The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-22
The Political Situation. .


The Political Situation.
The mass revolt against the two
old parties The present political
situation is characterized by a grow-
ing revolt of the workers, farmers,
and lower middle classes against the
leadership and domination of the two
old parties. The Democrat and Re-
publican Parties do not represent the
interests of the masses that have
been supporting them. Neither the
workers nor the exploited farmers,
and not even the lower middle class
es find their interests represented
and defended by the two old parties.
Both are dominated by the big finance
and industrial capitalists of the coun-
try who are using INTERCHANGEABLE
the machinery of the two old parties
to suppress and exploit all the other
groups and classes in American So
ciety.
Because the old parties are being
dominated and controlled by big cap
ital these parties have proven them
selves to be totally incapable to cope
with the present situation and to
satisfy even partially the needs of
the exploited masses of the cities and
farms. The present industrial and
agricultural crisis is accentuating
this fact and is giving more impetus
and force to the already strong
movement of revolt against the old
parties,-a movement which is as
suming daily ever wider and bigger
proportions.
The disclosures in the Teapot
Dome Oil Scandal and in the Vet
erans' Bureau Investigations have
badly shattered the confidence of the
masses in the two old parties. This
fact has already had the effect of
increasing the disgust with and in
tensifying the opposition to the politi-
cal leadership of the Democrats and
Republicans. The outcome of it is
veritable mass revolt against these
political instruments and tools of big
capital.
The political expression of revolt
against old parties.-This revolt finds
its expression in large mass move
ment tending to split away from the
two old parties and towards a new
party. The workers, exploited far
mers and large sections of the petty
bourgeoisie, spurred on by the indus
trial and agricultural crisis and by
the disclosures of the present sem
atorial Investigations, are moving
very speedily in the direction of a
third party. Insofar as this third
party movement has as yet crystal
lized, its organized expression is the
so-called La Toilette group in Con-
gress, the Conference for Progress
sive Political Action. and a number
Of smaller political groups and state
organizations.
AS this mass revolt against the old
parties develops there is to be seen
a clearly defined tendency of the
more politically conscious workers
and exploited farmers to differenti-
ate themselves from the anonymous
mass and to organize into a class
farmer-labor party distinct and sep
arate from the general third party
movement. The principal organized
expression of this movement is the
group of farmer-labor parties which
is calling the convention Of June
18th and of which the Federated
Farmer-Labor Party and the Workers
Party are a part.
All the elements participating in
the general revolt are present in both
the third party and labor party move
ments. The thing that differentiates
them is the preponderance Of petty
bourgeois elements. their leadership