The Daily Worker Newspaper, July 10, 1928, Page 6

THE DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1928 Published by NATIONAL DAILY WORKER 926-28 Union Square, New York, N. Y. ( Phone, Orchard 1680. Fe By Mail (in Ne (Sper year $4.50 six r aaa utside of New York): $3.50 six months $2 three months Address and mail out « Union Square, New York, N. Y. Editor... --ROBERT MINOR WM. F. DUNNE ) etpeqy SSE Assistant Entered as se: i) 2 For Preside e) AM FO: WILL ER For the Party of t For the Workers! VOTE COMMUNIST! der the act of March 8, 1879. For Vice-President JAMIN GITLOW he Class Struggle! Against the Capitalists! Contemptible Democracy In the sentencing of our editor, Robert . and several of our comrades to serve term jail for their part in the July 4th demonst against the imperialist war in Nicaragua, tl little kept courts of the American ruling c have again justified their reason for existence. ‘The “justice” which has made a mockery of all Supposed guarantees in the mine districts and has branded its brutality and class vengeance alike on the breasts of nursing mothers and on the bent backs of decrepit old men, the “justice” which keeps Mooney and Billings rot- ting in jail and burns Negroes at the stake be- fore the very doors of a “democratic” conven- tion—this justice has again been vindicated. When Comrade Minor, asked by the little judge mumbling over his instructions from the wigwam, if he had anything to say, declared to the little Tammany henchman: “You are not a judge, you are a prosecutor !”—everyone iticluding the nearby policemen thought he had “You are a prostitute!” “ No mistake of the ear ever revealed more aoe what the instinct of the ma las long grasped to be the fact. No marking labels upon the poisonous brands of “justice” handed out by the Tammany administration of fran. and corruption and the republican rulers “of the oil scandal and of the Ohio gang is ne- essary to warn the masses of workers as to the ‘Yreal nature of these forces. “These are the products of “democracy.” More ,@ecurately they are the products of a “broad” and “open” democracy. The broader the dem- = Ocracy, the greater the corruption, Lenin » pointed out. j —These cfforts of “democracy” and its kept i to shield itself against inevitable expos-, ure by the representatives of the working class fe proving valuable lessons to the masses. lotwithstanding the coming election campaign uring which both old parties must again at- ipt to appear in the guise of liberality, the Street rulers are forced ruthlessly to sup- s the greatest menace to their power. D Cae ere will be very little in the future of fee speech to fight for, even as an issue by those who are still deluded by the phrase. We will have only “democracy”! The kind that is handed out on Independence Day. When the New York World said recently that _ in the nomination of such men as Herbert Hoo- - yer and Al Smith, democracy has been justified, the answer is: certainly your democracy has there been vindicated quite as it has been vin- - dicated the sentencing of our comrades to jail. For such democracy the working class has only | . the strongest contempt. ; The working class also seeks “democracy.” - And it is learning how to get it. Our comrades ‘4in the Soviet Union have already learned this “most valuable lesson: the nature of capitalist democracy. | during the coming election campaign will do their part to make the subject clear. And no | small share in this most important task will ‘be taken by our comrades now in jail. For a Better Daily Worker. “ ; ‘The appearance of The DAILY WORKER in a e to those readers who have awstats and u with their paper during four years asta crisis and acute difficulty. That change could have been brought about im- tely after what was probably the most : crisis through which the paper has is more than anything else a testimony virility, the indomitable courage, the g spirit of the working class. ‘one need be under the illusion that the ulties of The DAILY WORKER have been d, temporarily or permanently. But in a of the sanest realism, we can say: The orking class will not be downed. shortcomings of the paper, its weak- | are better known by its editorial staff by. the enemies of our movement. So that we rejoice in the upward climb of our pa- is not for a moment to forget that our + tasks are yet to be accomplished. To d the paper honestly seeks criticism and tions for its improvement. Within the set by financial and other walls, efforts astantly be made in that direction. ola '. Here in the United States the Communists| v vith improved con- new form, and we hope, with improved con-| ii surely will bring a thrill of proletarian The paper is undergoing a rebirth just as our movement is undergoing a rebirth. We are| ing our roots more deeply into the soil of American working class. No one need feel pessirr ver the prospects ahead. And this is where the really essential work begins— For our paper this means, the systematic | building up of a body of workers, comrades, sympathizers who in the most literal sense will become the basis of The DAILY WORKER. Our reporters must be the members of the working class. Capitalist papers report the | “news” from the outside. We must have the news from those who directly help make the ;news—from the inside. Our news must carry