The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 25, 1925, Page 4

MY ; Pape Four MR MR AR oe 8 ame W.P. CAMPAIGN SPEAKERS MEET: PLAN FOR FIGHT New York Communists Organize Forces By J. 0. BENTALL (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, Sept. 23—Twenty- five comrades responded to a call for a meeting of speakers to be used in the mayoralty campaign for the pur- pose of listening to instructions and an outline of the course of action given by Bertram D. Wolfe who is in charge of the agitprop department of the Workers Party and also manager of the present campaign. Issues Are Analyzed. Comrade Wolfe made a clear analy- | sis of the issues of the campaign and pointed out in a lucid manner the Communist method of approach and | attack in the campaign now under) way. | He showed how the capitalist can- didates were used against each other for the purpose of muddling the is- sués before the workers and mislead them into voting for the one that would suit the capitalists best, that there was little difference between them but that the most servile tool was to be given preference. Waterman for Big Biz. Waterman, the repuofican candi- date, Wolfe showed, is a wealthy man- ufacturer who is bluntly outspoken in favor of big business, He has nothing to lose by failing of election, but is willing to run as the representative of black reaction, backed by President Coolidge and the whole republican machine. Walker Choice of Tammany. Walker is the choice of Tammany, and entirely satisfactory to the Wall Street crowd. He is backed by Gov- ernor Smith and the efftire traction interests, and will in all lkelihood be elected. His legislative record was dealt with and should be dealt with in the campaign, showing his vote on all labor bills that some before the as- sembly since he became a member of the state legislative body. Mayor Hylan, who lost out in the primary, should be analyzed whether he runs on an independent ticket or not. His main campaign material was and will be the 5 cent street car fare. Comrade Wolfe showed that Hylan did not fight for the 5. cent fare because he wanted to save the workers from paying 8 or 10 cents, but because he thereby served the big real estate sharks who are depending on cheap transportation to outlying territory for high price of their property and the possibility of keeping up high rents in distant portions of the city. In strikes and in all matters touching the work- ers Hylan has shown himself entirely on the side of the master class. Announce Policy Toward Thomas. Norman Thomas, socialist candi- date, should be dealt with not only as a person of inferior understanding of} the class warfare, but he should be linked up with the whole socialist movement with its history of betray- als and murders that rival the black- est deeds of the capitalists in the persecution and exploitation of the workers. In fact, all theygandidates should be dealt with in (#@ main as types showing where they get their backing and giving a history of the role which they have played in the struggle between capital and mbor. In contrast with these capitalist candidates Benjamin Gitlow, a typi- cal worker, a fighter unafraid who has been loyal to the working class and suffered imprisonment and faced with new imprisonment for his activities in behalf of his own class, The Work- ers Party whifie it does not emphasize the individual, said Wolfe, may well take advantage of the fact that Com- rade Gitlow represents that which is} strongest and staunchest and most! intelligent in the revolutionary ele- ment of the working class, and we need not be ashamed of having a jailbird for candidate but rather proud of it. Plan Handling of Hecklers, Comrade Wolfe then took up de- tailed matters in conducting meeting, | how to handle hecklers, answer ques- tions and emphasize special topies that come up, using as an example the case of Shapurji Saklatvala, which will be dealt with now while it is! fresh, Must Understand Problems. Comrade Trachtenberg opened the discussion which followed. He show- ed the importance to the speakers of a clear understanding of the problems to be discussed during the campaign. He advised that no one answer ques- tions who were not fully prepared to do so, and suggested that one com- rade at each meeting be assigned to answer questions in order that there may bé no confusion, Brahdy, Dar- cey, Nesin, Chrover, Bentall and Statchel took part in the discussion. This was the first attempt to get available speakers together for a con- }of class lines. THE DAILY WORKER ARTICLE Vil. By ROBERT MINOR HE reorganization of the Workers Party constitutes a change from the organizational basis of -the old American socialist party to the or- ganizational basis on which the Rus- sian Communist Party is built. The present structural form of our party is basically the same as that of the old socialist party. The basic unit is the branch composed of those members speaking the same language and residing within the same general residence neighborhood. The pecu- liarity of the residence basis of or- ganization is two-fold: 1, It conforms to the basis of the parliamentary elections. 