The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-10-13

even tho we agree to support him at
the polls.
5. However, even if Devine refuses
to enter into an election united front,
even if he refuses to give the support
of the socialist forces to our candi-
dates, we should not refuse to support
him if his reply to our questions are
at all favorable,
6. If the negotiations with Devine
result favorable, then an immediate
attempt must be made to enlarge the
united front campaign committee by
securing the participation of the
unions
Z. A campaign committee composed
of representative from all organiza-
tions entering into the election united
front should be created and in this
committee our Workers Party repre-
sentatives must be very active.
Together with the above, not sepa-
rate from it, must go the propaganda
for the need of labor party as the
eventual force which will oppose the
capitalist parties at the polls in
Toledo.
Note Even of Devine refuses to
support our candidates, even if he
refuses to answer our letter to him,
or in answering disagrees with all
our immediate demands, we would
have to announce our support of
Devine at the polls, but in so support
ing him, would have to oppose him
as the handmaiden of capitalism.
Comment.
In order to understand the situa-
lion in Toledo it is necessary to be
acquainted with the election methods
in that city.
The Toledo municipal elections are
non-partisan. Combinations are made
by petitions and all the candidates
nominated are submitted in the cleo
tors in primary held in this instance
on August 18th. At the primary three
candidates are selected for each office
and submitted to the voters at the
final election in November. AS pointed
out by Comrade Buehler in his letter
bAC wv dIlN CdHulQdleS LOT
vice-mayor and the candidate for coun-
eli in the goth ward of Toledo
were among the three receiving the
highest votes at these primaries and
thus go before the voters in the
November elections. The socialist
candidate for Mayor Tomis Devine
was among the three highest Of the
candidates for mayor and is candi-
date in the final election together with
a number of other socialist candidates.
The instructions sent to the Toledo
comrades by the district organizer lay
down correctly in paragraph one a
proposal to call a united front con-
ference Of delegates of the labor
unions, socialist party, other work.
ers' organizations and the Workers
Party for the purpose of supporting
a common labor candidate in the final
election.
The error, however, in these instruc.
tions is the proposal that in case the
movement for such united front con.
ference fail it is desirable "to make il
possible to have a united front with the
socialist forces.p This proposal is not
a proposal for a genuine united front
but a proposal that our party should en-
ter into an election alliance with the
socialist party in Toledo. The ground
for the objection of the Central Exc
cutive Committee to such a proposal
have already been stated in a previ-
GUS letter to the Toledo. comrades.
The tactics of addressing an open
letter to Devine demanding that he
support the calling of the conference
Of delegates from labor unions, the
socialist party and the Workers Par
ty to support common labor candi-
date and laying down program on
which the candidate would carry on
the election fight would have been
correct, but to address to the social
list candidate a proposal that the
Workers Party and the socialist party
form an election alliance tends to con-
fuse the minds of the workers to the
Communist and socialist position and
to cover up the gulf which divides
lhC rum iue bOCldllSLb.
1t was permissible, If the efforts to
form united front body in support
Of the united front ticket failed for
the Toledo comrades to call upon the
workers TO vote for the socialist candi-
dates for the Office for which the
Workers Party had no candidates in
the final election But such support
Of the socialist party would have to
be coupled with the severest criticism
of its program. This policy would
have been something quite different
from the policy proposed in the in
structions Of the district organizer
which were to the effect that II the
united front body to support united
front labor ticket could not be or
ganized II was desirable to have "a
united 'front.' with the socialist forces.
We could ask the voters TO vote for