The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 2, 1924, Page 4

rea : i } Page Four OMAHA LABOR UNIONS READY FOR BONEYARD A. F. of L. Organizers Are Good Rum Sleuths ‘(By an A. F. of L. Unionist.) OMAHA, Neb., Oct. 1.— Omaha labor unions are not making the headway that the A. F. of L. system holds out for the downtrodden wage worker. In fact, never in the history of labor unions in Omaha has or- ganized labor been in the deplor- able condition: it is in today, and with no hope of getting out of the rut in the near future. Omaha labor unions, with a very few exceptions, are mostly in need of an undertaker—they are as dead as they will ever be and yet retain their charters. The trowble with Omaha unions, and particularly of the central body, and the state federation, is that they have for the past dozen years been rapidly passing into the hands of agents of the captains of industry. The most notable feature of union meetings now- adays is the unanimity of these agents in their attempts—usually successful —of leading the membership off into some blind trail whenever any ques- tion is presented that promises to really bring advantage to the workers. Workers of Ancient Vintage. With rare exceptions, of recent years the labor leaders of Omaha have been men who have not been in touch with a day of actual labor in years. Regardless of the fact that re- forms should come from within, the rank and file has been betrayed so often that it is impossible to get a movement in that line started, and consequently the membership of the unions has dwindled until there are barely enough to hold their charters. The funny part about these “borers from within” is that they are all staunch supporters of the A. F. of L. and are continually blaming conditions onto the “Reds,”* “Communists,” “Bolshevists,” etc. Not long ago the president of the Omaha Central Labor union presided at a meeting that placed a local meat market on the un- fair list and then went to said market to purchse his meat supply. He and an adventuresome machinist of days gone by started a raid on the “Reis” in the Central Labor union for the pur- pose of diverting attention, and after considerable noise about the army of “Reds” here they finally discovered one lone delegate who admitted he was not in accord with the A. F. of L. antiquated policy of dealing with labor questions. The delegate was un- seated with an accompanying fanflare of trumpets and front-page space in the daily papers. After that, of course there was no one to blame things on, and as a con- sequence the rank and file became more and more convinced that the situation is hopeless until some of the local leaders die of old age, as there is little chance of ever getting them to go to work. They Are Slipping Out. These so-called labor leaders ap- parently are not ignorant of the condi- tions they have brot about in Omaha labor circles, for practically every one of them is planning to land a political job as a result of the November elec- ton. Several years ago Omaha unions} purchased an abandoned church prop- erty in a desirable portion of the city with the idea of converting the prop- erty into an up-to-date labor temple. The control of the labor temple (used as such in the meantime) got into the hands of the same bunch of four-flush- ing incompetents that have mis-di- rected the destinies of organized labor here, with the result that the outlook is bright for losing about $20,000 that the local unions have put into the property. Some Wise Heads. As an example of what business sagacity those in control possess, and how much they really care about the welfare of labor interests, the treas- urer of the board has been panhandl- ing business men for funds without so much as making any report to the stockholders as to who donated and how much. Neither does he take the stockholders into his confidence as to what organizations meet in the temple and what they pay in. Everything is “lumped” and nobody except the treas- urer knows what the true state of af- fairs is, except that each month there is a deficit of around $150 That inci- dent ought to give your readers an idea why labor unions are in need of an undertaker in Omaha. Good Prohibition Agent. Anyway, Omaha is a good field for the A. F. of L. to use as a “horrible it organizer sent here only stayed about a month, but in that time he had the correct location of every bootlegging joint in town—and never accomplished a thing otherwise. Subscribe for “Your Daily,” the DAILY WORKER. Join the Workers Party! A Socialist Protegts. Editor's Note.