The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 14, 1927, Page 6

f THE DAILY WO RKER, NEW YORK, RUTHENBERG Unerring in judgment, fearless, loyal, Strong as ocean girdled rock, Courageous, standing by the cause. Never swerving, never doubting, Hero of the onward march! Ruthenberg! Ruthenbers’s First Clash| in Socialist Party Was Over Farmers’ Program) By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. Steady, keen, face to the front, Taking battle blow for blow! Always ready, never failing; Gladly have we followed you, Hero of our Communist cause, Ruthenberg! , Hated by capitalist birds of prey, Who yet feared your martyrdom; Hated by reaction fierce. Death deprived them of their prey, Hero of the earth’s oppressed— DHE day’s a letter from Alfred Knutsc United Farmers’ Educatjona’ , North Dakota, with this opening mail brings «Sust. « marek and copies of The DAILY | Ruthenberg! WORKER Ruthen death. Thi game sc upon me that I can hardly re Still we follow where you led, Your strong spirit beckons us! All your strength, dear Comrade dead, Has become a part of us; All your ge and your faith Will guide us thru the darker days— Ruthenberg! tates, knew the keen intere ook and the great energy he displ: ggle of the city and farm workers. RBA | , DISCHARGED! that Ruthenberg’s first struggle Party convention was for a mili- - —s. Ruthenberg unifying the s |Lord Chief Justice Taft can say, “The defendant passed away! |“No more jurisdiction, we |“Have in his case! HE IS FREE!” | Comrade Ruthenberg is dead, But, THE PARTY which he led, |IS ALIVE and WILL UNITE | WORKERS OF THE WORLD, to fight | That they may ENJOY THE USE OF ALL WEALTH which they produce! —I. D. McFadden. Montrose, Colorado, March 8, 1927. e National Socialist Convention held in Ruthenberg had joined the 'y, 1909. He was not.a delegate held in Chicago, but two years later he was sent to Indianapolis as one of Ohio’s delegates. This was the most imposing convention held by the So- cialist Party in this country, marking the height of its power. The party membership had gone up over 125,000. Emil Seidel had been elected the first Socialist mayor of a large city. Victor L. Berger had been sent as the first socialist to congress. Fred D. Warren in his “Appeal to Reason” was predicting “Socialism by 1918!” Millions of votes and a host of congressmen were expected in the approaching national elections. for debate will have expired. This was the atmosphere that spawned the attack on| point is not well taken.” the extremist viewpoint ,held by William D. Haywood, * * e active in the Industrial Workers of the World, resulting Ruthenberg appealed from the decision of the chairman in the insertion of a new sectign in the party’s consti- | 1, ; ere tution demanding the expulsion of those who would not nea a Puecste Demenan oss ear tae dlabe dat toe the mark of political opportunism. It was into these “« . surroundings that Ruthenberg came, after three years in|T"move that Comrade. Tuthenherg he allowed to read the Socialist Party, at 30 years of age. the clause in Roberts’ Rules of Order, that the delegates The convention was discussing the farmers’ program|in this convention may know whether we are right or that had already had an interesting history. The com-|wrong.” mittee to draw up the program had been originally con-| At this point Delegate Morris Hillquit (New York) stituted of Algernon M. Simons, former editor of the|came to the chairman’s assistance with another pdint Chicago Daily Socialist; Algernon Lee, of New York;/of order declaring that, “There is nothing before the Oscar Ameringer, then from Oklahoma; Carl D. Thomp-| house except the next order of business. We are not son, one of the former preachers attached to the Mil-|here to discuss academic questions arising on Roberts’ waukee Socialist movement; James H. Maurer, now pres-| Rules of Order.” ident of the Pennsylvania Federation of Labor, and Clyde | J. Wright, of Nebraska. The composition of this com- mittee had created a furore in the gathering, originating piration of the time for debate what time it is now by |the chairman’s watch,” | Chairman Carey announced, “In two minutes the time This was the usual Hillquit subterfuge. Ruthenberg | was trying to get a discussion on the opportunist char- among the farmers themsélves. The farmers had de- | &cter of the farmers’ program before the convention. manded real farmer representation on the committee.