The Daily Worker Newspaper, July 4, 1926, Page 6

rege Si bar ait ee AE DATE eae | WHO NEEDS THE eB E statements to which Comrade Losovsky refers were published in the “Sunday Worker,” organ of the left wing in the British trade unions, in its issue of June 13, In | statement but Tillett’s name his article he includes Ben Tillett among the signers of the does not appear in that issue of the “Sunday Worker” in connection with the statement. } We publish in connection with Comrade Losovsky’s article, the editorial comment of the “Sunday Worker” published-in the same issue jn which the statement in ques- tion appeared. PJZIACH and all of us carefully fol- lowed up the development of the {great British strike, and it is with the {greatest intentness that we are now watching the miners fight from day to day. The big strike and its little ‘leaders will long serve as an object for study for the workers everywhere who will learn from their example how not to conduct a strike. What is most valuable for anyone 4n-j terested in the fate of the internation- jal labor movement is the evidence of jthose who participated in the strike jand particularly of the members of |the general council which brought such a splendid strike to such a shameful close. The statement issued ‘by the general council members after the strike should explain to every worker how this happened; that is the main thing agitating each and every one of us. That is why particular interest at- taches to what the three left general council members, Swales, George Hicks and Bef Tillet, wrote to “Com- rades, national and international” in Lansbury’s Weekly. S one reads interest changes to indignation and that is the feel- ing the reader takes away. That is because when you take up this state- ment of theirs you look for one thing and find another; you look for the liv- ing word of eye-witnesses, the truth about what happened, and find—well, this wonderful document had best be left to speak for itself: “The general strike has ended, having served the purpose of urgent and necessary defense. It was the first great effort to command a mighty movement of/ sympathy to- wards one section of the commun- ity who, up to the expression of na- tional resentment, labored under conditions in the mines of absolute penury. Scores of thousands of men working a whole week were forced to obtain parish relief. “fVXHE government and their satel- lites met our gesture of comrade- ship with an armed force: naval, military, police and volunteer; com- manded the most lethal modern weapons of warfare and organized from Land’s End to John o’ Croats for the purposes of repression—and massacre if opportunity presented. To that the British trade union movement met a determined refus- al of labor which not merely ar- rested the organic trades but para- lyzed all industry from Land’s End to John 0’ Croa' The government and the employers, even after our courageous gesture of peace, have with wiliness and chicanery en- deavored to misrepresent the logi- cal meaning of our act as being one of surrender. How meanly false this cowardly travesty of the truth is will be obvious in a few weeks, if not in a few days. “MNVHE distinct lessons arising eut of the dispute a “Firstly, er and co in our niversity or slum, it demon- strated the power the trade union r commands over indu: ces, er 1 a virulent and t press and ar- ulation of poisonous srepresentations which rested its ci lies and m only capitalist organs appear to be capable of, A “Finally, it brought together every class of wage-worker in one com- mon bond of sympathy. It aroused internationally every worker on the continents of Europe and America and our own colonies. It brought forth from the Russian trade union movement a spontaneous gesture of goodwill, 3 “And if, during the last few days, voices could be heard in our own ranks recognizing as a “wrongful act” the beautiful and -magnificent wanting. It is true that the strike was a great “demonstration of pow- jer”; it is wrong to say however that lit “served the purpose of urgent and necessary defense.” It is correct that the “government and their satellites met the workers gesture of comrade- |ship with an armed force”; correct, ‘too, that the “strike showed the eco- nomic grip of the workers upon all industries”; correct, further, that they “closed a virulent lying capitalist press”; but it is wrong to depict the calling off of the strike as a “cour ageous gesture of peace.” It is still more incorrect, too, to charge the government and the em- ployers with showing willingness in “endeavoring to misrepresent the logi- cal (!) meaning of our act (i.e. the capitulation) as being one of surren- der.” Does that mean that the gen- eral council did not capitulate? we to take it that it concluded an “honorable peace?” Odd that nobody has noticed their honorable peace as yet! All three of them protest against the “cowardly travesty of the truth,” In this question the “cowardly traves- Are | ty” les fot with the government and the employers, but at: the|door of those who wanted by cig rook to rep- resent what was a Wef@at as a vic- tory, at T is true further that the strike “brought forth from the Russian trade union movement a spontaneous gesture of goodwill,” but it is wrong to leave it at that and say nothing, not a single werd, about the way that fraternal gesture of goodwill came to naught because of the “courageous gesture of peace” the general council made. Isn’t it strange that even on this question these three could not find the courage to cafl.a spade a spade? 