The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 13, 1924, Page 6

i i f _ tirade against Communism as “anti-American”— Page Six THE DAILY WORKER. | Published by the DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 1118 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, Ill. (Phone: Monroe 4712) SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mall: $3.50... % months $2.00..3 months By mall (in Chicago only) $4.50....6 months $2.50....3 montas $6.00 per year §8,00 per year Address all mail and make out checks to THE DAILY WORKER 1118 W. Washington Bivd. Chicago, IlInols J. LOUIS ENGDABL WILLIAM F. DUNNE { MORITZ J. LOEB. ome Editors jusiness Manager Entered as second-class mail Sept. 21, 1923 at the Post: Office at Chicago, lll, under the act of March 3, 1879. ——_ ————— <p 20 Advertising rates on application. “Revolution” by Injunction It will astonish many members of the I. W. W. to know that a-group of men, formerly members of the General Executive Board of that organization, have gone to the capitalist courts with a plea for an injunction that will turn over to them the offices of the organization. This is not the first time that labor unions have asked for injunctions. But always, heretofore, such a procedure has been followed by “safe and sane,” conservative leaders, who profess to believe in the impartiality of the kind of justice dispensed in the courts of America. To ask for an injunc- tion from American judges means to declare that one believes the courts to be above all class influ- ences, to believe that a worker can get justice by .pleading before the tools ofthe ruling class of the country. Even the conseryative unions have learned by bitter experience that injunctions do not work for the workers, but only for the ex- ploiters. How much more surprising it is then to see lead- ing members of a supposedly revolutionary organi- zation taking their differences with their fellows to a judge to settle! And also, when such an action is led by men like Rowan, who was one of the “bitter enders” in Leavenworth on the matter of paroles and commutations, claiming for that “reason the support of revolutionary elements in the I. W. W., surprise passes its ordinary bounds and becomes suspicion. Any man who drags a labor organization of any kind before the capitalist courts, whatever pretext may be used to excuse the action or whatever the justice of his grievance may be, is without the first elements of a sound proletarian class conscious- ress. He denies the class struggle and throws the fate of himself and his organization into the-hands of natural enemies. He forfeits the confidence of all thinking workers. - The ousted members of the G. E. B. of the I. W. W. have declared by appealing to the courts that they do not want the issue decided by the rank and file membership. Instead of insisting upon a convention to settle the dispute, the only thing that would protect the interests of the mem- bers, they have appealed to the capitalist courts. By their action they have completely outlawed themselves in the I. W. W. and before the working class. A “Socialist” Union Official These union officials who call themselves “social- ists” have to work hard to demonstrate to’ a be- nighted world that, really, they are no different from anyone else, while at the same time they try to keep the support of those for whom “socialism” is a serious thing. One such official is Thomas Sweeney, secretary of the Tailors’ Union. In the current issue of the journal\of that union Sweeney assures his trusting followers that he has never belonged to any party but the socialist. He prints Debs’ endorsement of LaFollette as proof that he is a good socialist still. Then, to keep the balance even, and not to offend anyone, he reprints a long from Hearst’s Chicago Herald-Examiner. Sweeney is typical of his tribe of “socialists.” Hearst or Debs, it is all the same to them, just so it fits in with their immediate purpose. Sweeney is sore at the Communists because they support Sillinsky, the candidate who promises to get a very big vote in the coming election in the Tailors’ Union. Sweeney doesn’t realize that Sillinsky is rolling up such a large following largely because the membership is disgusted with just such tactics as Sweeney is using in The Tailor at the present time. So he impartially uses Debs as a club for his left hand and Hearst for his right. This is “social- ism,” 1924 style. Davis Explains Mr. Davis wishes to assure the American voters that they may vote for him in November with the deepest assurance that he has severed all connec- tions with Wall Street. He has, of course, sold his services to Wall Street in the past, but that was only one of the incidents of a professional career. He is now ready to sell his professional abilities to the Democratic Party in just the same manner, having cut himself off the payroll of Mor, Such innocence is touching! Who can fefuse to vote for Davis when he, himself, assures the world that