| The Hillquit-Spargo-Carey combination had forced the The convention surrendered and dirt farmers were at-|fight over the rules of order to gag this discussion. tached to the committee, including John G. Wills, Okla-|C@tey upheld Hillquit’s point of order but that only C. W. Sherman, Oregon; Edward W. Theinert, | brought Delegate Lewis J. Duncan, of Montana, the so- Rhode Island; Jay E. Nash, Minnesota; G. W. Beloit, | “ialist mayor of Butte, to his feet demanding a new ap-| Idaho; L. L. Rhodes, Texas; Robert Grant, North Da- peal from the decision of the chairman. The vote was kota; Dan M. Caldwell, Pennsylvania, and Thomas J. | taken by a show of hands which revealed a strong op- *Poonred, Idaho. - - | position of 86 delegates supporting Ruthenberg against ' | the 146 delegates who voted with the officialdom. * * * I do not remember any of these Socialist farmers as | ¥ * * Still being active in the revolutionary, movement. They} Thus in 1912, Ruthenberg had raised the standards of have all disappeared from the scene. ‘Most of them had |¢lass struggle in his first national socialist convention. been drawn into the Socialist Party as a protest against | That was the beginning of a continuous conflict with the old parties. Practically all of them, however, had | Hillquit-Berger-Spargo rule in the socialist party, in influence over considerable masses. In conjunction with | Which Ruthenberg demanded that emphasis be put on the Simons, Lee and Thompson they brought in a program | ultimate demands of socialism, thus opposing the ten- more populist than Socialist, in which the revolutionary |dency to forget the final goal completely, becoming ir- struggle against capitalism was carefully pushed into|retrievably lost in the swamp of immediate demands. the background. | * * * ‘ < : i ‘ | It is significant today, however, that the program of The convention proceedings contain the following: |the Progressive Farmers of America, recently organized “Delegate Ruthenberg (Ohio): I’move the adoption of |in Minneapolis, Minn., is more militant than the socialist & new section, No. 10, as follows: | program adopted in 1912. “We also point out that the above should be considered! During the 15 years since 1912 Ruthenberg, fighting only as an immediate program, and that we demand the for his principles, has gradually won an increasing ultimate collective ownership of all the land used for} leadership over the nation’s toilers on the land, as his productive purposes. | opponents in 1912 have gradually disappeared. Not one “Delegate Noble (Texas): I move to lay on the table.”|member of the joint committee that brought in the | Farmers’ Program at the Indianapolis socialist gathering * * * Then the battle started. But is was not a struggle over | % the issue raised by Ruthenberg. It resulted from anil oe eps struggle. : effort to prevent this issue from being discussed. | James H. Maurer, president of the Pennsylvania Fed- Ruthenberg claimed that he had a right to the floor, | eration of Labor, has continued to confine himself almost } , . i Ps r exclusively to trade union activities. Ruthenberg con- = “xg Secon anak phatase phe tna tinued to the end the champion of the broadest and deep- . * 4 é est struggle of all who toil, which included the farmers Frovision in Roberts’ Rae Sho jv idan of any such 4. well as the city workers, the women and children ‘a |as well as the men of labor, the Negro worker among } Delegate John Spargo (Vermont), then one of the most | the toilers of all other races and nationalities. The Ruth- Pesininent leaders in the socialist party, raised this |gohese leadership triumphed over the leadership offered question, “I should like to inquire in regard to the ex-/ by Berger, Hillquit and Spargo. z ANOTHER LEGAL NOOSE FOR LABOR Rae 8 ips TEE Gs Comrade Ruthenberg’s | |remains as a figure of any prominence in the arena of | |[-3-co DAY, MARCH 14, 1927 “You Ain't Done Right by J. P. Morgan!” Cries Gary —A HUMAN DOCUMENT By SENDER GARLIN. I learned from The New York tion in’ industry,” the white-haired jurist suggests that “the domineer- Times the other morning that Elbert|ing man repulses others, while the H. Gary, chairman of the U. S. Steel|dominating man attracts the:a.” J. “YAH—GET UP, YUH BUM, YUH CAN’T DIE ON THE STREET LIKE THAT.” (Inspired by several recent stories of unemployed workers arrested for intoxication, but actually suffering from starvation.) | By ANN WASHINGTON CRATON International Woman’s Day, March 8, was celebrated with great spirit and enthusiasm at the Mass Meeting, scheduled to take place at the Cen- tral Opera House, it which was changed to the Yorkville Casino* The hail was crowded with the women of the working class, representing both the Housewives and the Trade Unionists. Many Left Wing Leaders It was a representative crowd of all of the prominent women in the left wing movement, whose devotion and zeal has been proved in many of labor’s fights. One recognized Lena Chernenko, recently back in New York to resume an active role in her ewn union, the Amalgamated Cloth- ling Workers, after a year’s absence in Passaic, where she distinguished herself as a militant and valiant lea- | der. Pioneers in the Passaic strike en- deared her to all of the Passaic chil- dren in their activities, especially at