5 I think we can stoppat these ex- amples; they revealj the true char- acter of their statememt in which there follows behind each® plain and gen- erally admitted t1 a series of wrong, false and wetic. aver- ments. UT this declarati not only becau: therein but mainly ¢ cause of what ha interesting what is said d ‘primarily be- 1) A. Lozovsky, secretary; 5) Dimitrov (Bulgaria); action of the whole of the working class of Great Britain, do not be de- eeived by it. It is but a sign of weakness in some of our people against which we must all fight and which we must overcome. “Without wishing to minimize the meaning of words (!), the stupid in- sistence of the employers to force an admission of wrongful acts was more a sign of their weakness (7?) than of ours. Our own comrades and our own membership will neither be bullied nor sidetracked from their purpose. The employers must realize the workers’ camarad- erie. It is up to them not to chal- lenge that in the future by their own capitalist. wrongful acts, because we feel assured that our class, having demonstrated its oneness, will again prove a national and international oneness and courage in aim and in purpose. The capitalists must real- | ize that the right to live and the | right to greater citizenship are | Tights above any pettyfogging law.” | (Emphasis ours.) iT" = first question that naturally | arises after carefully reading this statement it: What is it for, who on {earth needs this sort of declarations? | What were these three general coun- |cil members aiming at when they is- |sued this statement? An analysis of |their statement will provide the an- | swer. In the statement there are true |statements and statements that are {plainly wrong, but the main thing is | But When It Lands? Ye (From Proletarska Pravda.) Pilsudski’s Pleasant Journey on His Gentle Steed “Dictatorship.” 2) Monmoseau (France); 6) Andre Nin (Spain); Go-Po (China), 3) Jim Larkin (Ireland); 7) William Z. Foster (U. eon left unsaid. 4) Jovani Jermanetto (Italy); 8. 8) Pollitt (England); 9) Van ORK ER:.- a seecte lememareenea P bain SE DECLARATIONS? - - A tew days after this great strike, when the results of the capitulation had been ascertained, the authors of that same capitulation forget to tell how “a demonstration of power” was trahsformed into the greatest demon- stration of impotency ever seen. They forget to tell us who, and why, brot the whole thing to debacle. More; they even try to defend this incredible capitulation by qualifying as “a cour- ageous (!) gesture of peace” what the English worker calls treachery and cowardice. Again, the miners are still out; are they in the right or not? Should they identify themselves with the general council's “courageous ges- ture of peace” or continue the strug- gle? Should the miners be supported or not? How it is possible at a time when a million workers are out on strike for such a question to be passed over in silence? RECISELY by doing that, this statement addressed to all and but in the General Council. still want bread. And, while Here is your chance. Jane Twenty-Fifth We regret it because the workers are going to punish the leaders who let them down, and Hicks and Purcell have not said a word so far to show that in the treachery of May 12 they are not in a united front with J. H. Thomas. Perhaps Hicks and Purcell are preparing to show by deeds what they don’t like saying in words. Well, there is an opportunity still, before June 25, when the Conference of Trade Union Executives assembles. Purcell says: “The class war still goes on.” Hicks says: “The condi- tions that made the general strike . . a million miners are still locked out. Their wives and children. “By A. Lozousky Ms = : sundry whitewashes the shameful ac- tion of the e@meral council in the strike. It directs and focuses the minds of the workers.on what is a false road; with fine-sounding phrases it patches over the crassest treachery and cowardliness; it justifies a crime committed against the working class of Great Britain. We are not so greatly interested in what these three general council mem- bers wanted to say, but what they printed cannot fail to call forth deep indignation in every honest worker. The “Sunday Worker” is wrong, a thousand times wrong, when it ac- claims and welcomes this statement issued by Swales, Hicks and Tillet. Declarations like this can only dis- credit those signing them, What, the British and the international proleta- riat needs is not self-illusions or hec- tie declarations of this sort, but #he naked, the unadorned, the outspoken truth, In this issue