The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-14
Emancipation Struggle
Still on for Oppressed
Labor Under Capitalism
BY J. LOUIS ENcDAHL

TODAY the dead past gets its overflow of attention from
orators unfolding present conditions in the
ton Of the birth Of Abraham Lincoln Banks declare legal
closed the offices of capitalist government locked
tight But in the mills the mines and the factories, the
con like Washington, of its heroes fearing that
labor may inject class angle into the celebration work
are held cautiously aIoof
Everywhere in the exercises OF the Kiwanis Clubs or
of military organizations it the flag of Wall Street that
War Wall Streets chosen agent Senator smoot delivers
the euogy in congress-
Among Negroes Lincoln is raised to the pinnacle of
saint or god" Sixty years after the Civil War find
this idol worship continuing manifest itself in the Negro
custom of voting the republican ticket, while "The Solid
South" white, goes democrat
This year much is made of what alleged to be
hitherto missing copy OF speech by Lincoln in closing his
senate in 1858. This was two years before Lincoln
The speech important for workers. especially Negro
workers. in that shows that Lincoln this date had abso
utey intention of playing the role of emancpao He
was not opposed to chattel slavery an Institution If it
could be confined to the boundaries that then held in the
South Some OF the significant passages follows
"rhe legal reclaim fuuve
have constantly admitted
their institution constantly resisting
spread of territory appears
to tendency principle
my whole effort has consisted"
Lincoln thus upheld chatte slavery even to using the
government in returning fugitive slaves their masters He
only resisted its spread territory. 1t
years dteI unuer pressure OF civil war developments
that Lincoln forced to resort the Emancipation
Proclamation In the early days of the
using Negroes soldiers in the armies of the
North had been bitterly opposed was thought crime to
rob the southerner of his slaves necessity of
The millions of Negroes freed from chate slavery
because OF developing economic conditions in the middle of
the last century that laid the basis of present capitalist
system Instead of the chatteI slaves of 90 years ago.
Negroes with workers of all coIors and natonaes
wage slaves today. Woshipping Lincoln the "ean
cpaor of chatteI slavery days will help Negro workers
or white workers win todays struggle against capitalism
All workers must realize the huge forces that drive
on to new revolutions and civil wars, that
in new victories for the oppressed class of today.
Washington revoIutionist i'm his day. But he was
arstocrat and stakeholder Jefferson, hailed as an
ideal democrat by middle class elements and by some
sections of labor, also STAKEHOLDER. Atho Lincoln
plunged the country into civil he did originally
ieve in emancipating the Negroes
1t is we'll to understand this past history and the part
that various individuals played in its making
be understood only in the that this understanding
helps fight the battles of today will be found those
who shout loudest about Washington Jefferson Lincoln
today those who the wrong side of revolutions
and civil wars of today.
If Negro workers would be liberated from wage slavery
they must join in the determination of the social sys
temcaptasn-that freed them from chatte slavery Vot
ing the republican ticket will do that Idol worship of
Civil War will not do it, Supporting patriotic and
purely organizations only helps strengthen the letters
of the expoters Instead all Negro workers must unite in
one 'front.' with all workers against their capitalist masters
They viii find that the emancipatng leadership in this
struggle OF an oppressed class the Workers Comunist)
Party that the future belongs to Communism.