the Victory Playground. Red Letter Slogan There were also hundreds of other active young women, members of Lo- cal 22, the Furriers, White Goods, Millinery Union and Paper Box them to stand out in any working tlass assemblage. The leaders of all the Councils of the Housewives Leagues were present. Their signs and slogans which were printed in red letters upon banners gave a pic- turesque and revolutionary atmos- phere to the meeting when they were {borne proudly around the hall, in a spirited procession. They proclaimed their attitude upon the Abolition of Child Labor, Better Housing Condi- tions at Lower Rents, Against War with China, Mexico and Nicaragua. , Historian of Passaic The chairman of the meeting was Leonia M. Smith, who has been prom- inently identified with the Passaic strike, for the past year. She com- piled one of the most informative and popular leaflets, which has been widely circulated and which gave the background of the strike. She has been associated with the Working Class Housewives in Passaic and New York. Among the speakers were the lead- tng left wing trade unionists, Rose Wortis, of Local 22 and Fanny Wor- shofsky of the Furriers Joint Board. Other speakers were Margaret Cowl, Rose Pastor Stokes and Mother Git- low of the Workingclass Housewives, whose, speech was enthustically ap- rlauded. J. Louis Engdahl of the Daily Worker, Albert Weisbord, lea- der of the Passaic strike, and a Young Pioneer representative also spoke. The success of the meeting was due to the efforts of a large com- mittee on arrangements who were responsible for providing a beautiful musical program. ‘ Cae REA The first issue of the “Woman— At Home and in the Shop,” the of- ficial) organ of the Council of Work- ing Class Housewives appeared to greet International Woman’s Day. It was sold at the meeting for two cents a copy. It is an. interesti: little sheet. Its les deal wit the most dominant questions con- fronting the working class woman— Homes of the Workers, Conditions of the Schools of the Workers Children, American Imperialism and the Work~ ing Woman, the Significance of In- ternational Woman’s Day. It will appear weekly and should be read by all the women of the working class so that they may be well informed. The Baumes law, ostensibly aimed at habitual criminals, is certain to be used against striking workers and opponents of the capitalist system. ‘ The many friends of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn will regret to hear that she is still seriously ill in Portland, Miriam Silverfarb was also | |there, whose splendid work in the} Makers Union whose activities cause | With Women Workers In Shop, Factory, Home, and on the Picket Line Oregon. She is under the personal care of Dr. Marie D. Equi, promin- ent woman physician, who has been actively identified with radical causes for the past twenty years. Dr. Equi kas been active in the birth control movements and served a term in jail haustion. Miss Flynn was on a coast to coast speaking tour under the auspices of \the ‘International Labor Defense when she suffered a heart attack. Her year’s activities in the Passaic strike, and in addition the Furriers and Cloakmakers strikes during the same period, accentuated the strain on her heart and she is suffering besides from general ex- haustion. Has Given Much Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, the best known and best Joved woman in the American labor movement, stands in the front rank as a speaker and or- ganizer and fearless leader. In the twenty years of her activity she has always given herself unreservedly and devotedly, so that it is small won- cer that she has suffered this. break- down. She will be delighted to hear from her friends as she may be in the west for several months, until she is able to travel. Letters may be sent her in care of Dr. Marie D. Equi, Roosevelt Hotel, Portland, Ore- gon. . . ° Items and notes of interest, re- lating to the activities of women in the labor movement will appear in this column, twice: weekly. Secre- taries of trade unions of women’s lo- cals or of unions in which women are represented, are urged to send no- tices of important meetings and events. Also information of any group development of women’s or- ganizations will be gladly received. All communications should be. ad- dressed to THE DAILY WORKER, 33 First Street. Expounds Russell; Fired From College Tho he was dismissed on the charge of “not..teaching English,” H. J. Chambers,‘ an instructor of English at the University of Wash- ington, informs the Civil Liberties’ Union that he was actually dis- charged because he distussed Ber- trand Russell’s “What I Believe” with his classes. Parents are said to have com- plained to university officials that Chambers was assailing the religious beliefs of his students through the first chapter of the book, “Nature and Man.” The matter was brought to the attention of Dean Thompson who declared he left it in the hands of Miss Jane Lawson, Chambers’ im- mediate superior. Miss Lawson de- nies making any decision. She pro- tests that she referred the case to Professor Dudley D. Griffith, head of the English Department, who in turn accused Chambers of “not teaching English.” To Train Future Disciples. “Young Workers’ League, Connecti- eut.