ethic of clan loyalty. Despotism flourishes beoninn first- ly, superiors have uncensored power; secondly, superiors rarely meet or take counsel with inferiors; thirdly, unrefiective loyalty is rewarded with such inexpensive badges of goodwill as marks, flattery, cinch jobs, lick- spittle assistancy, small pompous pro- motions; fourthly, the mass of subor- dinates are coddled into believing in their lofty mission, for the fulfillment of which they are allowed no self- dependence, nor any exercise of ori- ginality at all; fifthly, the common run of underlings is proverbially tim- id, and even cowardly. What more ironic spectacle than the sight of dear little teacher expounding with thump- ing enthusiasm, the glorious lessons of the American revolution, of Ameri- can independence, lessons in eman- cipation the dear little teacher hasn’t the intellectual grit or the moral self- determination .to accept at their face value and to put into powerful prac- tice? Sixthly, the pretense is skilfully exploited that all the interests of the “system” are in reality harmonious and co-operative. This pretense bol- sters up the fake idealism of the per- secuting superior, who will tolerate no (personal) “disloyalty.” I have thus far frankly exposed the superior-inferior mis-altiance which rules our school system. In my honest expose, I have constantly assumed the necessity ef benevolent despotism. Suppose we experiment with the oth- er option: benevolent democratism. What may we say in its behalf? Let us see, The first article of a democratic faith (unless it be a pure sham), is the socialization of power. A leader must be willing to submit his plans and policies to those whom he may neither respect for great knowledge, nor trust for broad, good sense. Yet, if he be a genuine democrat, he will be willing to foster the myth (even if it be only that), that the subor- dinate many are worth while consuit- ing anent the affairs of profundity. I tell to those of you who have never been possessed of great power or of superior opportunity that the most difficult achievement on this earth for men of power is to learn to -share that power amicably and honorably with other claimants. The whole history of civilization (socialo- gically speaking) is the story of power seeking by all means, foul and fair, to frustrate the socialization of i prerogatives. =~ —* Let us not be forever hoodwinked. Let us clearly realize that the love of supervising and of controlling the destiny of others (who are moved like puppets by wills stronger than their own), is deeper than tolerance or rea- son or the passion for justice. The love of power is the love of life it- self. Power is life. It is more than that. Power is life made exciting and interesting and apparently worth- while. The will-to-power is the key to the meaning of human history. Now comes your democracy and rudely commands: “Give up some of this power. We trust no longer in your infallibility. We don’t feel safe under your dictatorship. You don’t even know our interests, let alone sin- cerely care for them. What do you know about us and our human de- sires? Haven't we the same deep need as you for power and .prestige and distinction and special privilege? Unless we curtail your superiorities and appropriate for ourselves the vast power, hitherto in our credulity and blindness forfeited té you, we cannot attain our heart’s desires. Our eyes are opening. We, too, want a place amongst the constellations. Yield your glory to us. We desire to know the delights of sovereignty.” The latter-day demands of democ- racy shatter the most sacred assump- tions of superiority. Do you under- lings expect Superiority to yield to this half-awakened claimant without murmur ormblow? Benevolent democ- racy shines in theory, but rusts in practice. Men aren’t capable of di- viding their power with those who are far removed from them in posi- tion and viewpoint. That’s why the first need of a true democracy, as I am well aware, is the collective en- thronement of the ordinary citizens, in order that they may demand a hear- ing in the councils of the Mighty and be assured of obtaining it thru their numerical strength (if they lack other insignia of power). When teachers in the ranks can unite and present a collective front to their official superiors, one hates to think of the formidable power their union and unanimity will afford them. Benevolent democracy will arrive when official superiors shall have been replaced by comrades in equality, chosen from the common run of teachers and whoily responsible to the teacher citizenry. That day is sure to come. Its arrival may be hastened or delayed by the teachers themselves. As a benevolent despot, trained and taught in the older, more rigid disci- pline of superiority, I cannot subscribe to the disrespectful democracy of in- feriors. However, I have the intel- lectual acumen to interpret the signs of change, whicu are as clear as day- light to those who are not spiritually color-blind. Great changes are pre- paring everywhere. Whether tiiese changes, bringing in their tumultuous wake the socializa- tion of power, the dethronement of autocratic superiors, the greater equal- ization of all salaries, the restoration of unfettered freedom of teaching and of criticism, will beget their own peculiar problems of disharmony, we need not at present discuss. The school system cannot escape the con- tagion of revolutionary change. The most far-reaching change will undoubtedly be the abolition of the hideously undemocratic and galling - superior-inferior relationship and the substitution therefor of a democracy of comrades. ... Res. 1632 S. Trumbull Ave. Phone Rockwell 5050 MORDECAI SHULMAN ATTORNEY-AT-LAW 701 Association Building 19 S. La Salle Street CHICAGO Dearborn 8657 Central 4945-4947 “KOMMENTS ON THE KU KLUX KLAN” The dee meaning of Fo ee complete ameen | isnaoet th, “and constitution, The is dead the minute the poems understand it. This book e ae You a , on ed bee oF the oe copy. 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