he is pure of heart? Of course, there will be cynical workers who, misled by the awful Com- munists, will say that Davis belongs to Wall Street whether he is selling himself for an immediate price or not. Others will not believe that Davis has severed even his formal relations with Morgan but that he accepts the candidacy as the direct representative of'his boss. In our moments of sin we incline to the latter interpretation ourselves. All of which Mr. Davis would brush away with his “explanation” that, of course, he was Morgan’s kgnt man, byt he is not that kind any more, An Innocent Abroad President-elect Calles of Mexico is preparing to visit England and several of the continental coun- tries. Much significance is attached to the Mexican leader’s visit at this time for two reasons. First of all is the fact that General Calles is soon to assume ‘the foremost position in Mexican govern- mental affairs. Secondly, the trend of political events in Europe recently manifesting itself in the rise of so-called labor and liberal governments like those of MacDonald in England and Herriot in France, adds further importance to. the political character of the visit. General Plutarcox Calles was elected President of Mexico by the combined support of the laboring and peasant masses. Calles has now and ‘then flirted with workers’ demands in the southern re- public. On different occasions, the president-elect has even coquetted with the revolutionary agrarian movement, in the land of our southern neighbor. Now, about to assume office, it appears that Gen- eral Calles is planning to utilize his European trip as a sort of a post graduate course in practical po- lities and state administration. We have no illusions about Mr. Calles and his European tour. We are convinced that the Mexican workers and exploited. farmers have still less il- lusion, because they have already seen enough of him to warrant their being on guard, to necessitate their utmost preparatien to defend their hard- earned rights. Mr. Calles has boasted that he takes his inspiration from Samuel Gompers. Under these circumstances there is little that MacDonald or Herriot will be able to teach him in the art and science of administering the country ostensibly in behalf of the working masses—but actually in the interests of the financial and industrial magnates. At best, Mr. Calles will improve his ability to hide his readiness to surrender to pressure of interna- tional capitalists and to hide this surrender be- hind meaningless abstract democratic phrases. The Mexican workingmen and _ dispossessed farmers would do well to watch their step against the “educated” Calles after his return. Only the program of the Mexican Communists holds out hope and salvation to the exploited masses of the country. Not for one moment should the Mexican agrarian party and the industrial workers sur- render their arms or the land, little of it as has been given them. If the Mexican workers and farmers are to preserve their rights and to win more victories they must stand fast by their right to their arms and the land. Any attempt by Calles upon his return to disarm them must be stoutly resisted. Send in that Subscription Today. More About Defense Day The more we look into the grand military re- hearsal scheduled for September twelfth, De- fense Day, the more we are convinced that Mr. Gompers will be in, respectable anti-union, labor- hating company in his indorsement of, the mili- tarist plans of our exploiters. In the New York district the ordnance office of the War Department will be ably assisted in its defense maneuvers’ by Elbert H. Gary, Charles M. Schwab, General Guy E. Tripp, Samuel Mc- Roberts, and others. Colonel James L. Walsh, chief of .the district in charge of all these operations, is entitled to a vote of thanks by the working class for his frank and enlightening comment on the character and purpose, of Defense Day. In his plea for these militarist gestures, Colonel Walsh emphasized their value in helping the rapidity of the manufac- ture of up-to-date arms and ammunition. In the light of this estimate, by an expert, of the whole scheme, it is particularly instructive to note Mr. Gary’s reasons for officially joining the demonstration. Mr. Gary thus said of the Defense Day plans: “On December fourteenth, 1923, the Board of Directors of the Iron and Steel Institute pledged’ the active efforts of the members of the Board, in the maintenance of conditions adequate for the military defense of this country. The fact that Mr. Schwab and myself have undertaken to assist local government representatives is only an instance of: the determination of the industry to carry out tliis pledge.” The American worRingmen and farmers who have had their taste of Pittsburgh. Plus and Min- neapolis Minus have had the opportunity in the last war to get a taste of Gary and his ilk trans- lating such pledges into fabulous rates profits run- ning into several thousand per cent in some in- stances. We have also