—In another part of this issue, there is a story of the breaking up of Comrade Bloor’s meet- ing by Milwaukee policemen. The} following letter was received by The |DAILY WORKER from an eye wit- |mess to the action of the police and is a copy of a protest sent by him to Mayor Hoan of Milwaukee: SEPT. 24, 1924. | BOX 573, MILWAUKEE, WIS., MAYOR HOAN:— “Dear Sir: “Permit me to compliment you for |the efficiency with which your police- |department manages to suppress free speech and free assembly in this, the lonly socialist city in the United | States. . “At about 8 p. m. this date, as I passed along the corner of 4th and Wells St., I landed in a crowd of ap- |proximately 100 persons who were as- |sembled around a woman speaker, rep- resenting the Workers Party. Every- jthing seemed quiet and orderly; there was no shouting, or even applause, or } |disturbance of any kind, altho every- | one seemed to listen with consider- able interest. It was as orderly a} meeting as any that I ever saw. “The speaker took especial care to so marshal her audience that traffic \on neither sidewalk or street would be |interfered with. Directly across the \street a Salvation Army progressed, |with enough noise emanating from its | |drum, to drown out the voice of our | | speaker. I had listened only a minute jor two, when a policeman appeared. | "This officer's cap-badge, I noticed, was |numbered 267. He stepped-up to the |speaker, and said, ‘Lady, have you |had, today (it seems that there had | been a similar interruption at her at- tempt to hold a meeting on this street |corner the previous evening) had a telephonic conversation with you, re- garding the matter of permit to speak, and that you had informed her that never during your mayorship has it been, or will be necessary to seé- cure a permit to speak on a street got your permit?’ She replied that she | corner in Milwaukee, and that you had expressed the hope that any city of freedom of press, speech, and as- sembly. “Upon receiving this information, No. 267 disappeared, saying as he went that he would find out what ac- tion should be taken about it, Within a few minutes he returned, and short- ly thereafter I noticed that two addi- tional policemen had arrived. I dq not claim to be a mind-reader, but the whole thing gave the impression that they were fairly itching for an op- portunity to break up the meeting. “The lady was allowed to speak for perhaps another five minutes or so, when one of the last mentioned po- licemen stepped up to her, and in- formed her that the meeting had been in progress sufficiently long, the audi- ence was commanded in true militar- |istic goose-step style, to disperse, and the meeting thus came to an end. I am not certain, but I am under the impression that’the speaker was tak- en to the police station for question- ing, as tho she were a_ suspected criminal. “My object in bringing the above facts to your personal attention is to learn whether such actions receive the endorsement of the socialist ad- ministration of Milwaukee, or are they taken independently, without your approval, or without your ability to prevent them, by our enemies, with the view of bringing discredit upon the socialist administration, in the eyes of the workers, “I have been sufporting socialism since 1915 or 1916, have talked for it, argued for it, to the extent that I could, have been enrolled as a mem- ber of the party, paying dues to it, for about two years, altho I am not at present a member, have perhaps even suffered more or less of persecution for it. At this coming election, if I had been a resident of this city and state the requisite time to become a voter, there more vote to count for “Fighting Bob,” as well as the other candidates that are endorsed by the Leader. “I would have done so in the belief that socialism in power would prac- tice what it preaches, namely: A free press, free speech, and free assembly. Tonight’s incident on the corner of LEWIS POLICY IS AS recent disaster occured. wished our readers to enjoy to the POISONOUS AS DEADLY GAS, IS OPINION OF REBEL JAPANESE MINER (The following article Is by a Japanese coal miner, formerly employed in the mines of the Kemmerer Coal company at Sublet, Wyoming, where the The article has been edited very little as we full the delightfully terse style, that many of our other contributors more familiar with the English language would do well to study. We hope in the future to have other articles from the pen of Comrade ‘Nishimura.