—“The Young Workers (Commun- ist League of Connecticut deeply mourns the death of Comrade Ruthen- Corporation, had written up some of} P., according to Gary, belonged to his reminiscenses of J. P. Morgan,|the latter type. Sr. hat he hit a good tack, In the days before Gustavus}Gary continues: “When a man dom- Myers had turned to writing histo-|ineers over those who may be weak- ries of “American Idealism,” I had|er, or at a disadvantage, he creates developed a rather hostile attitude | anger and hatred and sows the seeds toward old man Morgan. Myers’ | of conflict.” - In the steel strike of “History of Great American For-/1919, one remembers with great tunes,” whatever its other obvious) satisfaction that Gary studiously defects, had provided me with aj avoided this evil spirit of creating graphic picture of the genesis,/ anger and sowing the seeds of con- growth and uses of Morgan’s for-| flict. tune, Driven by curiosity corcerning | fad Ae the real Morgan, I hastened to invest| At this point I collided with a full- fice cents in the current issue of the| Page ad of Campbell’s soup, so I Saturday Evening Post, in which the | Stopped. touching tribute to the old pirate ap-| pears, * * * 2,000,000 people in the United Bed-Fellows. States will read this stupid, lying, | Judge Gary is just the fellow to | hypocritical tripe, and the majority write about J. P. Morgan. Similar-|of them will believe it. Many of ity of background, tastes and charac-|*hem will be quoting fragments of ter makes of Gary the perfect bio-| What they vaguely remembered read- grapher. Sympathetic insight into| ing when the next strike of the 400,- the motives of an individual are| 00 sweated, starved and terrorived known to be the prime essentials for | Steel workers is called, a thoughtful’ and artistic piece’ of | Cal Isn’t the First One literature, Judge Gary’s experiences! In the past the ruling class of as a captain of industry and as a| America was content to create myths leader of financial thought’ has| about politicians who were elected to placed him in a strategic position to| office. By one fell swoop a petty, understand the finer, more sensitive | Unimaginative small-town lawyer be- aspects of his hero, Morgan. came a “great man” with his elec- “The people of the United States,”| tion to congress or the senate. Lib- writes Judge Gary,*“are reaping to- eral history textbooks (even the best, day where the late J. Pierpont Mor- like Beard’s) are not wholly free gan sowed.” How true!’ .. “The| from this inane and vapid fraud. The influence of his genius . . . is im-|©@8e, of Calvin Coolidge, of ‘North- pressed on our railroads, our manu-|@™pton, Mass., happened to be the facturing industries and our finan-|™ost notorious merely because it was cial structure. . . .” |the most absurd. Nothin’ But a Low-down Trick. | “Sex Isn’t Everything.” Judge Gary complains, rather pet-| Our financial ruling class is suf- ulently, that “the national habit of|fering from a terrific inferiority using the name, Morgan as a syno-|complex. England has its lords and nym for wealth ‘has caused him to be| peers. Lloyd George put on a big Pictured as one seeking his own|rummage sale of titles some time profit, whether or not at the ex-|ago, and the proceeds were devoted pense of others.” |entirely to the heroic task of reviv- In this article Gary brands this | ing the carcass of the British Lib- suspicion for what it is—a dirty,|eral Party. In America, unfortun- eraven lie, a libel, a slander -for| ately, titles are not available, but the which William Z. Foster is probably | cravings of the human spirit for dis- responsible, . | tinction and for the respect of others “I never knew him to take hold of|is as intense in the steely heart of an undertaking,” continues Gary in|a Morgan or a Gary as it is in the the same wistful, tender mood, “that| heart of the most obscure “moron” did not have as its chief hope of suc-| that Mencken might discover.". . . |céss the immediate benefits of many, | “The Morgan Collection.” i and the unending public good.” | Many years ago, the elder Morgan Was Fond of Horatio Alger. |began this process of “belonging.” In spite of these characteristics, it) He began to buy up rare paintings, jappears from this portrait that|/and then he terrified London book- “Morgan was bashful, modest andj collectors at auctions by his bid- unobtrusive. . . There was no bitier-| dings for original manuscripts of the tentions.” | rarely