seen these pledges further crystallized into the most brazen excuse for per- petuating the rankest sort of industrial feudalism in the steel areas. » Gompers may be used to such company. As a matter of fact his record will show that he func- tions best when he works shoulder to shoulder with the Garys and Schwabs. But the great mass of workingmen will not be fooled into supporting the imperialist schemes of their bosses, Gompers, Gary, Schwab, and other such friends of labor notwithstanding. \ Send in that Subscription Today. When reading Das Kapital take care that your pineal gland doesnot become ossified. That hap- pens to people whose mental digestive organs are out of gear. You might wind up in the Proletarian Party. en Sn) READ THE DAILY WORKER BTN "aR SL a) A new member for the Workers Party is a new recruit to the revolutionary army. Become a recruiting sergeant for Communism. THE DAILY WORKER (Statement by the Red International Affiliation Committee.) 'HE I. W. W. faces an immediate crisis. There is no disguising the fact that a ruinous split has begun. The faction of the G. E. B. which was suspended by the Doyle-Fisher admin- istration and ejected from headquar- ters by a rank and file committee has not only set up rival headquarters, but actually has gone into the capital- ist courts and asked for an injunction to give it possession of the organiza- tion and control 6f its property and funds, Defeat These Injunctionites! Whatever the constitutional tech- nicalities these injunctionites may have had to justify their previous po- sition, this ignoring of the rank and file, this scorning of the fact that bal- lots were being issued for a special convention to 1@ the rank and file de- cide, this turning to the courts of the capitalist class for help instead of ap- pealing to the I. W. W. membership, all this ‘places these injunctionites be- yond the sympathy of every class con- scious worker in the I. W. W. or but- side it. In this crisis the members of the I, W. W. who are Communists and ad- herents of the Red International of Labor Unions are gravely concerned for the unity of the I. W. W. Ob- viously, if the rank and file does not act, and act quickly, the split will deepen down thru the industrial unions, divide the branches and tear the I. W. W. to pieces from top to bottom, We urge that the rank and file everywhere demand a special con- vention, and that every shred of red tape be brushed aside and delegates representative of the entire member- ship be called into convention at once to give the I. W. W. a set of officers that cannot be the subject of dispute. Only in this way can the I. W. W. be saved from complete wreck and ruin. But let no one think that the funda- mental confusion of ideas, of which this controversy is but the climax, can be settled simply by the removal of some individuals from office! This is a dangerous delusion. Unless the full membership can at once express them- selves in a special convention, at |which the ideological questions can jalso be solved, the cleavage which has | already begun to divide the industrial unions will tear them in two, Already the~press is perishing for lack of finances withheld by “puzzled or fac- tional sources in the branches. Communists and Red Internationalists are flatly opposed to this wrecking of the I. W. W. and call upon the rank and file to act quickly and insistently. Merely One Symptom of Confusion. This controversy, ruinous as it is, is only one sign of many showing the confusion of ideas so prevalent thru- out the I. W. W. of recent years. If we do not recognize this fact, we will be helpless to solve the present prob- lem of preventing a split, and utterly unable to avoid similar dangers in the future. ination of our prejudices and policies if the life and health of the I. W. W. is to be the first consideration. Under the plausible guise of defend- ing ourselves from persecution, a phil- osophy of Tolstoian non-resistance, of pacifism and despicable liberalism, all preaching a worship of ancient bour- geois abstractions like “democracy” ‘and “free speech” has been spread like poison thru the I. W. W. propa- ganda. The injunctionites have now appealed for help to this. capitalist “democracy” and the previous I. W. W. propaganda of legalism will now aid these splitters, But the present administration is not without fault. Doyle has continued this vicious paci- fist propaganda, spreading these bour- geois ideas to workers who come to the I. W. W. seeking instruction and leadership in waging class war against the bosses, These ideas have weak- ened the fighting spirit of our mem- bership, who, as workers, if they mean to be free,,or even to defend them- selves against extreme oppression, are compelled to wage class war on the bourgeoisie, overthrow and suppress it in both government and industry, and establish the complete supremacy— the dictatorship—of the Fae, the proletariat. This is the viewpoint of the revolu- tionary unionists all over the world who