The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 3, 1931, Page 4

ublished by the Comprodaily Publishing Co., N. ¥. Telephone Algonquin 7956-7, Cable: Addgess and mail all checks to the Daily Worker, 50 East 13th Street, New York, N. ¥. Page Four 13th Street, D w York City. Ine, daily except Sunday, at 50 Fast “DALWORK? Dail orker Dorty USA SUBSCRIPTION RATES: By mail everywhere: One year, $6; six months, $3; two months, $1; excepting Boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx, New York Ctiy, Foreign: one year, $8- six months. $4.50. Is There Established Leadership in the Unemployed Councils? By ALFRED WAGENKNECHT. mpts made by the n ¢ Union Unity League to unemployed councils and , has brought to In certain in- ecretaries did not know s of unemployed workers not know the ad- of the unemployed did not know what mem- In a few instances the did not even know how nes had been organized nor the location gct bran light an imper stances TUUL how did ed bran’ city; ils are affiliated with the ct TUUL secretary does not d branches have been or- be affiliated? What How can direc- hods of struggle reach is possible against “left” rtunism? -up must, be corrected immediately ‘d council in the district must ct office of the TUUL for lead- The district TUUL sec- ‘TUUL secretaries must attend f unemployed councils and branches, cquainted h the points of view of work study first-hand the of conducting these meetings, ascertain hough upon the basis of certain tasks the membership is increasing, in is decreasing, and constantly as a lesson for the movement ed council and branch must nd organizer and a capa- nittee. Forces must be as- ¢ councils and branches consist- orkers, just recruited. TUUL forces, ioning in our unemployed organ- will help bring about in a greater measure the unity of struggles of the employed and unemployed. But most sharply must be raised the question of developing leading forces from amongst the unemployed themselves, of training broad cadres of unemployed workers to unemploy have an secretar. ble exe signed to th ng of new take hold of and function in all the daily tasks | and struggles. This has been sorely neglected. Instead we have discouraged the initiative they have shown, and because they were “not fully developed” we have said in instances that they were “not yet to be trusted.” This is actually a crimina itude, upon the basis of which we will never build organization and movement. ention must be given to the un- ed councils and branches in the smaller the districts. Here TUUL leadership is often very k and insufficient and therefore more thorough direction is needed from the dis- wei tional | of | “to come trict TUUL office. Comrades from the center must be sent to these smaller cities and indus- trial centers from time to time for lengthy con- ferences and meetings with the councils and branches. With more attention to the develop- ment of leadership among the unemployed, we can develop new forces, some of which must be sent to the smaller industrial centers, where in numerous instances, due to the closing down of single industries, whole sections of workers and families are actually starving, and dying. Now that we are to step forward to uncover and bring into the light of day the thousands of actual cases of starvation among the families of the unemployed, are to make direct demands for relief for these cases from the city government and large capitalists, are to undertake by initia- tive of the unemployed councils and branches the collection of food from merchants, workers’ organizations, etc., and give aid to starving fam- ilies to the extent possible, a strong and capable leadership must be established and developed in every coungil and branch. The closest. con- tact must be maintained with our unemployed organ: ions wherever this phase of our work is entered into. Otherwise the reducing of this activity to a pure charity measure will be a growing dange The social-fascists and reformists are renew- ing and increasing their activities to win unem- ployed workers for their fake program.. The so- cialist party has decided to organize unemploye councils. The RILU calls our attention to this when, in referring to our insufficient efforts in exposing the social-fascists before the workers, it states: “The revolutionary trade union move- ment can not very well boast of the fact that it does everything possible to take the lead of the movement of the unemployed and to mob- ilize these workers for the united class front of the proletariat for waging the struggle against the triple alliance of the employers, the bour- geois state and social-fascism, against the whole capitalist class breeding unemployment. “The social-fascists and fascists are now trying out as defenders of the unemployed, taking some steps to organize them, to break the struggle of the unempioyed.” . . . “If our work continues to remain weak they are liable to win over