2. It (the structural form) has no |relation to the proletarian class na- ture of the party. The present form of our organiza- tion is more or less sufficjent to par- ticipate in the elections~-without any particular attention to, the quéstion The. division into 18 language sections is good fot purpos- es of abstract educational activities and social entertainments. The whole form was evolved in a certain his- torical period to meet What were then conceived to be the needs of the work- ing class party. This organizational form was and remains in accord with the political theories of the socialist party. Edu- cation would bring the working class (and the petty bourgeoisie) to a be- lief in socialism, and the parliament- ary elections would bring the co-op- erative commonwealth into existence. Political conditions in which the American and Western European par- ties grew up (legal existence, “demo- cratic” forms, the franchise, etc.) led to the development of the type of par- ty conforming to the political system of the capitalist state. Different political conditions in which the Russian party developed (the prohibition of all working class gether every day in the factory at their employment. The formation of the working class revolutionary party in Russia inevitably took the outline of the workshop as the outline of the basic unit of the party—the shop nu- cleus. Necessity had brought the Russian party to the best type of organization, while the rest of the parties lagged behind with an inferior form, HE development of history in this period of the decay of capitalist organization, lack of political fran- chise, etc.) led to a different basis of organization. Workers could not hold meetings in public halls; yet the same workers were of necessity drawn to- “democratic” institutions and of the proletarian revolution, has created in all industrial countries of the world the essential conditions which now compel the reorganization of all sec- tions of the revolutionary party in the higher form, on the basis of shop nuclei. It is not a question of exact copy- ing of the detail of a party form which evolved in another country at another time, not the blind effort to do something only because our, Rus- sian comrades did it. The, reasons compelling the adoption of the shop nucleus form are as compelling for America today as the somewhat dif- ferent reasons were for the Russians. The Russian experience produced a form of organization which present circumstances prove to be necessary for the American party. (Also for all of the other sections of the Inter- national.) In this period it becomes glaringly clear that an organizational structure which serves only for ab- stract educational activities, for as- sembling mass meetings in a ponder- splendid director and a keen analyst of the situation and created much en- thusiasm among the comrades who have volunteered their services as speakers in the campaign, New bulle- tins will be published for the speak- ers with data and directions so that the campaign may be carried on in a systematic and effective manner, A spirit of fine co-operation pervad- ed the entire conference, and this force of twenty-five, to be augmented present fighting strength that will challenge capitalism and arouse the workers to greater struggle in their battle for the overthrow of the pres- ent robber system and the setting up of a workers’ republic. Wrap your lunch in a copy of the DAILY WORKER and give it (the DAILY WORKER, not the lunch) to your shop-mate. NAME ADDRESS: AMOUNT OF DONATION ference, and Statchel expressed satis- faction with the fine turnout and promised that fifteen or twenty more would be present at the next meeting, which will take place at 2 p, m. next Saturday, . The Daily Worker Comrade Wolfe proved to be aj. Ne by approximately as many more, will} MANY MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS IN PARTY'S REORGANIZATION DRIVE The dates of Workers (Commun- ist) Party membership meetings ar- ranged in the party’s reorganization campaign are as follows: District Date 1, Boston—Sept. 27. 2. New York—Sept, 25. 8. Philadelphia—Sept 26, 4, Buffalo—Oct, 4, 5. Pittsburgh—Sept, 25. 6. Cleveland—Sept. 27. 7. Detroit—Sept, 27. 8. Chicago—Oct. 7. Minneapolis—Sept. 27. 15. Connecticut—Oct. 4. An organization tour of the west- ern districts is being planned by the C. E, C. Seattle, Portland, Tacoma, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other party centers of the west will arrange mass membership meetings to be addressed by a rep- resentative of the Central Executive Committee. ous and haphazard way, and for par- ticipation in elections according to forms laid down by the capitalist state, is not a structure which can constitute itself the leading organ of the proletarian revolution. A party structure which is not, and in its present form cannot be, centralized, and which is therefore, incapable of immediate mobilization for specific tasks, incapable of discipline, incap- able of homogenebus ideology, is ut- terly inadequate. J . Our pattywaemattor what its pro- gram and ideology, is structurally