are affiliated with the Red Inter- national of Labor Unions, It is be- cause that they realize that, in order to attain such a goal, the proletariat must be united both nationally and in- ternationally, they oppose every split in the ranks of any genuine union. For the same reason they oppose the traditional policy of the I. W. W., which has, incidentally, been proven a failure for itself, of splitting other unions in order to organize, or try to organize, itself. For exactly the same reason Communists and Red Interna- tionalists sharply oppose any effort to split the I. W. W., and call upon the rank and file to take the initiative and save it from dismemberment. * “No. Rei Duty.” Another sign of the general confu- sion which has brought the I. W. W. to this brink of ruin is the circulation by some of its foremost spokesmen of ‘the idea that the I. W. W. limits its aims to mere organization for the every-day struggle within the capital- rings and, in a far distant future, carry on production after capital- ea can saa A ANG The | It is time for a thoro exam-| ASAE PR SQ eb NAAT mw Wednesday, August 13, 1924 will have been overthrown. To set up this position is to limit ourselves in practice to purely job univnism, to ig- nore the fact that our membership are members also of the working class, whose historic mission it is to over- throw capitalism. In fact, this is tg deny the revolutionary ‘struggle alto- gether, to set our membership to thinking that they have no revolution- ary duty to unite with and to support the workers of other lands in their fight for power, or even to join with other revolutionary workers of this country to consciously plan and fight for the overthrowal of capitalism in America. Communists and Red Inter- nationalists. unalterably oppose this sidetracking of workers’ revolutionary program into channels that are harm- less to capitalism, Craft, Industrial and National Patriot. ism. Still another tendency closely value ed to the split now dividing the I. W. |W. is the so-called “industrial union patriotism,” which is the same breed as the craft union prejudices of con- servative unions. Deluded into think- ing that one union can get more by “going it alone,” the confused leader- ship of any such union steers it straight to defeat and ultimate de- struction. This stupid notion - has grown up and flourished under the leadership of those I, W. W. officials, both past and present, who carried this sdme sectionalism to the extreme by contending that affiliation and soli- darity with the revolutionary workers of other lands did not matter! They have opposed and expelled members of the I. W. W. for advocating affili- ation to the Red International of La- bor Unions. It is clear that if the I. W. W. were so affiliated it would profit from the collective wisdom and experience of revolutionary unionists of other lands. We must recognize that our membership is only about 40,000 and that we are only ridiculous in setting ourselves up as not only the labor movement of America, but of the entire world. We must have unity in the industry, unity nationally and unity internationally. AS WE (Continued from page 1) vin Coolidge for a row of drunken prohibition agents. One would excuse such rot were it offered to a Kioneili- um of the Ku Klux Klan or some such sollection of morons, but when dripped in front of such men as George Brennan, T. J. Walsh, and Clem Shaver, it is questionable whether Mr. Davis is not entitled to the attentions of an alienist. This is part of what he says to a grown-up gathering: “The City of Clarksburg is not so large as either New York or Chicago, and does not rise as high in the world as Denver or sit as level as Detroit among her plains. And yet you will find here a fair cross section of those elements, old and new, which go to make up America is -” And so on. Comment is un- necessary. ee ace OUIS ‘BOUDIN is the theoretical expression of the disappointment of J: B. Salutsky, who edits the Ameri- can Labor Monthly. Mr. Boudin is a Marxist. He admits it and in proof of his claim, hardly ever appears in public without having a small library under his arm. But it is to be feared that the Marxian philosophy never got into Boudin’s head, by the front door. The woods are full of pervert- ors of Marx these days, but most of them know they ‘are perverts, which is a tribute to their heads if not to their hearts. But evidently Boudin does not know that he has his feet in the manure heap, because he takes pride in his Marxian understanding. His favorite indoor sport is picking flaws in the policy of the Workers Party of America, which accepts the feadership of the Communist Interna- tional. Like a philosophical eagle, Mr. Boudin maintains a position so far above the battle that the inevi- table happened. Not being a genuine eagle, from his lofty perch he mis-. took a piece of offal’for a plump and juicy chicken, with the result that his Marxian head needs fumigating. nf _* * 'HE tragedy happened in the Aug- ust