the movement of the unemployed and direct it along incorrect channels.” . “The organ- ization of the unemployed, mobilizing them for the revolutionary trade union movenient, set- ting up the united front of the workers, em- ployed and unemployed, under the leadership of the revolutionary trade union organizations— these are some of the most important tasks.” Consolidation of our forces; integration of our unemployed councils and branches; elevation of our organizational forms; development of lead- ership among the unemployed workers; aan attention to organizational details; steady, st tained struggles for food for starving families, is demanded. Down with sloppy methods! Social Demagogy i in Minneapolis City Elections By BEATRICE SISKIND. T= capitalist parties are preparing for muni- cipal elections in Minneapolis. Mayor Kunze, little Mussolini, the banker mayor is preparing his re-election, He had tried hard in the last few weeks to out-do former Mayor Leach in his red baiting policies. Leach is also running. During his term of office in 1929, Leach proved to be a first class strike-breaker. He broke the North Western Building strike and sent 15 pick- ets in jail. In answer to the demands of the unemployed workers for relief, Mr. Kunze has but a ban on workers’ meetings, has issued in- i against the leaders of the unemployed, lroaded four workers to jail on a frame-up charge of “rioting.” Mr. Kunze .and Mr. Leach may both be assured of the support of the boss class in this cit; ft” Boss Agents The other candidate in the arena is a “Farm- er Leborite,” who has different methods of echo- ing his master’s voice. Mr. Anderson told his listeners when he was nominated, on March 22, to mayor, on the Farmer Labor ticket, not to expect too much from the city administration. He was not as free with his promises as Mr. Olson was before election. He has learned that the working class will bemand to know, as they did of Olson the Tih and 8th of January, wheth- er the promises hold water. Mr. Olson showed the meaning of his promise “to strike a blow at unemployment,” when he told the delegation representing 10,000 workers, who waited ouside the capitol for the answer of the governor, that “I cannot do anything about it.” However, the typical labor faker platform adopted contains lots of hot talk about the workers about accept- ing social insurance in “principle,” about “com- batting unemployment,” etc. Let us look at the meeting that nominated Anderson. What was the chief debate and dis- cussion about? Was it about how to secure re- lief for the thousands of unemployed workers in the city? Or was it perhaps how to prevent the steady wage cutting and laying off of men in the plants? No! We learned from the Minne- apolis Star of March 23 what the chief concern of the Farmer Labor Party is. The Star says, “The most heated debate of the meeting was on the question of track depression in South Minneapolis and it found representatives of the railroad brotherhoods asserting that a candidate who favored such a move could expect little sup- port from their organization.” Other planks were discussed such as “the establishment of a permanent unemployment research bureau. Social Demagogy We see that the first concern of the Farmer to determine who shall save 1 alteration in South Mip- y r the railroad company. Por the vnemployed however, it is sufficient to he'p the state continue the “study” that was undev- taken some time ago by the University of Min- rereta by establishing a research’ bureau. The workers of Minneapolis will no longer be fooled by fine phrases accepting social’ insurance in “principle,” and in practice substituting the sickening social worker's attitude of “studying” the problems, and in the meantime ignoring the desperate condition of the unemployed. Yes, they will help the bosses study how best to kill the fighting movement of the unemployed work- ers for bzcod for their families. Who was the t to congratulate Mr, Ander- so and promise support? It wes no other ‘han ‘friend for the past 20 years.” the former Republican Senator Campbell. Camp- bell recognized that Anderson will be able to serve the bosses best in this period when the workers are desperate. Mr. Campbell is quoted to have said the following in his speech, “I do. not wish to divide the field further... and am asking my friends to support Mr. Anderson, my Yes, indeed, the boss class must find some way of catching the working class vote, and therefore they need the Farmer Labor Party to keep the field undivided. The bosses need someone who can talk fine phrases, who can accept social insurance in “prin- ciple,” is doing) of the city to attack the workers who actually fight for unemployment irisurance and immediate relief. Farmer-Laborite Exposed Even the fine words of the Farmer Labor plat- Party.” Mr. Olson has completely exposed the capitalist-boss face of that party. It is an open secret that Mr. Olson is still