fingered lovingly the tarnished It is when Judge Gary begins to| pages of Shelley’s “Indian Serenade” discuss Morgan’s experiences as an/| or “The Masque of Anarchy.” He exploiter of labor that his genius as| probably never looked at them. a biographer is best displayed. Cool, | aS * dispassionate, and with confident} Having become a “civilized” per- handling of his materials, Gary|son in the sense of having announced paints a tender picture. |a public love for “the higher and “One very good way to gauge the | finer,” the next step in the develop- caliber of the man,” he writes, “jg |ment of typical, boorish large-scale to note his (Morgan’s) treatment of| hijackers like Morgan and Gary is his employes and their attitude to-|{o persuade . themselves’ and others jward him.” We find that “he had/that they are “human” as well,—-in a deep and rumbling voice, and some-| Spite of grizzly exteriors. times in the heat of argument it was | What is Spargo Writing? gruff, but when he gave orders to} This job Gary has attempted for his employes his tone was softened|his departed comrade in the “por- and gentle.” trait” that he did for the’ Saturday Beautiful! ‘ | Evening Post. The white-washing of Them was the days. No unions,| Gary himself, I mustn’t fail to point not even of the “American Plan” va-' out, has just been completed by Ida riety. Soft, gentle voices of em-/Tarbell. Miss Tarbell, in her youth- ployers; few strikes; a friendly smile |ful impetuous days wrote a brilliant when the Chief passed. . .. Beautiful! | study of John D’s Standard Oil Com- | “It Pays to Be Decent.” pany; of late she has repented, and At this point Gary runs out of|her book on the labor-hating Gary is ness or undue antagonism in his in- | English classics, I’llbet anyone that he copy on the human aspects of his hero, and goes off on a tangent. In- dulging in the Inxury of a few gen- eralizations on “the personal rela- Charge Lyons’ Accusation Unjust Editor, The Daily Worker: In his column “Footnotes to the News” Mr. Eugene Lyons has accused the New Playwrights Theatre of catering to frock coat critics and ignoring the labor press. This is altogether false. All the leading papers of the labor group are on our review lists, in- cluding of course The Daily Worker. It is possible that through oversight our list may be incomplete, but ‘no labor press critic has asked in vain for review tickets. It is true, as Mr. Lyons said, that neither the Federated Press nor Tass were on our list. That was because press and wire services are never on review lists. This was not a dis- crimination against labor, because we had no other news service of the sort oh our list. We did not know that either Tass or the Federated Press handled anything but straight news. Personally I do not believe the berg, who only one month ago was with us here in Connecticut. His death has left a gap in the rank of the Communist y of the world. We, of the Young Workers’ League pledge our utmost support to the Communist Party, and not permitting’ ourselves to despair, we pledge to train future fighters for the principles eae which Comrade, Ruthenberg stood.” PSE aN a Ali Read The Daily Worker Every Day Federated Press reviews plays at all, At Mr. Lyons’ request I telephoned his office and offered him two second night review tickets. Mr. Lyons was not in; I was told the message would be delivered, and that was the last I heard of the matter. We feel that first night tickets ought to be re- served for the daily papers, such as The Daily Worker and the metro- politan press, which must have re- views at onee. Weeklies and any- a glowing tribute to the vicious genius of the man who soon retires from the active headship of.the U. S. Steel Corporation, LETTERS FROM OUR READERS thing like a wire service ‘would naturally go on the second night list. Our house has only 400 ‘seats and we cannot crowd all critics in the same night. Many of us feel that Mr. Lyons was venting a personal pique in his column. ‘We certainly are NOT catering to frock coats; we certainly prefer a labor class audience, as Mr. Dos Passos said in his letter to the press.. Mr. Lyons’ accusation is very unjust and petty. fairness, won’t you print this: letter’ either in or near “his column? f Yours very truly, j ALICE TAYSON. State Highway Appropria‘ ALBANY, N. Y.,, sore appropriation of $3,000,000 would be provided for the repair, construction and reconstruction of narrow bridges on state highways, under a” bill in- troduced in the legislature today by Senator Hewitt. The state is to 65. per cent of the cost of new bridges on through highway routes. \ Ellison Loses Suit. Angelo Milton Ellison, former ele- vator operator, today lost his fight for a large share of the fortune of his millionaire benefactor, the late Ed- ward F. Searles of bg ge Bene when a supreme court jury a verdict against him. i % As a matter ‘of