issue of The Labor Monthly on page eleven. In the course of an article entitled “On Current Matters,” Mr. Boudin, hails the victory of the left wing of the bourgeoisie in France and looks toward the victory of simi- lar elements in Germany, with the aid of the Socialist pacifist government of England, as an agency of reconstruc- tion, But let the gentleman speak: “Fortunately for the world the victory of the Labor Party in Bngland intgr- vened before the swing to the right in Germany gathered its full strength, And the chances are that had the French elections taken place before those in Germany, the movement to the right in that country would have ‘been completely arrested, giving the world the first chance it has had since the nightmare which has followed the war had settled upon it to start upon the work of real reconstruction in- stead of continuing’ in ‘peace’ the work of destruction commenced by READ THE DAILY WORKER iy some eben a" Singer the war.” oe Misrepresentation, But the Red International of Labor Unions has been grossly misrepre- sented to the I. W. W. rank and file. Among the injunctionites are those who have beaten up and expelled I. W. W. members whose desire for working class unity prompted them to advocate affiliation with the R. I. L. U. Even in the administration are those who last May guppressed the-friendly ap- peal of the Executive Bureau of the R, I. L. U. to the I. W. W. membership, asking for affiliation and giving a thoro explanation of the program of the R. I. L. U. Even news of the re- ceipt of this message to the member- ship was not allowed in the I. W. W. press. The Doyle-Fisher administra- tion is seriously infringing on the needs of the membership and ordinary respect for other working class organ- izations by such behavior, In fact, it went further and coddled and protect- ed these injunctionites and splitters, while repelling the friendly efforts of the Communists for unity. But when this crisis is upon the organization, the membership will see that the ad- herents of the Red International, the Communists in the I. W. W., will op- pose disruption and fight with any sin- cere workers against it. But they in- sist that any administration should be required to cease censorship and mis- representation of the Red Interna tional. Some Illusions. ‘What are some of the illusions the I. W. W. has*about the R. I. L. U.? One is that it seeks to “liquidate” the I. W. W. and leave in its place only out-of-date craft unions. This is pure falsehood. The R. I. L. U. considers industrial unions as of primary fipor- tance to the revolutionary struggle. It is opposed to a split in the I. W. W., just as it is opposed to splits in the mass trade unions. Because the revolutionary workers were properly disgusted by the re- formism and despicable parliamentar- ism of the old “socialist” parties, the I. W. W. naturally acquired a preju- dfce against all working class political parties. Altho oganically separate SEE IT By T. J. O'FLAHERTY. F this fellow is not a Social-Demo- crat, there is no such animal. Simi- lar comment on the so-called swing to the left in France could be read in Oswald Garrison Villard’s Nation, in James Oneal’s New Leader and in the New York World. “Reconstruc- tion,” says Boudin. What kind of reconstruction? Capitalist raconstruc- tion or reconstruction on a Commun- ist basis? The Proletarian Party holds that the Communists should not incite the petty bourgeoisie against the big capitalists and thus thwart the speedy and desirable gobbling up of the former by the latter. Let evo- lution take its course, say the New Marxians. Perhaps Boudin’s desire for capitalist reconstruction is a new system of Marxism that will be placed on the market one of those Gays as “A Philosophy of the American Labor Movement.” In which case gas masks would be in great demand. ese @#° OCIAL pacifism with a vengeance. And this ‘is the gentleman who lies so persistently over the Workers Party’s attitude toward La Follette. Boudin goes on to sympa- thize with the French and British governments because of the evil le- gacy they inherited from Poincare. He fears the German reactionaries will be able to frustrate the efforts at reconciliation on the part of Mac- Donald and Herriot. Mr. Boudin’s so- ‘ial pacifist soul may have peace. The German reactionaries have accepted the Dawes plan and all is well. Bou- din’s liberal socialist friends in BE rope are united on the Dawes pla: It is a plan for capitalist reconstruc: tion at the expense of the German workers. We are informed by Bou- din that these same accursed reac- tionaries frustrated the peaceful ef- forts on the part of the German ‘so- cial-democrats. Indeed! We were of the opinion that the pacific inten- tions of the German social democrats were exemplified in shooting Com- munists, thousands of whom are still in German prisons and in acting as the hangmen for these same “reac- tionaries” who now rule Germany. The pacific intentions of Noske, Scheidemann and