running the county prosecutor’s office in Minneapolis, and it was that office thay caused the railroading of four workers to 90 days in the work-house on a frame-up charge of “rioting.” Thousands of workers remember that Mr. Olson told the com- mittee representing the 10,000 workers that he | could do nothing for the unemployed. The pro- gram of public works is working out to the benefit of the steel trust. Millions of dollars worth of cement was bought from the steel trust (cement being a by-product of steel) while 4 wages of the road builders have been cut thru limiting the amount of work during the summer months. Even the minimum scale of the AFL for common laborers has been cut from 65c. to 45c, by Mr. Olson. Workers Want Action The workers of Minneapolis have learned a significant lesson in their struggle for unem- ployment relief. They have learned the differ- ence between talk and action. The workers of this city have been fed on plenty of talk from the “hot” speeches of Walter Frank to the eulo- gies of Olson about “coming from the common people.” We cannot live on “hot” speeches and eulogies. We want bread and work. The city and state governments have both definitely re- fused to give immediate relief to the unemployed, the AFL. officials, the backbone of the Farmer Labor Pasty have not lifted a finger to protect the employed workers from wage cuts and con- stant lay-offs, Nay, they have, through their closed door conferences with the bosses actually given aid to the employers to carry out their wage-cutting policy. The only Party and Trade Union that came out on the streets with the workers to demand immediate relief is the Communist Party and the Trade’ Union Unity League. ‘The Unemploy- ed Councils of the Trade Union Unity League have been in the lead in gaining whatever the unemployed workers managed to get. The filthy City Mission has been exposed through the work of the Unemployed Councils, the Welfare Board was forced through demonstrations to grant act- ual relief to workers in the form of rent and liveable rations. The Communist Party has given and will give all aid to the work of the Trade Union Unity League. The Communist Party had a delegate on every one of the delegations that went to the court house and state house to place before the government the demands of the unemployed workers of this city ht and then mobilize the police (as Kunze | and was present Feb. 9, 1931. | PARTY LIFE | | polis, Feb. 1, 1931. HAIL COLUMBIA! NEWS ITEM:—Matty Woll pledges war on “Slavery” in the Soviet Union. MATTHEW WoLL By BURCK x. Bute, Conducted by the Organization Department of the Central Commitice, Communist Party, U.S.A ee aes Break Down the Barbed Wire Fence! Universal, Ind. Communist Party, Comrades: In regard to my application for membership in the Party, I wish to state a few words. Al- though since I applied for membership there has been time for you to have answered from most any part of the world whether I’m accept- ed or rejected, not alone from the U.S.A., I have heard nothing, so please state yes or no. I am not going to picture myself to convince the com- rades that I deserve entrance into the Party, but I shall give a few facts. My activities in the Communist Party are as follows:, I attended as a delegate to a state- wide unemployed conference held in Indiapa- I was elected to the State Committee and as a delegate to present demands | to the State House for unemployment relief. I also was elected delegate to Washington, D. C., To prove that, look in the Daily Worker, when they had the picture of the delegates. I stand on the bottom row first from right to left holding petition in my left arm. I attended the Party section meet- form cannot save the face of the “Farmer Labor | "& Bete Seer ee aaron toe Sie SNES OX ganized four Unemployed Councils. I have a very good prospect to set up a Party unit in Terre Haute, Ind., and also selling Daily Workers. I ask the Party again to give me a definite answer, yes or no. Here is some information about me: miner, age 34, U.M.W.A., used to be a member of the socialist party, and a citizen. oe New York. “For a year and a half, I have been trying to get into the Party. The first time L tried up at a section headquarters and the comrade I spoke to said, ‘Alright, alright,’ but a month passed and nothing happened, so I came back to find out about it but everybody was too busy, so I gave it up for awhile. But I kept on doing work just the same. Got my teeth knocked out at the Polish embassy demonstration last year, have been a member of the Unemployed Council since it started, and had a swell time on the Albany Hunger March, I see now that some of the Albany Hunger Marchers are being taken into the Party, so I thought I would make a try at it again.” “Did you fill out an application card at the Hunger March?” I asked. “Nothing doing! them before before, and they must be a Jonab, because after I filled bie G ot those