an imitation of a social-democratic party HE proletariat does not derive its strength solely from its numbers. It is thru concentration in the fac- tories that the revolutionary capaci- ties of the working class are brot to their highest point. The proletariat has not always existed. It is a dis- tinct product of modern conditions of production. Marx wrote in the Com- munist Manifesto: “Masses of la- borers, crowded into the factory, are organized like soldiers.” (Organized for production, by the capitalists.) The isolated sheep herder on a lonely hill top may work for “wages,” but he and his unknown fellows are not the proletarians who will lead the revolu- tion. Only when the sons of former independent -- artisans and peasants (and even of ruined petty bourgeois) are rooted out of their former condi- tion, drawn into modern industry where they can live only thru the sale of their labor power, it is only then that we have a working class. “But not only has the bourgeoisie forged the weapons that bring death to itself; it has also called into ex- istence the men who are t6 wield those weapons—the modern working class—the proletarians.” In the Communist Manifesto, Marx also speaks of “This organization of the proletarians into a class, and con- sequently into a political party.” The capacity of the workers to form their revolutionary party arises out of their concentration in modern large industry. It is not strange that a revolutionary party whose structure is built in almost complete disregard of the lines of concentration of the working class—built in fact, in struc- tural imitation of the democratic parties of a previous revolutionary class, the bourgeoisie—should be un- able to constitute itself the leader of the working class in the period of pro- letarian revolution. In this period the Communist Party must shift to Bolshevik Reorganization the basis which conforms to the lines of concentration of the fvorking class. F the reorganization of the party were undertaken with the idea that it is a “purely organizational mat- ter,” the reorganization would be a complete failure, No mechanical change can Bolshevize a party. A menshevik party could also exist on the basis, mechanically, of shop nu- clei. t But the shop nucleus system lays the basis upon which ‘the political Bolshevization of the party becomes possible. The structural reorganiz- ation must be conceived asva part of the process of political transformation of the party. Correctly conceived and: executed, the reorganization to the shop nu- cleus basis accelerates, and is a part of, a deep-going political change. The C. BE. C. deliberately plans that the ideology of the party shall be “reor- ganized” no less than the party struc ture. The two tasks are inseparable. The Communist International does not disguise the fact that it seeks de- liberately to throw the weight of con- trol of each of its sections into the hands of the Communist workers in the basic industries. This alone gives the basis for a change in the ‘poli- tical ideology *of the party. One does not have to solve a mystery to know that if there were a party with the Communist name but with its center of gravity among a membership of small merchants, doctors, lawyers and independent artisans, it would not re- spond to the same fieology as would a party whose major anad dominant composition is of wage workers in large industry. To go a step further, a party whose center of gravity lay in the stratum of highly skilled work- ers enjoying a standard of living equal to that of the petty bourgeoisie, would not react in exactly the same way as would a party having its cen- ter of gravity among a membership who are of the masses of workers in the heavy industries. Of course, the raw, “spontafieous” reaction of the workers of whatever stratum, un- ouched with Communist training, are not Communism; nor do we mean to slacken in the slightest degree the 2ffort to win the most highly skilled workers to the Communist Party. But the masses of the unprivileged stra- tum of the working class are the absolutely necessary soil for the tap- roots of a Communist Party. The shop nucleus system shifts the center of gravity of the party toward the party membership composed of proletarians in the workshops, parti- cularly those who are. c@hentrated in the heavy industries: * It is not too much to say that this “structural” change constitutes the basis for a political change—the Bol- shevization of the party. “2A flash of light has already been thrown upon this fact by the experience we have had even at this early stage of the beginning of the organization of shop nuclei. When the work had only pro- gressed to an infinitessimal degree (previous to the party convention), we already had a chance jto see the different reactions of the, shop nuclei as compared to the reactions of the membership in the most,.typical of the old forms of party units. The overwhelming majority of the shop nu- clei reflected the Communist outlook that was to be found in the party, rejecting sectarianism and opportun- ism alike. The shop nucleus is not a cure-all. We cannot say of it, as