the ring and the spirit of the struggle which it | details. The eyes and the heart of The DAILY WORKER must be made to see and to hear the} sounds and the views which appear to the work-| ing class. This can be accomplished only through the co-operation of the workers in a far greater degree than has yet been given. | A worker correspondent in every shop! A DAILY WORKER reporter in every-Jocal trade union! A correspondent for the working class in ev- ery strike! A reporter to The DAILY WORKER from every mine district, from every textile section, from the farm belts, from every state and city. Buy, read, distribute The DAILY WORKER. Agitate and propagandize its message: For the Workers—Against the Bosses! The DAILY WORKER. Hackmen Must Organize. Working conditions and wage standards among the 60,000 taxicab drivers of Greater New York have been forced down to such low levels that united action on the part of the rank and file is but a matter of months if not weeks. The average wage of the drivers is said to be about $30 per week. Hours vary from a mini- mum of about 50 to 90 per week. A large ma- jority of drivers work the seven-day week. The whole industry is on a piece-work, or more accurately, on a speed-up “commission” basis. Unemployment in other trades, the cur- rent economic depression and the relatively easier opportunity of securing a job as a hack- man than,elsewhere has brought about a steady | increase in the number of workers in the field. The taxicab owners, the big fleeters, have taken advantage of these conditions to institute one of the most vicious speed-up systems to be found anywhere. This industry will not remain indefinitely in its present state of frenzied competition. Al- ready the bosses under the leadership of the Yellow Taxi Corporation, union hating, Morgan- controlled, “yellow-dogged,” have moved to rule out competition, and as a necessary accompani- {ment to that proecss, to force out thousands of workers from the trade. Again we find the common practice of “ra- tionalization” at the expense of the workers. The industry lends itself very easily to com- | binations and mergers. The only reason that this development has not long since taken place on a large scale is because of the competition of the small owner-driver who by working long hours at a low income has been able to hold back the merging of the larger fleeters. The Greater City Taxi Owners Association jis now attempting to.meet the problem in an- other way, through legislation intended to curb | the little fry in the industry. The Tammany | connections of these bosses will help them in! their efforts, which it is understood are to be brought to a climax, “after election”’—the time when many good things are scheduled to come true for the franchise seekers, the increased fare grabbers and the grafters who live on the fat of capitalism under the blessings of Tam- many Hall. The efforts to capitalize the evils in the in- | dustry have again taken the typical form of “political” agitation in a move by the editor of the “Taxi Weekly,” a trade paper, toward the formation of a Hackmens’ Political League. This is a palpable, Tammany Hall-Al Smith, fraud and will be exposed as such. The taxi drivers can begin to solve their problems only through the formation of a mili- tant, fighting union. The others are all bosses’ schemes. The political power of the drivers | ballot. Placing By JACK STACHEL It is no easy job to place the Communist ticket on the baliot for the presidential elections, The mas- ters of this country have seen to it (and are improving on the situation every day as far as placing obstacles in our path is concerned), that dem- ocracy shall have her way by mak- ing it most difficult in most states and almost impossible in some states for a Workers Party to get on the Democracy is reduced to the right of the workers to vote for either of the picked candidates of the capitalists and the bankers. In the present presidential elections the capitalists are offering to the workers their two faithful servants, Big Hearted Hoover and Honest Aj Smith, and the workers have fnll freedom to choose which of the two shall break their strikes, send the Nationa! Guards against them. And even here it must be stated that the bosses sometimes have preferences as to who shall be their office boy and these preferences are translated into campaign contributions, and it has been without exception since 1892 that the candidate with the biggest campaign fund became his masters’ servant. Why We Nominate Candidates The Workers (Communist) Party has nominated its ‘candidates for President and Vice-President, Wil- liam Z. Foster and Benjamin Git: low, respectively. Both are work- ers who have proved their ability to lead the masses and their willing- ness ts do everything that will ad- vance the interests of their class. The Workers (Communist) Party in nominating these candidates does not come to the workers with the hope that if its candidates were elected that this would mean the end of the rule of capitalism. We have no illusions as to the willing- ness of the masters to surrender without a bitter struggle in which the workers and poor farmers will defeat them. The Communist Party of America is a revolutionary party. It considers as its main task in the present election campaign the