out, that was the end of it.” This time, the new icsesas has been finally attached to a unit. SCOMMENT:—What is the matter with our apparatus? Everybody wants the Party to grow, everybody wants to get in new members, but our method of handling applications, or possibly our carelessness and neglect in handl- eee ———oooaoaoaNaoanan9>aq]™oalElElhela—_ for these demands. The candidate for mayor of the Communist Party is George E. Powers. Powers is known to every worker in Minneapolis as the Iéader of the unemployed for real relief, for unemployment insurance and for organiza- tion against wage cuts and lay-offs. It is also well known to the workers that Mayor Kunze and the city government knew well that the working class will rally behind the Communist Party and vote for the only candidate that has fought the many battles with the workers. An indictment was issued against Powers, and a “red” hysteria created in an effort to keep him out of the fight for mayor in this city. George E. Powers is running for mayor on the plat- form of immediate relief, on the platform of steuggle against wage-cuts and layoffs, on the platiorm which will fight against all capitalist ¢ I filled out about four of | Ay T: of L. Leaders Betray Tom Mooney In the last installment Mooney was telling of some who helped him.and Billings in the | fight for release. He continues below. . . | INSTALLMENT 19. MANY REAL FRIENDS OF LABOR HELP | THE DEFENSE. | AT all periods of this famous case, there have been men and women with real courage and devotion to direct the fight on behalf of Mooney and Billings. Robert Minor, a “star” newspaper man with General Pershing’s army in Mexico, heard about Mooney and Billings, their great need, and the lack of a capable person to head | the Defense Committee. Knowing he could help, he rushed back to San Francisco, and volun- teered his services. Everything looked black for Warren Billings, blacker still for Tom Mooney, but Bob Minor saw through all the camouflage |. of the prosecution and immediately set about denouncing the frame-up. For two long and discouraging years Minor exposed: the frame-up. His meager weekly wages of $15.00 at the start, barely kept him alive, the “labor leaders” vilified | him, his co-workers on the Defense Committee | slacked up in their efforts, some quit altogether, but Minor kept plugging away. His tremendous efforts during the darkest days of the Mooney- Billings case need only be contrasted with the tactics of the “labor leaders” who obstructed the defense, to indubitably damn them. 3 The Civit Liberties Union has been most help- ful to the Defense forthe past three years. It organized the National Mooney-Billings Com- mittees, and mailed thousands of leaflets ex- posing the frame-up. At every public meeting, convention or gathering where a representative | of the Civil Liberties Union could gain admis- sion, a resolution demanding the pardon of Mooney and Billings was proposed. Today, the Union stands ready, as ever, to continue the fight until Mooney and Billings are pardoned. For fifteen years the “Irish World” has fought shoulder to shoulder with the defense. Rarely has an issue of this paper been published with- out some mention of the Mooney-Billings case. Hundreds of editorials, columns ahd columns of news articles, cartoons without number, appeals for funds; these are some of the ways the “Irish World” has helped. Believing in the complete innocence of ‘both prisoners, it has thrown its entire resources into the fight. At. the present time, the Irish World is making another appeal for funds, and over $700.00 has already been collected and turned over to the Tom Mooney Molders Defense Committee. This militant Irish ing them seems to create a harbed-wire fence around the Party through which a worker has to literally force himself if he wants to get into the Party. Cases like the two above are far from being uncommon. Comrades handling ap- Plications must realize that these applications represent WORKERS, new blood for our Party, one of the greatest objects of our activities. There must be no neglect or artificial obstacles in taking members into the Party. abuses and for a workers and farmers govern- ; Ment. Vate Communist! The. workers of Minneapolis will show inthe election for mayor and alderman this year that they mean business, Six thousand workers de- | manded immediate relief on F'cbrvary 25th and .Were driven to the desperate state of breaking into a store to get food for their families by the answer of Mayor Kunze that he cannot do any- thing for them, The workers refused to take no for an answer. The workers will further answer to Mr. Kunze, and the’ fat bellied poll, ticians in the City Council on election day. Mt. Kunze and the capitalist politicians will learn that hungry workers will not bé-fed with fan- itastic stories about the \‘Reds” or with sending | Police to bzeak up working class \ Brotherhood of Painters ‘and Decorators