—Ed. Note.) By YOSHIO NISHIMURA. “Cause Unknown!” Do disasters of coal mines come from the devil’s ray sent out from Mars? If so it must be planned by the capitalist class of Mars in order to excuse their friends on Earth. This time to help will happen in the future. expert miners know when roof rock will cave in by sounding just a little so we can detect any approaching collapse. “Dust explosion,” not Mars death ray, is responsible for the disaster. I thought it would come and it did. Kemmerer Coal Co. was not inter- ested in spending much money to make house cleaning work in the mine. They were only interested in protection for profit and nothing else. Frontier mine of the same coal com- pany had the “cause unknown” disas- ter only a year ago about this time and now Sublet. Devil knows which comes next.. The company hired pressmen were busy to show heroism of the company’s president and high officers and so they were content of sudden fame and forget to do prevent- ive work in numerous mines which they own hand in hand with Wall Street. “Cause unknown” is the most hor- rible criminal report. Because the word means the capitalist would not spend a cent for the preventive work, namely, cleaning the mine, building walls, etc. Yes, “cause unknown,” the capitalists would say, “We don't know what to do until the cause is known, tho we will try our best, meantime.” The cause will remain unknown un- til American workers take hold of the mine and produce for human happi- ness. Cause will remain unknown un- til professors, scientists and special ists, paid by working class, sent into the bottom of the mine and make a thoro investigation with the motive to save the miner's life. Four hours before miners take their daily place, the so-called gas boss en- ters the mine and inspects every cor- ner. If there is anything different, so he reports. The company man's test coupled with his years of experi- ence is pretty reliable but how did this disaster happen right after his 0. K. report? It is from accumulated power in the coal dust provoked by electric current or some other force near by. Instead of capitalist research, if we substitut- ed labor research, we may be able te find out a new force originated from the chemical compound which is form: ed by dust txplosion and that sub- stance together with oxygen or some- thing else caused @ second explosion, Queil, president of Kemmerer Coal company, Wyoming. Let Wall Street stock exchange boys believe it but we must not. I was in the Mine Number Five in Kemmerer and knew what we ———$ the real big disaster. The force might be a hundred times stronger that that of T. N. T. Maybe we can generate the force and drive machinery. We miners are tired of “cause unknown” reports from brass check newspapers when the cause is clear as daylight— capitalistic production. Sublet mine situated on a dreary rolling plateau over 6,000 feet eleva- tion from the sea level, and nine miles from the nearest town, Kemmer- er, a little place where the Central Labor Council is, and formerly was called No. 5, as it is fifth property of the Kemmerer Coal company, but now we may as well call it No. 2 (explod- ed) mine, with No. 3 coming up after another year. Since 1914, American industrial expansion put a heavy tax on the miners’ shoulders, and output was unusually great, thereby leaving anarchistic conditions in every mine thruout the U. 8. A. Capitalists do not spend to the work which does not pay today or tomor- row, indeed the inner entries, rooms and cross cuts in many cases were abandoned for convenience sake. Ten years of rush work decayed the whole system and it seems to be time now that miners pay for the capital- ist’s negligence. Sublet belongs to district No. 20 of U. M. W. of A., but too many nationalities and difference of languages and lack of class con- scious leaders made it an easy mark for the big capitalist companies and as a local the union is rather weak. The condtion is just the same with any other mine in the state of Wyo- ming, that is to say too weak to pro- test to the company for safeguarding their lives. According to John Lewis, the min- ers’ union is the strongest organiza- tion in America, Yes, it is very strong when the operator's associa- tion says: “Mr. Lewis you win,” tap- ping his shoulder in a fashionable hotel, but it has a weak foot. -Too strong a head with weak legs—I mean rich professional leaders who get thoney from both sides and say noth- ing of the