we print articles by George Hicks and Purcell. We regret very much, for their own sakes, that they confine themselves to speaking of the “unsuspected weaknesses ° and “many casualties” revealed by the general strike, without making clear that the weakness was not among the workers . still ewist.” Quite true: German, Butch, dnd French transport workers are waiting on Britain, British railwaymen and dockers are still handling scab coal. (Indeed, Cook tells us that the N. U. R. and A. 8. informed the government of their “willingness” !) Cook has appealed to all “Trade Unionists to enforce an embargo upon all coal.” The transport workers and railwaymen behind the miners, and the whole trade union movement behind them dll: that is the way to win, it is the way the workers are going, and a fight for these slogans, in speeches, articles, and in commit- tee, is the least they ewpect of leaders! L. BE. F. leaders have actually —Sunday Worker, June 13. American “Democracy” in Action By C, E. Ruthenberg. General Sec’y, Workers (Communist) Party The Workers Party will not foster the Illusion, as is done by the yellow So- cialists and ~ Re- formists. that the workers can a- chieve their eman- cipation from the oppression and ex- ¥ ploitation of cap- italism thru the election of a majority of the members of the legislative bodies of the capitalist government and the executive officials of that government, and by using the exist- ing government to establish the new social order, The Constitution of the United States was so drafted as to protect the interests of the exploiters of the workers. The merchants, the bank- ers, the land-owners of 1787 wrote into the Constitution provisions which they hoped would forever pro- tect the interests of their class. A majority of the people of the United States cannot change the Constitution. The vote of two-thirds of the members of the legislators of three-fourths of the states is re- quired to pass a_ constitutional amendment. One-fourth of the states, ‘in which there may live only one-fortieth of the population can prevent any change of the funda> mental law of the land. The Constitution contains a series of checks and balances, which are intended to make it impossible for a majority antagonistic to the rul- ing class to make its will effective. The members of the House of Rep- resentatives are elected every two years, the President every four years, the members of the Senate every six years, so that a com- plete change of the government can. be made only through elections spread over six years. The Senate h veto over the decisions of the House, the President can veto the actions of both bodies, and over and above the House, the Senate and the President stands the Supreme Court, which can nullify laws which all three unite in passing. The character of the Constitution as a document intended to protect the bankers and industrial magnates of the country has been clear in many decisions under its provisions.. Child labor laws, laws regulating hours of labor, and protecting the life and health of the workers, and minimum wage laws have been de- clared void. A weapon to strike down organized labor has been found in its clauses as shown in the Coronado decision, In addition to the protection which the Constitution gives to the 6a! barons, railroad kings, and the industrial and financial lords, “millions of workers are disfran- | chised In this country through na- turalization laws. Hundreds of thousands of citizens cannot vote be- cause of residential qualifications, which through the necessity of earn- ing a living make it impossible for the-. to comply with, » The capitalists contro! thousands of newspapers thru which they shape the ideas of the masses in their interests; they contro! the schools, the colleges, the pulpits, the moving-picture theatres, all of which are part of the machinery through which the capitalists shape the minds of the workers. When it serves their purpose the captalists do not hegitate to expell members of the legislative bodies elected by working class votes. This was done in the case of the Socialist members of the Cleveland City Cqun- cil and a member of the School Board. of that city. These repre- sentatives, elected by the workers, were expelled in violation of all law to stifle their protests against the imperialist war. The expulsion of the Socialist assemblymen of New is a case of similar char- Under these conditions to talk of “democracy” is t throw sand into the eyes of the workers. The much-talked of “American Democracy” is a fraud. Such formal democracy ase written into the Constitution at the laws of the country is camouflaged to hide the real character of the dictatorship of the capitalists. + ~ While recognizing¢ the impossi- bility of the work inning their emancipation thru yse of the ma- | chinery of the existing government, the Workers Party gealizes the im- portance of electi campaigns in developing the political conscious- ness of the working-glass. The first step toward revolutionary political action by the working class must be made thru