paper has effectually and sincerely done its “bit” to secure the pardon of Mooney and Billings. When it was necessary to call a spade a spade, did the labor leaders do so? No! It was Mercer Green Johnson, a minister, who had the cour- age to say: : “If ever, a State committed whoredom, and brazenly flapped its filthy finery in the face of common decency, and smeared its courts from top to hottom, and degraded the cour- age of its officials, even the highest, to cur- rishness, sun-kissed, sin-cursed California did that in. the course of its frenzied conspiracy against Tom Mooney.” The California State Federation of Labor, the California Building Trades Council, the A. F. of L. and the labor leaders have not donated a cent to the defense during the past 13 years. | The moneys donated have eome mostly from the rank and file members of A. F. of L, Local Unions, the various National and International Unions, and such persons as: Aline Barnsdall, a woman with a great heart, splendid courage and tireless energy. She has been one of the mainstays of the Defense Com- mittee during the 14 years. She has already given over $10,000.00 and has assured the De- fense Committee she will continue her generous aid until Tom Mooney is vindicated. December 19, 1930, she wrote Tom Mooney that: “I certainly expect to help you. I plan to free you of worry for the next five months by sending $1,000.00 a month to the Defense Office until May. I shail also put $2,000.00 into the publish- ing and sending of your pamphlets. I feel you should be allowed to direct your own case and possibly make your own mistakes. ‘interests’ are still the power behind this case, but the rank and file of labor is obviously with you in spite of the antagonism of labor leaders.” Peggy Guggenheim Vail, who sent $2,000.00 to the Defense Fund after a pamphlet circulated by the Tom Mooney Molders Defense Committee , “followed her all over Europe.” Julius M- Lieb-— man, Miss E. B. Scripps, the American Fund for Public Service and many others have been most generous and have contributed large amounts to the Defensé Committee. The labor politicians of Mooney’s own Local Union have done their best to prevent an effec- tive defense, but they have not been able to in- fluence the rank and file members. Local No. 164 donated $250.00, and the International Mold- ers’ Union $1,000.00. President M. J. Keough, of | the International Molders’ Union, has not been influenced by the Executive Council of the A. F. of L., and has at dll times done his utmost to help Mooney. Through his efforts, the Execu- tive Council of the A. F. of L. wrote Governor Young on_Tom Mooney’s behalf.. The letter, as might be expected, was valueless, and in sharp contrast to the vigorous demand for a pardon that President Keough sent Governor Young at the same time. He is one of the very few higher officials of the A. F. of L. who has pub- licly and unequivocally demanded the pardon of Tom Mooney. Several International Unions of the A, P. of L. have had the courage to defy the. implied pro- hibition of the 1927 Los Angeles resolution, and | with)a real sense of loyalty to their muprisoned brothers they have liberally donated to the De- fense Fund. The names of these organizations should be known. They refused to remain jammed in the vice of the Los Angeles resolu- tion. The history of the betrayal—the treachery of the labor leaders—would be incompleted, if the courage, the independence, and the true solidarity of these organizations was not tioned as an indication of the true feelings of the rank and file of labor for Mooney and Billings, International Molders’ Union .,. Order of Railroad Telegraphers -$1,000.00 500.00 250.00 ‘ I think the | ‘nee By JORGE <menemmeemmen “Savants of a Dying Class Capitalism, unable to feed its slaves and rotting with its own degeneracy, is fearful of its his- toric doom. And in fearful contemplation of a revolution which will wipe it from the face of the earth, seeks to deny the right even of the revolution against feudalism.which gave it birth, ‘Thus we see, by chance, the sewer sheet called the Milwaukee Journal, running a ‘bunch of “boiler-plate” tripe, entitled, “Lunatics Have Al- tered World History, French Savant Says.” It gives the supposed “findings” of one Dr. Jacques Duhamel, of the faculty of medicine of Paris, who, so it says, “has brought his medical knowl- edge to bear on the leaders who were responsible for the excesses of the French revolution.” While thus appearing to complain only of excesses,” this French “savant” from Paris (the heart of the French revolution which marked historically the rise of the capitalist class to po- litical power) in reality slanders the then prog- ressive role of the bourgeoisie, in order to give a “scientific” justification for present attack on the proletarian revolution of today that aims te overthrow the capitalist rule. Listen to some of this rubbish: “Like so many other