bert. Phew! That is even worse than could be expected from the New Leader. Roy tik! A saad FTER expressing fear that the German reactionaries may fail to properly respond to the conciliatory efforts of MacDonald, Herriot & Co., thus weakening the positions of the Herriot and MacDonald governments, and thus rendering the entire swing to the left in the allied countries abortive as far as world peace reconstruction are concerned, Mr. Boudin takes his head out of the cess pool after issuing the following ejacu- lation; “These ‘are critical times, and and | , Stop the Split in the I. W. W.! Let the Rank and File Decide! from the Communist International of Sommunist parties, the Red Interna- tional does not share this syndicalist prejudice against them. It knows that the Communist parties are pursuing a really revolutionary program on the political field, which is complementary and .is mutually necessary to the struggle of the revolutionary unions on the industrial field. It is the law, moreover, of the Communist Interna- tional, that activity in parliaments must serve the struggle outside in the industries, that the aim is to over- throw parliaments altogether, destroy the\entire bourgeois government ma- chinery and establish control of both industry and state in the hands of workers’ and farmers’ councils—so- viets. The illusion of the I. W. W. does not distinguish between such a Communist Party of chosen, disci- plined workers united to the last man on the idea of realizing this goal, and the old discredited opportunist and re- formist “politics.” Dilution Must Be Met in an Organ. ized Way. The present crisis in the I, W. W. is evidence of the need of the Red International's. program of co-opera- tion and concerted action with the revolutionary parties of Communism. The old revolutionary I. W. W. of for- mer years has been diluted with a large membership of workers who do 1ot fully understand the revolutionary struggle. The whole organization has been led into confusion thereby, be- cause, as, the Rank and File Commit- tee of Chicago states, “the rebels” have not “managed to hang together and keep up revolutionary educa- tional work.” When they do so, they necessarily organize in exactly the Same manner and for exactly the same reason that the revolutionary workers in the A. F, of L. and other unions are organized in the Trade Union Educa- tional League. The revolutionary workers in the I. W. W. who wish to keep it on a revolutionary path will find it greatly beneficial, even impera- tive, to organize definitely among, themselves, and then formulate joint programs of action together with the revolutionary workers in other unions. Until this is done, no ejection of per- sons or doctoring of constitutions will permanently benefit the I. W. W. The Rank and File Must Stop the Split. But the halting of the split is the first necessity. Ballots for a special election and convention are in the field. The Red International Affiliation Committee favors a sweeping away of all red tape and rules which stand be- tween an immediate convention and a delegation to it which will represent the whole membership. There must be no shutting out of really represnta- tive delegates. There must be obedi- ence to the decision of the conven- tion. A set of officials which cannot be subject to dispute must be chosery Nor will the duty of the rank and file be completed until they have instruct- ed their delegates to introduce and vote for a resolution instructing the chosen officials to begin negotiations to affiliate the I, W. W. to the Red In- ternational of Labor Unions. Let the rank and file decide! Defeat the injunctionites who would ignore the membership and resort to the capitalist courts. Elect revolutionary officials! Stop the split! We call for an immediate and full convention to solve the crisis in the I. W. W. and to affiliate it to the Red International! For Unity and Revolution, The Red International. Affiliation Committee. * Harrison George, Chairman, Mike Novak, H. R. Richards. 1514 West Madison St., Chicago, Ill. TIS OF THEE In the town of San Pedro, you know, Every man has his sovereign rights, They are never denied and we view them with pride As Democracy’s symbols and lights. For instance, we all are allowed To speak out our thoughts man to man, We can stand on our,feet and speak * on the street, If we don’t mind a.year in the can. Or else we can meet in a hall And sing till we're quite out of breath, And pag’ no one and have lots of in, It we like being scalded to death. If a newspaper pleases our mind We can order a lot from the shop And sell the fine sheets on the high- ways and streets If we want to be clubbed by a cop. If the district attorney is foul And the judge is the lowest of men, We can. speak out this news as loud as we choose And promptly get sent to the pen. | There was never a city Ike this, And whoeveh don’t like it is a slob. yabeoy to Me moiadsercta 9d course And get himself bounced onthe kno ‘San Pedro, Mmanatan ytd oa