independent political ac- tion by the workers in election cam- paigns. The Workers Party will therefore partici in election campaigns and ave fem for propa- ganda and agitation’'to develop the political consciousness of the work- ers. It will endeavor to rally the work- ers to use their power to make real the rights which the fraudulent American democracy denies them. It will use them to carry on the struggle for the right of labor to create a _ revolutionary political party and for such an organization to function openly in the political life of the country, The Workers Party will also nomi- nate its candidates and enter into election campaigns;to expose the fraudulent char: of capitalist democracy and to carry on the propaganda for the soviets. It will use the election carmpaigns to rally the workers for mass political de- mands upon the cagitalist state. its candidates, when elected to office, will use the forums of. the legisla- tive bodies for the same purpose. —From the Program of the Work- ers (Communist) Party. df aes celebration of the Sesqui-cen- tennial of the American Revolu- tion will be signal for hundreds of speeches in which the achievements of the “fathers” in establishing our “great democracy” will be emphasized. The ruling capitalist class will take full advantage of the occasion to once more spread its propaganda that the Revolution resulted in a government “of the people, for the people and by the people.” In all these poems of praise of our “great government,” the counter- revolution of 1787 will be forgotten. The “embattled farmers” of 1776 to- gether with the artisans from the cities who were the backbone of the revolutionary army undoubtedly were inspired with the ideal of setting up a democratic government. They had been driven to rebellion by unbear- able economic conditions. They saw in independence from Great Britain and a democratic government, their road to freedom from these unbear- able conditions. They fought and won the American Revolution. With them, fought the Southern planters, the landowners, the bankers and the merchants of the colonies who found their economic interests in con- flict with those of the ruling class of Great Britain, The Counter-Revolution, HE victory which the “embattled farmers” and city artisans of 1776 won in the revolutionary struggle against Great Britain was however snatched from their hands. The mer- chants, bankers, landowners ~ and Southern planters organized to pre- vent the realization of the ideals which inspired the masses which"fought and won the Revolution, The Constitutional Convention of 1787 which drafted the Constitution of the United States was the counter- revolution. It was dominated and con- trolled by the merchants, bankers, landowners and Southern planters, who now that the struggle against the ruling class of Great Britain had been won were intent upon organizing a government which would protect their interests against the exploited masses who had been the backbone of the revolutionary army, The Amer- ican constitution was not thé product of the American revolution, but the product of a counter-revolution, The program of the Workers (Com- munist) Party quoted above correctly analyzes the character of the docu- ment which was adopted by the Consfl. tutional Convention and then by hook and crook jammed down the throats of those who had fought for a demo- cratic government in the Revolution.’ American Democracy in Our Day, * HILE the poems of joy celebrating “American Democracy” are ris) from the throats of thousands of ora- tors in the celebration of the Sesqui- . « centennial, history is being written which proves the characterization of that democracy as a “fraud” which appears in the program of the Workers (Communist) Party. Altho the capitalist class is united in its struggle against the exploited workers and farmers it frequently has fallen out between different groups within the capitalist class itself. Then we are often treated to the truth about American democracy. 53 There has been such a falling out on the World Court issue between the interests who are primariily concerned with international loans and invest- ments and those whose interests are in American industry. “The prohibition issue also divides the capitalist class in two groups. As a consequence, we have the pri- mary contest for the Republican nomi- nation in Pennsylvania, and in IMi- nois, and the exposure of the real character of “American Democracy.” Can anyone read the story of cor- ruption and bribery in which over $3,000,000 was spent in order to de- cide the question which capitalist candidate for the nomination for sen ator on the Republican ticket in Penfisylvania should win and have any further illusions about the boasted “American Democracy.” Can anyone read the story of the struggle of nioney bags in the state of Iinois, in which great sums were expended to decide a similar issue and not know that every capitalist 4th of July orator is laughing at the poor boobs who take him seriously, while he utters his poems of joy because of the victory of