is said of a famous patent medicine, “It works while you sleep.” The Bolshevik form of party structure is a powerful in- strument only if its is in the hands of energetic, resourceful Bolsheviks, who drive the instrument into effec- tive action. ——$—$—__— CHAUFFEUR TELLS DAILY WORKER HOW CHICAGO YELLOW TAXI CAB COMPANY DRIVES ITS DRIVERS The following letter was received member of the Workers Party. from a Yellow Taxi Cab driver not a He requests us to publish it in the DAILY WORKER for the information of our readers, 7 The Letter To the DAILY WORKER: I am one of the many thousands that have been in the employ of the Yellow Cab Co. of Chicago as a driver and find from my experiences that they are the cheapest and rottenest in this line of business. They have the largest labor turn over of any company here, as their average pay is about $20 a week for six long days of abuse. A driver is required to have two licences, state and city, uniforms costing consider- able—they are even so cheap, they make the men pay for the gas they HELP THE STRIKING SEAMEN! Send All Funds to MARINE TRANSPORT WORKERS!’ UNION No, 510, |. W. W. 105 Broad Street, New York City. 3 aot ed FREES burn looking for fares, and it often takes all the tips received in a day. As to salaries, there are. none other than the 30 cents on the’dollar com- mission, ; If the people of Chicago knew the truth they would surely stéer clear of the Yellow cabs. The men don’t stay long enuf to make competent chaut- feurs. The majority are taught by the company school which breaking them in on th a few days they are reatly for work, They employ a slugging crew Whose Job is to slug drivers from other com- panies. They act as tho they own the streets because they stand in with the right politicians, They maintain they own the court of justice and it is a common occurrance for them to beat up drivers so bad that they re- quire hospital attention. They also employ stool pigeons which are known as canaries who Ring $5 per week for their dirty work. % I am sending this legter to the only true workers paper in Chicago for the information of the workers so that when they read Yellow Cab ads in the paid press they will know what the Job offers for them, > Yours for workers dlidarity, sc Br 300 SLOVENIAN DELEGATES HEAR COMMUNIST TALK Ruthenberg Outlines the Party’s Program WAUKEGAN, Sept. 23.—The great- er part of the 300 delegates who are here for the national convention of the Slovenian National Benefit So- ciety attended a mass meeting ad- dressed by C. E. Ruthenberg, general secretary of the Workers Party, at which the Communists’ achievements in Russia and the Communist program in the United States was outlined. The meeting was arranged by the Communist fraction in the Slovenian National Benefit Society convention, working under the direction of the South Slavic section of the Workers Party. The subject of Comrade Ruthen- berg’s speech was “America and Rus- sia Today.” The speaker contrasted America’s boasted “democracy” with the workers’ democracy which exists in Russia today and showed how the | ‘workers in the factories elect their representatives to the Soviets and that these representatives are in close contact with the workers whose in- terests they are to defend and must continually report to them. This was contrasted with the sham democracy of the United States which really, as the speaker declared, was a mask for the dictatorship of the capitalists. “The Russian workers and peas- ants,” the speaker declared, “have the highest form of ‘democracy that has ever existed—workers’ democracy ex- pressing itself as a dictatorship of the proletariat.” The speaker then turned to the si- all working class organizations, ‘on a of a labor party, recognition of Soviet a committee to take up the political tion. “After a careful analysis of the conditions, we find that the only can- didates in the fleld representing the interests of laboy are the socialist and the Communist. “We believe that you as a socialist and a candidate for the office of may- or, will appreciate the neceéssity of a united front campaign of our forces. “The committee feels that it.should not be a very difficult task for us to find a common ground to unite on in this campaign. As a basis for nego- tiation, the committee offers’ the fol- lowing program for your .considera- tion: Labor Party. “1. The organization of ,a labor party for Toledw, to be formed of the labor unions and all workers’ po- litical and fraternal organizations. “2. We shall lend every.aid to strengtt.Jning union labor, to organize the unorganized regardless of race, color, or creed, “3. We stand for thé elimination of all child labor. In order that work- ers may send their children to school instead of the shops, we demand full maintenance for all workers’ children attending school. Demand Soviet Recognition. “4,. Unemployment is created by capitalism and the unemployed work- ers are then used to lower the wages of the employed. We demand work and workers’ control of public utilities. “The Workers (Communist) Party at its last regular meeting appointed Toledo in the present muncipal