terrible disasters and the way to prevent them. Evolution or revolution are bound to come to the organization—feudalism to the work- ers’ dynasty. I call it feudalism be- cause it's head prospers while his fol- lowers are killed day by day in the pit. would have been one| The farmers are broke, they are not THE DAILY WORKE Socialism in | power, it seems, would consider itself | perfect, and any effort beyond that to improve this world would meet with just as stern repression as socialism has met from the old capitalistic par- ties. “I still am of the opinion that the speaker had her wires hopelessly crossed when she placed our “Fight- jing Bob” in the same class as the abominable Coolidge and Fascist-lead- ing Dawes, but much of what she said, on other matters, was absolute- ly true. And éven if she had been granted every privilege that is grant- ed to the Salvation Army and other “soul-saying” busy-bodies, and the Coolidge-Dawes, Dayvis-Bryan, and La- Follette-Wheeler, speakers. 4 “If the Workers Party can not safe- ly be given the same privileges, then we can draw only one conclusion, and that is that the verbal propaganda, as well as printed literature, of the Workers Party is so true, and so con- vincing, and so superior to socialism, that the masses, would immediately fall for it, and therefore, it is neces- sary to resort to the same tactics that have been used, and are still used, by the capitalist parties against the So- cialist Party, if the Workers Party is not to be allowed to flourish and grow and conquer.” Respectfully yours, ARTHUR ACKLAND. We Get Some Compliments. To the DAILY WORKER: I wish to compliment you on the DAILY WORKER. A person: who reads it is | fully informed on all questions of in-| terest to the wealth producer, he need | not read any other periodical to keep abreast of the times. Farmers Are Broke. } I am a farmer and as such speak | from observation of my surroundings. going broke, they are broke. Some farmers who thought themselves. wealthy, and retired to live in a fine city home are today mortgaging the Home after borrowing on their land all the loan companies dare to ad- vance. This farmers’ deflation and enslavement is one of the most inter- OUR DATES Workers Party Units and Friend- ly Organizations do not arrange conflicting dates in Chicago. —$$—$—$_—$—————— Saturday, Oct. 11.—Dance—Hersh ‘Lekert ‘pranch, Workers Lyceum, 2733 Hirsch Blvd. , Oct. 12—Foster-Gitlow Campaign Sutceting, “Ashland. Auditorium (atter~ aisttans Oct. 12—Concert and dance, Russian and Ukrainian branches of W. P.. , Schoenhoten Hall, Ashland Milwaukee Aves. Saturday, Oct. 18—John Reed Memorial saturday Oct: 25—Freiheit Ball, Ashland ‘Auditorium. and i Nov. 7-Seventh Anniversary Fonexian Revolution, Ashiand . Audi~ torium. , Nov. 15.—City Mask Ball. Rovemne 22.—Marshfield Branch Social. November 27-30.—DAILY WORKER, La- bor Defense ” Workers Lyceum, 2733 Hirsch Blvd. Wednesday, Dec. 31—T. U. E. L. Dance, West End Hall. a, son. 8 ee Memorial Meeting, Ashlant 1. saturday, February 28, 1925.—Red Revel, ‘West End Women’s Club, 37 So. Ash- land Ave. | Bloor Meetings “Mother” Bloor's Dat in District Eight. Moline, l.—Wednesday, Oct. 1, In- dustrial Hall, 14th and 5th Aves. Peoria, Il.—Thursday, Oct. 2, Turner Hall, 1500 S. Adams St. Kincaid, Ill.—Friday, Hall, 7:30 p. m. ‘W. Frankfort, Ill—Saturday, Oct. 4. Orient, Ill.—Sunday afternoon, Oct. 5. Christopher, Il.—Sunday evening, Oct, 5, Miners Hall, p.m. Johnston City, Ill.—Monday, Oct, 6, Lithuanian Hall, 6010 N.. Water St. or ie ae Oct. 8, ‘heeser, . ™m. ast st. Mucus amureday, et 2 Pa Ukrainian Hall, . m . ml. O’Fallon—Friday, Oct.10, City Hall, 7:30 p. m. Belleville, Ill.—Saturday, Oct. 11. Madison—Sunday afternoon, Oct. 12, Seyka’s Hall, 13th and Madison Ave., * Bi. Youls, Mo—Sunday evening, Oct . Loui o.— Su , ‘ 12, ‘Hagerdorn’s Hall, 14th and ‘Benton Oct. 3—Miners Py Hall, 7 p. m. Collinaville—Wednesday, Oct, 15, City Hall, 6:30 p. m. ° Paglorviller Praag, Gots AT rville—Friday, § eaxgnomiacSaturday, Oct. 18, 01d Berger 1, Coalton, Iil., . Te West ville—Monday, Set 20, Kromelios Hall, West Main St. Waukegan <Weanesday: Oct. 22 ukegan—Wedn , Oct. 22. Rockford--Thursday, Oct. 23, Workers Hall, 611 7th St., ag RematerPridey, sae 24. indiani Lake County, Indiana Harbor—Satur- day, October 25, Roumanian Hall, Penn Ave. and Washington S8t., 7:20 ee m, Hammond—Sunday evening, Oct. 26, K. P. Hall, Homan and Ogden Ave., 7:30 ms Gary—Sunday, Oct. 26, 2 p. m., Public Libraty Auditorium, 5th