mob- ilization of the masses for a strug- gle against capitalism. While it participates in the election campaign in order to mobilize the masses for struggle, it exposes capitalist dem. ocracy, and teaches the workers thu only through a revolutionary strug- gle can capitalism be abolished. It teaches the workers that they can not take over the capitalist state and use it against the capitalists, hut that they must destroy it and set up a workers’ and farmers’ gov- (Continued.) Workers in the leather traces throughout the world are experi- encing more adverse conditions to- day. The burden of rationalizing the enterprises is being shifted en- tirely onto the shoulders of the workers. ‘The profits of the employ- ers are being enhanced at the ex- pense of the wages of the men. The policy of the rcformist leaders is to aid the employers. In view of the general situation and especially the outstanding fea- tures observed here, the Leather Workers’ Conference urged in its resolutions that a struggle be taxen up first of all to combat the lower- ing of vhe living standards of the workers. The basic slogans of this| must likewise be: used to register on the work- ers’ side, their own side, by voting the ticket of the only workers’ party, the Communist Party. struggle are to be the following de- mands: Seven-hour day, wage rates te he preserved in conformity with MEETING THE CHALLENGE By Fred Ellis | the Party on the Ballot ernment (dictatorship of the prole- tariat) and use it for the organiza- tion of a socialist society and for the suppression of the present day ruling class. At the same time our party, when it nominates its candidates for the various legislative bodies, is out to elect them; to elect them in order that they may use these legislative bodies as a forum from which to speak to broader masses against capitalism end capitalist parliament and organize them for the overthrow of capitalism. Must Place Party on Ballot The Workers (Communist) Party is the party of the workers and ex- ploited farmers. The workers must help to place their ticket on the ballot. Not only must they sign the petitions, but our sympathizers everywhere must come to the of- fice of the Party in their locality and give their services as canvas- sers for petitions to place our Par- ty on the ballot in their state. Only if a large number of non-Party workers are drawn in to help in this work will we be assured that we will collect such a large number of petitions for the Communist candi- dates that the state officials will not dare to keep the workers’ can- didates off the ballot. A great deal of benefit can be derived for our Party in the pro- cess of the collection of signatures by spreading the program and plat- form of our Party and by making important contacts for our Party. It goes without saying that our press can be greatly advanced in this work. We must not allow any of our workers to degenerate. into merely going out for signatures. They must recognize that/our get- ting on the ballot, our staying on the ballot (for many times we are taken off by the officials even after we have fulfilled all requirements) depends on the mass support of the workers. We must, therefore, do everything possible to promote the Party and its work among the masses in the collection of signa- tures as the best guarantee of plac- ing the Party on the ballot, and in the first place to mobilize the masses for struggle against capi- talism, to acquaint them with our literature and in every way draw them closer to our Party. /In proceeding to place our ticket on the ballot, we are confronted with different laws and regulations in every state. It is understood, of course, that the obstacles placed against the Communists are great- er than against any other minority party. Every effort is being made to keep the Communist ticket off the living minimum, protection of labor, especially for women work- ers and juniors, to struggle against the consequences of rationalization ard to combat obligatory state ar- bitration. Furthermore, the rezolu- tion stresses the necessity of main- taining connections with, and hav- ing the support of, the whole prole- tariat of the U. S. S. R. and’ espe- cially of the U. S, S. R. leather workers. MINERS’ CONFERENCE Between 1926 and 1927 vhe ex- ploitation of tthe workers in the mining industry has increased, while yet more speed-up systems have been introduced. Meanwhile in all countries a new movement is gain- ing ground to struggle against the capitalist onslaught. The new strike wave was enhanced after the defeat of the British miners in 1926. New disputes and collisions are therefore the ballot. In some states the of; ficials openly boast that they will not allow the Communists to go on |the ballot no matter what the laws provide for, It is under such con- ditions that our Party is working to place its presidential candidates on the ballot in order not to dis- franchise those workers who want to cast their protest vote against capitalism and who no see that the Workers (Communist) Party is the only party that holds high the ban- ner of the class struggle in the United States. Must Collect Petitions, In only a few states can we place our candidates on the ballot thru a_state convention of our Party. Where this is allowed, it is a sim- ple matter, aside from the