the “fathers” and thefr achievements in establishing our “American Democ- racy!” Pity There was ‘no free expression of opinion in either of these elections. The various: capitalist groups simply measured their money, bags against each other. The president of the Man- ufacturers Association in Pennsylvania who raised more than a half million and the famous Public Service Cor- poration head in Illinois who is cred- ited with contributing a similar amount were not, thinking of democ- racy, when they handed over the money, but of how mucli it costs to buy an election, The exposure of the crooked meth- ods and stealing of votes in the Chi- cago election which comes simultane- ously with the facts about how the nominations were bought in Pennsyl- vania and Ilinois are simply another sidelight on. “American Democracy.” The American Government was es- tablished as a government of, for, and by the exploiting classes. It has been ever since, such a government, ‘The methods thru which it is maintained as such a government are being writ- ten down for the future histori in he invéstigation from the te committee {n Pennsylvania, and the promised investigation of the election Miinois, © 5 —w The analysis in the program of the (Communist) Party of our! paper in the United States, WITH THE STAFF Being Things From Here and There Which Have Inspired Us to Folly or Frenzy _ Ain't It'the Duce? Mussolini, Mussolini, What have you to say, Except to lower the Wages And jJengthen out the day? For every time your fascists fash Or black shirts blacker get, The lira takes a header And you begin to sweat. eee Modern Miracles The kidnappers kidnapped me, And held me for ransom—so t For Jesus was there in the sage brush, With kidnappers, lizards and such; And 1 ue anybody for libel That that they touched me a touch! es 8 Navy Beans A Haitian bounder named Borno, And the world-seeing U, S, marines, Maintains order and law With John Russell's jaw A la Samson and the Philistines, ae 8 SHE WILL SURELY FIND IT The capitalist press is a weird and wonderfuléthing. It belches volcanic attacks on the Communists for trying “to destroy our god-given institutions that have made the U, S, A. the most happy and peaceful country in the world,“ and then—and then...... On the front page of the Chicago Tribune, Monday, June 28, were ten stories. Over the whole ran an eight column streamer headline screaming —who knows whether in- pleased or pained surprise—‘Kills Her Wooer and Self.” Of the ten stories, the headlines re- flect a cross section of our marvellous capitalist “civilization,” and speak to the reader as follows: “60 Die as They Pray to Escape Rising Waters”— “Battles Police In Street; Shot Ten Times; Dies”-—-Woman, 23, Shoots Her Mother-In-Law to Death’—“Fear Durkin May Escape From Court”— “Play Golf on Sunday, Then Go to Church; Pastor Approves It”—"1 His Wife Also Another's; Arrested”—“Nurse Shoots Durand Cousin at Lake Forest”—“Poisons Girl, Kills Self as Romance Ends”— “Plan to Hold Campaign Fund Hear- ings Here”—“Shoe Shiner With Longest Name in Chicago Dead"— “Husband Hurls Hot Coffee at Wife; Seriously Burned.” And the cartoon of a modern young lady seeking thrills ds entitled, “A Girl is Looking for Trouble.” . . . ’ ’ A an’ ‘Aff Lord Birkenhead has been im- pressed by the British strike suffici- ently to. make the proposal that the number of pickets should be limited and distinguished by badges. From what we learned his lordship was sore because_the general strike wasn’t oworked that way. The scabs were lim- ited and they were distingulshed with badges, chiefly black eyes. Another thing his lordship suggests is that union men’s ballots should be counted in a union election by gov- ernment officials instead of by union officials, to insure that they don’t vote for a strike. His lordship’s sugges- tions aren't necessary in the U. S. The union officials too often have the samé idea. Vide Majah Berry and Bill Green. 2. ‘Way Down Yander in the Co'nfields A new popular song® has been the Iowa farmers, entitled: You Alone.” Suggested Ballad for Embattled Farmers (Tune: “I Called But You Were Out”) With farm relief the senators hav While the fa see ae ing te ehabe the bunch And it's ‘time to close the hand that wields the spade. The farmers say they want relief right Wall, street ators with bellies like a sow Refuse the needed aid And of Coolidge are So it’s time to close the the plow. GARY STEEL WORKERS’ MASS MEETING, SUNDAY, JULY 4, TURNER HALL Under the auspices of the Gary » Workers’ Investigating Committee, a mass meeting at which William F. that guides Dunne of The DAILY WORKER and | Pat Toohey,-member of the United Mine Workers of America will speak, will be held in Turner Hall, corner of 14th and Washington, Gary, Sun- day, at 7:30 p.m. All workers and sympathizers are urged to attend. } SSS ee government, and the lessons drawn for,the working class from that a is, are being proven ct daily on the front page of every dedicated to Senator Cummins by | “Yowre Never Home When I ' Need You,So That's Why I Leave rs in the flelds look on * a