and’ Adams Sts. So. Bend—Monday, Oct. 27. Do not expect capitalists to pay atten- tion to the lives of the miners. WE, the MINERS ought to have more in- terest in our lives., It is nonsense to look upon the feudal lord to spare our lives from certain destruction. Every member of U. M. W. of A. must do their part in rebuilding the union for the workers’ dynasty under a regime that will consider our lives first of all. In the case of a locomotive engineer, you need not protest to the railway company because being unsafe to the engineer means danger to the passen- Kers, therefore the company takes care, but the miners’ case is different. Indifferent feudal lords like Lewis and Farrington must be sent out to St. Helena or else many must die un- der their flag of no principles, just as poisonous as after-damp which exter: minates human beings in the expolded mine, , elsewhere. treets. Livingston, Il.—Monday, Oct. 18, City| and R esting phenomena of modern times. No producer of wealth would be bene- fited by the collapse of the robber system as would the farmer. Only Outlook Poorhouse. He is a long ways from being a class conscious Communist, but I feel certain he is equally far from joining the fascisti. He has quit worrying about adverse weather, crops and prices, he is acting like a fatalist. He says the poorhouse will be a very de cent and respectable place because so many people with those qualifications will go there. The city people are paying each other high salaries, but before long the economic disease of the farmer will be contracted by the city worker for the disease is highly contagious, Farmer For 41 Years, I have farmed as farm owner in this part of the country 41 years. I was made a socialist by “The Coming Nation” 27 years ago. I have kept my- self informed on the economic ques- tions without sparing my eyes or my money during this time. I feel certain the new civilization will be realized even by the old gen- eration. It is at the gate. A little more deflation will make the slaves open the gate. Yours for the big change, otherwise called revolution, H. T. Ahrens, Mondovi, Wash. No Jobs For the Idle. To the DAILY WORKER:—The 500 men employed by the Peabody Coal company who haye been idle since April ist, are still idle. They have finally put the seal over this mine and things look pretty blue for us here. But.the owners still are at the old game of creating rumors to keep the men from seeking employment Their reason is obvious. The shacks the miners live in, are owned by the mine owners; a good many food stores are run by them; so they let the men stay on and get into debt. Then if there should be some work, the miners’ wages are docked to pay their debts. They've got us coming and going, Miners’ Hopes Fed on Rumors The new rumor going the rounds Letters From Our Readers on Many Subjects | with a socialist administration would |4th and Wells Streets has consider- |abide by our constitutional guaranty | ably shaken this belief. the Consolidated Coal company has bought the mine. For the last five months we have been fed up on all kinds of rumors. Some miners have even been made to believe that the reason this mine shut down was because our pit com- mittee man (equal to shop committee) was too radical, he was fighting the company too hard. These deluded in- dividuals in desperation from prolong- ed unemployment, went as far as wait- ing on the District Superintendent with promise that the pit committee man will be removed if he will open Mine No. 21. Wants DAILY WORKERS. I wish we had a whole lot more like our pit committee man. Float a few more DAILY WORK- ERS in here and see if we can’t knock some horse sense into some of these boys. A Miner, Stonington, Il. (Anyone wishing to contribute copies of the DAILY WORKER to | Stonington, Ill, will send in their or- |ders to this office to the “Editor of |Our Readers’ Column” or address a of the author of the above letter.—Ed.) Socialism Is Dead. To the DAILY WORKER “Social- Here is a suggestion for a campaign slogan that’ will undoubtedly meet with the approval of all our socialist friends including parlor socialists, near-socialists, socialists for conveni- ence and all the other would-be so- cialists, for altho the funeral oration has not as yet been heard, neverthe- less, the old socialist party has “col- lapsed” according to the frank admis- sion of its own High Priests on the floor of the National Convention re- cently held in Cleveland, Ohio. . Having adopted LaFollette as its new Savior and discarded its old-time principles as “Bunk,” it has given birth to a “new school” of socialism which might be properly called by the name of its Messiah. Stripped of its revolutionary charac- ter this new socialism becomes a sort of second cousin to democracy as it is practiced in America—a mixture of all the reform - movements with a sprinkling of the idea of evolution to now to keep the miners here is that give it its color—A Reader. CANNON TO LECTURE ON COMMUNIST EDUCATION AT NEW YORK SCHOOL (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, Oct. 1.