fact that the state officials can place all sorts of obstacles in our way if they are determined to keep us off the ballot. In most states, we can get on only through the collections of pe- titions of citizens of the state. Tc make it more difficult some of the states require that a certain num- ber of signatures be secured in every county of the state. Some of these counties may have very few workers, and although we may have, let us say, instead of the re- quired signatures in New York State over 200,000, unless we get at least 50 signatures in every coun- ty in the state we will not get on the ballot, We have not much time in which to do this work. In some states we have to file very shortly. In al’ states the work is going on at this time. We have already placed our tick- et on the ballot in seven states, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Michigan and Kansas. In the 1924 presidential elections, we were on in only 14 states. This year we hope to be:on in a minimum of 30 states, and perhaps we will succeed in getting on in about 35 states. We.are, of course, concen- trating on the most important in- dustrial states and on the most im- portant agricultural states. If we get on in only 30 states, these states will represent about 80 per cent of the population and about 90 per cent, of the industrial workers in this country. The job is a difficult one but it can be done. It will be done with the full mobilization of our Party membership for the collection of signatures and with the help of all our sympathizers. Great Opportunity For Party. We have the opportunity in the inevitable. A further intensifica- tion of the struggle will take place. Realizing theso facts and the rela- tiva weakness of the revolutionary miners’ organizations, this confer ence considered it necessary to strengthen organizational and agita- tional activities, to reinforce trade union influence in the large indus- trial .centets and to enhance the struggle against the reformists for the leadership of the miners’ move- ment. The following basic questions were taken up: The question of or- ganizing mutual aid during strikes and lockouts on a wider scale, ques- tions of strike tactics, to increase the struggle*to legalize the activi- ties of the oppositions, to struggle against unemployment, to combat the fascist, reformist and company coming elections of placing the Par-| ty before the workers as a serious political party fighting in their in- terests. We have shown the masses that we can lead them in the min- ers’ struggle, needle trades strug- gle, the struggle of the textile work- ers and a score of other important struggles. We have never fully mobilized our strength to show them that we are also their leader in the political struggles and even in the election campaign which to us is part of the same class strug-| gle that rages in the mines, mills and factories. The socialist party, which is to- day nothing more than a petty bour- geois party—a party of small shop keevers, professionals and retired radicals—in this campaign does not even make the pretense as it once did, that it is a party’ of class strug- gle. At the last convention, the so- cialist party deleted the class strug- gle pledge from its membership ap- plication card and substituted. a pledge to follow the policy of inde- pendent political action. Mind you. not working class independent, poli- tical action, but just merely inde- pendent political action. Inde- pendent only of the democratic and republican parties, but not inde- pendent of capitalism. The socialist party is ready for another third party like the La Fol. lette movement of 1924 and in fact claims that it has become the in- heritor of the La Follette traditions and is the third party. It is true that the ideology of the La Follette movement has been substituted for Marxism in the socialist party but the votes of La Follette will go to Hoover and Smith and many of the socialist leaders will be found on the Smith bandwagon. Already a number of them, including the so- cialist Negro leader, A. Philip Ran- dolph and the socialist councilmen of Milwaukee, have gone in favor, of Smith. Even the Forward, the organ of the socialist party, is not very strong in its criticism of Al Smith. One thing is certain, the socialist. party has ceased being a workers’ party. It will not gain much favor among the petty bour- geois elements on whom it is bas- ing itself. These.elements. will yote for Smith. “They believe in success. In this situation, our Party has great opportunities as the only par- ty of the class struggle in the Unit- ed States. Give the militant work- ers an opportunity to demonstrate their growing class consciousness on election day by voting the Com- munist Party ticket. Place the Party on the ballot so that they will have an opportunity to do this. The Tasks of the Red Labor International scab organization. To carry out the tactics of unity, organize the unem- ployed and unorganized workers, to reinforce publicity activities and or- ganize “fraternities”—these being the basic tasks put forward by the conference for execution during the coming period. METAL WORKERS’ CONFERENCE The conference noted that as a result of the intensive introduction of capitalist rationalization exploita- tion of the workers in the metal trades has increased during the last few years. The economic position of this branch of industry is such that a direct and unconcealed at- tack on the gains of the workers is inevitable, Unemployment is on the increase, labor conditions are be- coming worse and hours are being unions and especially the “Miners | lengthened, which will cause and is International,” which is, in fact, a already causing more disputes and |bring this about. 