Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-25
IA Toilette PARTY
TOO TAME FOR REDS,
I FOSTER DECLARES
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Leased Wire to The Journal-Copy
right, 1924

secretaries or newspapermen will
him: he wore a soft collar and {
black SLOUGH hat and a threadbart
suit of clothes: nobody recognized
him except the writer, for he wa'
William q. Foster, candidate for the
presidency on the ticket Of the work
ers' party of America-an avoweC
believer in communism.
There had always been in my
mind a burning curiosity to find ou
what the "'Z' stood for. 1t was {
good opportunity to learn the an
swer to that and a dozen Other
questions which the advocacy O
communism by a sane man natural
ly arouses.
81 put the Il in there" he sale
with a smile, Just because I wanted
to be different. 1t doesn't stand
for anything. L just tackled it or
one day."
There IS much that is different
about the man William Il. Foster
His viewpoint on the whole political
situation is different He is max
ISg a speaking tour all by himself
q he comes into contact with a
rambling, dissatisfied element and is
a keen observer himself of human
nature and economic conditions.
What about La Follette?" was
the next question.
Oh, he's just a demagogue, re
piled Foster. "He represents the
.capitalistic system just as much as
do the other candidates. Only he
reflects the sentiment Of the little
capitalist, the element in America
which strives to rise from the EN-.
ploye to the employer class.
Opinion of Election
but ultimately they all merge
.snto the capitalistic regime. La Fol
lette, to my mind, Is the best friend
of the capitalist class in America.
He is like the Socialists Of European
countries who proved the main OBJ
,stacle to the success of Communism.
Examine some of La F'ollette's
proposals, why, they are tame COM
pared to the proposals Of men like
SHINES In Germany or the Indus
.trialists Of other European countries.
l should hardly classify La Toilette
as of the Left. He is closer to the
Right"
do you think he will poll a big
vote?"
Eyes, do. And we are watching
Will great INTEREST WHAT ne IS 40
ing for we believe the third party
which he has introduced is bound
to stay, that it means the gradual
breaking up of the Republican and
Democratic parties. haven't any
doubt, however, that if La Follette's
group ever does get a majority of
the voters, the big interests will find
some way to control his movement.
1t is inevitable"
What do you think will be the
outcome of the election?"
can't see how Davis can carry
many states except the south, and
think Coolidge is strong in the
east, but my feeling is that the cleo.
ton will be thrown into the House
of Representatives for decision. Aft
er that no man can be sure what
will happen"
The more one talks with Foster
the more one wonders about his en-
Vlronment and early training, for he
is such a convinced Communist. so
frank and~>oDen about it, that it is
natural to inquire how he came to
ehls present views
Fosters Early Life
Il was born in Massachusetts,. 9"
ne said land my mother was Eng
Ilsh and my father Irish In the town
or Taunton, Mass, where [ was
born, the first red flag of revolution
was raised in the days of the Ameri
can revolution against Great Britain
Il didn't go TO school much. [
gathered my education by extensive
reading. l shipped before the mast
as youngster and rounded Cape
Horn on a square rigger four times.
] beat my way between New York
and the Pacific coast eight times,
and have mixed with all kinds of
people in all kinds of places"
Most Of the conversation we had
was about communism and social
ism. Foster is enthusiastic about
Russian experiment and says he be-
lieves the Russian government is
the strongest government in the
world with the exception of the.
american government
isn't 1t odd he unused, chat two
governments representing two ex-
remes in economic life should be
powerful? Germany, Great Britain,
France, Italy-they are shaky COM
pared to the Soviet government
!. Which introduced discipline and
Ggi9 rule. [ think, of course, that
Wkey had many Utopian ideas in
Russia which could not be worked
out. They tried socialism at first,
for instance, which to my mind is
thoroughly impractical. People in
the United States do not understand
communism. It's an altogether dif'
terent system Of living"
/"Do YOU think it will ever get &
foothold in America" was the next
question.
Foster shrugged his shoulders and
sighed. He didn't appear to believe
that in a country in which trade
unionism and capitalism were SO
strong that much Roadway could
be made for some time.
Tries to Explain Communism
'But communism, \he said, as
not developed by us. That is a great
mistake. 1t is an effect rather than
an effect. 1t rises spontaneously
when the capitalistic system breaks
down and disinteGrates. You never
have communism until the conditions
OF disorder and discomfort are
brought about by the mistakes and
tactics of capitalists
Foster explained that the Work
crs' Party of America would be on
the ballot in at least fifteen states,
but that he and his colleagues did
this merely MS means Of educating
individuals to their doctrines. He
has no hope of succeeding by the
ballot.
1--WE disagree with the Socialists, -
he rem rked, that anything can be
accompl ned by the ballot or h.
evolution. We simply hold rs Com
munists tina some day the workers
units in inc stry will acquire the
ascendancy.
Foster went N to show how his
group disagrecs With the anarchists,
7. w. W.'s ano Socialists. and in
sisted that what h5 was doing in
America 'Nas not bit different than