—James P. Cannon, educational director of the Workers Party, and Communist candidate for governor of New York State, will speak on “What Is Communist Education” on Sunday, Oct. 5, 8 Pp. m, at the Workers School headquarters, 208 E. 12th St., New York City. Cannon, who will begin a tour of New York State for the campaign early in October, will spend only a short time in New York City. The lecture ar- ranged by the Workers’ School offers the only opportunity of hearing him on Communist education, and all comrades and sympathizers interested in the educational work of the Communist movement should avail themselves of it. Misic and dancing will follow the talk. Hence every one, whether of a serious or a merry turn of mind, is assured of an instructive and enjoyable time. NEW YORK CITY PARTY ACTIVITIES OPEN AIR MEETINGS, Friday, Oct. 3. 10th St. and 2nd Ave.—C. Brodsky, M. Milland, Mary Hartman, Weinstone. 106th St. and Madison Ave.—Kate Git- low and A. Markoff. 110th St. and 5th Ave.—W. Weinstone and J. S. Poyntz. i 163rd and So. Blvd.—M. Undjus, S. Pol- lack, R. Saltzman. 138th and Brook Ave.—John Marshall, Baum. 139th and St. Anns Ave.—Mrs. Nevins, Joe Padgug. Brooklyn. Grand and Roebling Sts.—S. Nesin and Krumbein. Graham and Varet St.—Ben Levy, M. Gordon, in Yiddish. ie Eyck and Union—I. Potash, Geo. ‘Stone and Pitkin Aves.—A. ‘Trachten- berg, F. Warshefsky. Saturday, October 4th. 110th St. Row J 6th Ave.—J. S. Poyntz A. Markoff. 106th St. and Madison Avenue—J. 8S. Poyntz and A. Markoff. Longwood and Prospect Avenue—J. Brahdy. Brooklyn. Grand Street Extension—S. Nesin and Ben Le vy. Stone and Pitkin Aves.—A Trachten- berg and Arenoff. Douglass and Pitkin—Ben. Lifschitz and 8. Felshin. Union Hill, N. J, Saturday, Oct. 11—Morgan and Bergen- line Ave.: Weinstone. Passaic. Friday, Oct. 10—Main and Jefferson sf. Speaker to be announced. Perth Amboy, Simon Felshin. , Party Activities Of Local Chicago ~ Branch Meetings Thursday, October 2. 1ith Ward Italian, 2439 S. Oakley Blvd. Pe patil Karl Marx, 2733 Hirsch vd. City Executive Committee, Room 303, 166 W. Washington St. ui South Slavic No. 1, 1806 S. Racine St. Le Sg Imperial Hall, 2409 N. Halsted e | tres 81st Ward Italian, 511 N. Sangamon St. South Side English, 3201 W. Division St. Russian No, 1, 1902 W. Division St. Friday, October 3, Ukrainian No, 2, 10701 Stephenson Ave. Polish North Side, 1902 W. Division St. Lithuanian No. 41, 4138 Archer Ave. Freiheit Mandolin Orchestra rehearsal, North Wood St., near Division. Italian, Cicero, Circolo Glovanile Hall, 14th between Sist Ave. and 50th Ct. paneete, Club House, 3420 W. Roosevelt Rad., D. P. Jewish. ae Cotta Italian, 2475 Clybourn Ave., lor. Mid-City lish, Emmett Memorial {iall, Ogden rm Taylor St. Englewood, 6414 S. Halsted St. Cz.-Slovak 2548 S. Homan Ave, Frethelt Si 'Soctety, 3420 W Roose- yelt Road, parrot tonight. Greek Branch, 722 Blue Island Ave. YOUNG WORKERS LEAGUE ACTIVITIE: Thursday, October 2, fe ranch, a Maplewood Branch; 2733 Hirsch Blvd. Sat, Oct. 4.—Russian performance at the Soviet School, 1902 West Pegi sion St. Society for Technical Soviet Russia. WORKERS’ STRAW VOTE THE DAILY WORKER, 1113 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, Ill. The workers employed in the MOP OF csrssovsnnceresssesnecrerons whave taken a straw vote ‘on the presidential candidates, and the vote was as follows: WM. Z. FOSTER sss VOCCBS LAFOLLETTE susnsrnmen VOOR} Workers Party DAVIS .. veveeone VOTERS Democratic Party No Party COOLIDGE vivissimsinnn Votes. Republican Party \ certify that this report is correct: NAMES cssscccosssoocorsotnsnsnssnensnsvonsssssonesssesusnnssnuesvesnensaneecsssoessoonnst AAAPOGGS seecescossessorsesssssensensosossevsnonsooscesessnsnscioncnenssessesssnsestssessnssneenesocsnoannesonooscooesootone |letter to us for the name and address | ism is Dead—Long Live LaFollette.” | Thursday, October 2, 1924 EDUCATION NOT NECESSARY, SAYS NORMAN THOMAS Debate with