3 slem of how to raise $17,000 1 Told You So A verdict of guilty was deliyered by a jury against Fred Marvin, Peephole Man of America and special adviser to the Granddaugh- ters of the American Revolution. Likewise comes the conviction of Mr. Nosovitsky, international spy, agent provocateur and general stool Pigeon, on. a charge of bigamy. Marvin made a living drawing up blacklists of alleged reds and Noso- vitsky brought home the bacon by forging documents and marrying solvent females, Marvin is now Scratching his head over the prob- libel damages and Nosovitsky is scratch- ing“Aitiself in jail for reasons just as disagreeable. * * * The way of the plebian stool- pigeon is strewn with thumb tacks. Once his services are no longer re- quired he is thrown aside with ag little compunction as a Scavenger would feel. over pitching a dead cat into a garbage can. It is doubtful if Marvin could raise the price of a meal from his former customers, now that he has been discredited; jand as for Nosovitsky if he needed the price of a delousing operation he would probably be handed a bed bug. * * While on the subject of patriots, |it may be of interest to our readers to know that Attorney General Reading of Massachusetts, one of the most bitter enemies of Sacco and Vanzetti, was driven from his position because of his acceptance of a $25,000 fee from the Decimo Club while the organization was under investigation by the govern- ment. This is the “patriot” who "helped send the two labor leaders to the electric chair. .. Whenever. you, hear a man insisting on his burning love for his country see if his right |hand is not behind his back, palm upwards. * * * * NEITHER the republican nor de- Mocratic platforms, or at least the planks that vaguely take cogni- zance of the existence of the trade union movement, are satisfactory to the officials of the American Fed- eration of Labor, according to a Washington dispatch’ dated July. 3. A group of disgruntled labor lead- ers were pictured wending their way from Houston to Washington; wounded in spirit and with hum- bled pride. What they were doing in- Houston until now was not | stated. Perhaps they were sleeping off their disappointment. Se cer etl BEING somewhat skeptical about the statements and motives of re. actionary labor leaders, this writer is of the opinion that the boys are holding out for a better price. It would never do to give in too soon. Or probably they do not want to give the trade union membership the impression that they sold out on the first bid. I€ is dollars to peanuts that the labor fakers will be found ballyhooing on the demo- erat and republican bandwagons when the election campaign gets in- to its stride, regardless of how lit- tle consideration Wall Street's two parties showed the labor movement. * * * Tre garbage inquiry now conduc- ted by commissioner of accounts Higgins is raising a lot of dust if nothing else. It appears that there is more graft in garbage than any- body, except those most closely ac- quainted with it, expected. One firm. friendly with both the Hylan and Walker administrations, made a cool million out of a choice chunk. Higgins’ solution of the problem is to transfer department officials from one graft area to another. Thus the seed shall be spread. Son Oohesly strikes in all countries. In this process the role of the reformists is seen in their active support of the capitalists by preventing the mobil. ization of the metal workers’ forces. This. conference noted at the same time that the metal workers are dis- earding their former Passivity. and entering a new period of active class struggles. A new rise of the econ- omie and strike movement is now becoming apparent. In view of the Metal Workers’ Conference con- siders it necessary to conduct a cam- paign to win over the broad masses of -social-democratic and non-party workers in the unions for the revolu- tionary oppositions, making clear t> the workers at large the political \significance of the strike struggle and the necessity of merciless! combating ‘the idea of induce Peace, The conference considers the central task of the present mo- ment to be the strengthening of the struggle against the reformists, ex- posing their tactics and their true character. Turning to — organiza- tional . questions. the conference urged the following basic tasks— to get organized control of the growing movement among the wo! ers, to reinforce connections wi! the Metal Workers’ I. P. C. and take direct participation’ in the activi- ties, to strengthen its financial base, and revise its rules in ec “e several changes in its activi- les, The creation of a real militant class internationai of workers in the iron and steel trades is the basic task confronting the revolutionary metal workers’ trade union move- ment; all the efforts of the M. W. I. P. © must be concentrated ty these facts of the present situation . fi \ 4 ¥ Pt