movements which have influenced the history of mankind, the great revolution in France was under the leadership of madmen, Prof. Duhamel asserts. The three chief political leaders—Saint-Just, Marat and Robespierre—were pure pdranoiacs, while Ma- rat was also a homicidal maniac.” . Then, again: “Every revolution, by relaxing manners, convention and police control, reveals those of the population who are at heart par- anoiacs, persons who would never go to asy- lums but whose mental state is extremely un- balanced.” What more despicable proof of the degeneracy of bourgeois culture than to hear this “scitntific” dot! So says the Tammany mayor, equally an example of bourgeois “science,” that if there’s anything wreng, “the people are to blame.” Standing reason on its head, it is in short. de- clared that the masses are not to be trusted, that their leaders are madmen, and what is wanted is more and not less “police contro}!” This, too, when every child in the streets knows that “police control” is the control of gangsterism, corruption, of brutal and bloody | Savagery to suppress the masses who are so “in- sane” as to refuse to starve to death in a land of plenty! Of course there is a reason for this putting everything topsy-turvy. The article adds: “A parallel to the miurderous fanaticism of the madmen who led the French revolution is seen today in the same bloodthirsty methods of the Russian Bolshevik leaders. This is what the article was written for. To nse the distortion of historic rise to power-of the geoisie over feudalism, to agitate against the se of the proletariat, historically, against the bourgeoisie. And to do this, all reasonsed per- spective of past history is thrown aside to distori | the history of today. Disgust can only be felt for a great historic class which falls so low in its degeneracy that it denies the progressive role that it once played And it should serve as a lesson to’ all worker: that capitalism, today, rejecting with shame. the legitimate claim to a virtue it once had: but ne’ Jonger possesses, allies itself with, and in itself and its policies expresses all that is backward, reactionary, feudalistic and barbarous,,in order to deny the historic progressive role of the revo- lutionary working class. The Three Mus-keeters A worker who previously had not heard o: the latest “international” organized by, for and of three people, Albert Weisbord, his little play- mates, Vera Bush and Silly Pollack, all three expelled from the Communist Party, writes us | as follows: “May I turn in a complaint and warning. I have just returned from the so-called ‘Weisbord movement meeting.’ I went there thinking it was a Communist meeting! I got in about 10.15 Pp. m., a little late, but got in just as a woman was speaking, seemed to be attacking the Daily Worker,-the TUUL, and the Communist Party, also the Workers’ School, saying: “We ought, or rather shall start a new work- ers’ school, a new working class paper, new un- employed councils.’ “Believe me, my hair was raising. I sure hope the Communist Party sees to it they don’t get away with that. I think they might try to bore in our Unemployed Councils, etc. Well, anyway. this lady later said something about no books being printed in English in this country on Marx- ism, and requested if there is a translator aie German, to English present. “‘Say, what the hell is this,” I asked a fellow. ‘Is this a Communist meeting or not? He said, ‘No, it’s opposition.’ I said—B, S.! and walked out. Please send a warning to all workers.” B. S. is right, comrade. The incident shows that only by pretending to be Communist can | they get a hearing. But as quick as they at- tack the Party the workers get wise, ‘They may get some recruits—at Matteawan; —$—$—$— Butcher Workmen’s Union .............' 500/00 Motion Picture and Theatrical Stage | Employees ......... erat Molders’ Local Union No. 164 (Mooney own local) . Probably one of the most convincing efforts of Paul Scharrenberg to sabotage the defense occurred in May, 1929, after J, P, Farrell, Chair- man of the Grand Lodge, Executive Board. of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, and W. E, Jones visited Tom Mooney at San Quentin. Visably moved by his plight, they promised to do their utmost to aid the Molders’ Defense Com- mittee. A fow days later, Mr. Farrell met Paul Scharrenberg and told him ‘he proposed asking ‘he Brotherhood to make a substantial donation to the Tom Mooney Molders’ Defense Commit- tee. Immediately, Scharrenberg strongly ob- jected. Using all the arguments at. his com- mand, he tried to convince Mr. Farrell the Mooney Defense did not need funds; that the case would soon be settled (he did not state how) and that there was no need for a Defense Com- mittee. Fortunately, Mr. Farrell Scharrenberg’s slimy maneuver, and when he re- turned to the headquarters of the Brotherhood he‘ was able to secure a donation i Papas for the defense, TO BE CONTINUED