Cannon (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, Oct. 1. — Norman Thomas, socialist and progressive candidate for governor, in a letter made public today, evades an offer to discuss his support of LaFollette. Mr. Thomas was recently challenged to debate by James P. Cannon, Work- ers Party candidate for governor, on the following topic: “Resolved that LaFollette does not represent the in- terests of the workers.” The reply reads as follows: To Busy to Debate. “My dear Mr. Cannon: If you will get the candidates of the old parties to participate in a general discussion lof the best way to promote the in |terests of the workers of America, | shall be glad to take part in it. I will not take part during this campaign in any debate on socialist vs. Commun- ist tactics. The tactics of the socialist party for this campaign have been decided upon after pretty careful dis- cussion. For me to pause in an ag- gressive effort to carry them out in order to carry on a kind of family quarrel with you or the socialist labor party candidate who has also invited me to debate, would be, in my judg- ment, an unwarranted expenditure of time and energy. “Sharply as I disagree with you on many very important points of tactics and social method, I have felt that I had a more valuable service to render at this time than by making public at- tacks on you er the Workers Party. I gather that your party has not shared this view of therequirementsot the situation, for your speakers at the street corner meetings, which I have listened to, spend most of their time not in any attack upon the present social order bit upon the socialist par- ty, Senator LaFollette, Ramsay Mac- Donald, and others. “After the campaign is over and the demands on my time are less, I shall be willing to consider arrange- ments for a general discussion on the issues between socialists and Com- munists under proper auspices. Until then I suggest that you may well be satisfied with the Nearing-London de- bate. Even if I thought the kind of debate you suggest would be a useful campaign measure, I should think that the Nearing-London debate ought to cover the question so far as this cam- paign is concerned. Very truly yours, NORMAN THOMAS, Socialist Candidate for Governor.” Eva Important Issue. Commenting upon the apparent un- willingness of Thomas to meet the issue, Cannon says: “It is most surprising that Mr. Thomas as a representative of the socialist party cannot find the time during his cam- Paign to discuss before a working class audience, the reason for its com- Plete disavowal of the Policy it has followed for, the last 20 years or more. As late as the year 1920, the socialist party platform declared that the mid- dle,class, which LaFollette represents, are “staunch upholders of the exist- ing order of social inequailties,’ “Mr. Eugene V. Debs in the New York Call of June 18, 1912, declared: “What difference is there, judged by what they stand for, between Taft, Roosevelt,. LaFollette, Harmon, Wil- son, Clark and Bryan? Do they not all alike stand for the private owner- ship of industry and the wage slavery! of the working class? The last con- vention of the socialist party came out in favor of the recognition of So- viet Russia. Lefollette excludes this trom his platform entirely. LaFollette, whom Thomas supports, has endorsed reactionary candidates of both repub- lican and democratic parties, altho in 1920 the socialist party declared that ‘both the republican and democratic’ parties are the political instruments of the master classes.’ to the Nearing-London debate, we pro- pose to present to the workers our position on LaFollette as expressed by an official representative of the Workers Party. Assuredly Mr. Thomas has much to explain to the workers. One can interpret his evas- jon of my offer only as an indication to|that both he’ and the socialist party, cannot and will not defend their con- duct before a working class audi- ence,” Cannon will be the principal speaker at a mass meeting on Thursday eye- ning, Oct. 2 at Hunt's Point Palace, 163 St, and Southern Boulevard. On Friday, Oct, 3 he speaks at the Queens County Labor Lyceum, 785 Forest Ave., Brooklyn, and on Saturday, Oct, 4 at Oddfellows’ Hall, 72 North way, Yonke’ Pe Se THE CAMPAIGN FU Ten ‘dollars collected by each mente would mean $250, Collecting campa. f ing tor socamPaign funds meane a Dunne’s Dates W. Frankf Iil.—October 16, istopher, —Oc' x peru inate Louis, M * i, evening.” Declines Challenge to : In reference.