elec- + \ to Sp AOR |WORKERS PARTY OF TOLEDO CALLS *.5 FOR UNITED FRONT OF WORKING © CLASS PARTIES IN CITY CAMPAIGN (Spectat to’ The Dally Worker) TOLEDO, Ohio, Sept. 23—A special committee elected at the last meeting of the Workers (Contmpnist) Party of Toledo, Thomas Devine, so¢ialist candidate for mayor, calling for a united front. of sent a letter to program which included organization Russia, release of class war prisoners, The letter is given in full below: situation confronting the workers of — or full union wages for all unemploy- ed so as to increase the standard of living of all workers, 5. We demand the abolition of the injunction in all labor disputes and that the police and militia shall be used to assist the workers to get a better living instead of assisting the capitalists to rob the workers. “6. We demand the release of all workers still imprisoned for, their, po- litical beliefs or their activity in. be- half of the workers. “7, We demand the recognition of Soviet Russia by the United States, and also demand the establishment of trade relations with Soviet Russia. “8, We demand municipal owner- ship of all public utilities with work- ers’ control. United Front Action, “You no doubt understand that both organizations disagree fundamentally in principle, and would reserve the right to criticise, but that should not. serve-as a barrier to united action at the polls. “The Workers (Commnist) Party would appreciate an early reply as to what extent you agree with the above proposition, and hopes that a confer- ence may be arranged in the very near future.” allt ae / 5. tuation in Russian industry where the workers, thru the trade unions and thru their factory committees have a voice in all phases of management, direction, hours of work and wages. Czars of American Industry “In American industry we still have the rule of the czars and kaisers of industry who hire and fire at will. The czars of industry dictate wages and working conditions. Russian workers are no longer sub- ject to the whims of exploiters. They have won their rights in industry. They are not fired or laid off at the will of a boss. Thru their industrial trade unions and thru their factory committees they have achieved a po- sition of equality in industry.” The speaker showed that the victor- ies.of the Russian workers has been won thru the Communist Party of Russia. It was the Communist Party that stood in the forefront of the struggle ag the point of danger which led the workers to victory and was leading the workers in the building of a social system in Russia. Contrasting Russia under the lead- ership of the Communist Party with Germany, where the socialists had the opportunity to take power in 1918, Comrade Ruthenberg showed the be- trayals of the socialist party leaders “The socialist party produced a Noske to shoot down the revolutionary work- ers and to murder Luxemburg and Liebknecht. The socialist policies in Germany have had the net results for the workers in the election of Hindenburg in the last presidential election.” Ask Questions A lively debate followed the meet- ing. Many questions were asked. Delegate Kobe of Duluth wanted to know what program the Workers (Communist) Party had to unite the workers in their struggles against capitalism, to which Comrade Ruthen- berg replied that the Workers (Com- munist) Party had persistently fought for a united front of the workers in their immediate struggles. He pointed to the labor party as the means of uniting the workers for the fight against capitalism and to develop class consciousness and a class strug- gle against capitalism, At the close of the meeting a col- lection of $37.81 was taken up for the DAILY WORKER. ' This mass meeting which was at- tended by the great part of the dele- gates to the convention is expected to have its results in relation to the debate on resolutions before the con- vention for recognition of Soviet Rus- sia, for endorsement of the formation of a labor party, endorsement of the International Labor Defense. The Slovenian Benefit Society has in the past been officially on record 4s supporting the socialist party. One of the resolutions proposed by the Communist fraction points out the be- trayal of the workers by the socialist party. It call for the endorsement of the Communist International on an international scale and support of the Workers (Communist) Party in the United States. The convention is ex- pected to last at least another week before it finishes its business, SPECIAL MEETING OF RUSSIAN BRANCH TONIGHT, SEPT, 24 A special meeting of the Russian branch of the Workers Party will be held Thursday, Sept. 24, at 8 p, m., at 1902 W. Division St. The reorganization of the party will be discussed, the | The | FAIRY TALES FOR WORKERS CHILDREN Be | ae a4: BY HERMINIA ZUR MUHLEN TRANSLATED BY IDA DAILES ° With color plates and cover designs by LYDIA GIBSON. 75c Duroflex Covers $1.25 Cloth Bound THE DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 1113 'W. Washington Blvd. Chicago, Ill. 25 Cents a Copy $2.00 $1.25 * Six Mos. $2.50 Foreign 1113 W. 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