davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18
Desperate Hold His Job

One Of the most despicabe tricks INDUCED by labor
fake desperately fighting hold his job the of the
bershp Of the union has light in the elections
going the Chicago locals of the Amagaaed Clothing Work
ers' Union
Sam Levin of the joint board ordered three
members of the union who distributing pluggr for the Oppo
ton candidate Nathan Green from their jobs the shops
Levin instructed the chairman the shops the
his office Arriving there he informed them that they could
distribute the pugger He said he didn't object side of the
ugger which advocated voting Green and against him. but that
he did object the program which advocates progressive
in the union.
This strange members of unions that conducted
along decent lines especially those older Chicago where
bulletin boards maintained in the shops and is the duty the
shop chamen to post all publicity matter when
pagns for election of officials going But
dom of the Amaamated Clothing Workers that they actually
from their jobs workers who dare support opposing candidates
The Amagamated used to proclaim its progssvis
the reaction of the A. F. of unions but should
of the Oldest avowedy conservative and powerful the
of unions the International Typographical Union indulge
such antics those performed by Mr. Levin he only would
be removed from the ticket but expelled from the union.
1t about time the gangsters and sefapponed dctator
control of the Amaamated removed and the organization
be brought back to the path of ordinary unionism
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18
Rx I. poMeAL, MOSCOW.

TN the coming events which are
L going to determine the fate of Ia
boring mankind, the peasantry will
doubtless play a tremendous historic
part.
In the fight between the proletariat
and the bourgeoisie at the present re-
evolutionary epoch, it will be The peas
antry that will decide the outcome Of
the struggle one. way or another. Al
though, the peasantry, for a good
many reasons, will not be able to be-
come the leading factor in this strug-
gle; nevertheless its role will be ire
mendous, even if only because on a
world-scale it comprises over billion
human souls, which means from 60 to
20 per cent of the entire race. Since
the peasantry used to be considered
as the most conservative and back
ward element in society, the bour-
geois biologists have based all their
hopes for the preservation of the cap
italist order upon the political neu-
trality of the peasantry. Now, after
the imperiaIIst world war a sharp
change has taken place in the peas
antry.
EtlRST Of all, there has grown In
the peasant the consciousness Of
the antagonlsm between his interest
and those of the bourgeoisie and the
landlords, secondly the class differ
a,,tfotfo,, hos o,rou,n opnono tho Mas.
antry. Thirdly, ever increasing masses
OF the toiling peasantry are beginning
TO realize the community Of their in
terests with those of the proletariat.
The Importance Of the peasantry in
the coming world-events Is taken into
account not only by the revolutionary
proIetariat but also by the bourgeois
and landlord reaction.
The slogan launched by the prole-
tartan vanguard, "The revolutionary
alliance Of workers and peasants for
the fight against capitalism and land
lordism" has met with vivid response
among the peasants. Ever since the
time when the more advanced and
class conscious elements OF the
peasantry have created the Red Peas
ants International under the name Of
the International Peasants Council
(Krestintern), this slogan has begun
TO assume organized forms. The bour-
geois IS fully awaresof the fact that II
would prove unableto resist the united
front which is growing among the work
ers and peasants, and II therefore
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18

tries to hinder the formation of such
an alliance, to gainL over to its side
the prosperous and even the middle
elements of the peasantry, and by
their aid to subjugate to itself the,
village. 1t may safely be stated that
the coming revolutionary events
the decisive encounter between the
proletariat and the bourgeoisie will
be preceded by the fight between these
two classes for this mighty ally, for
the peasantry.
THIs fight for the peasantry Is
4 growing In extent thruout the
world, assuming a more and more or
ganized character. o.,,.
On the one hand, the Krestintern
is gathering under its, banner ever in
creasing numbers of the existing as
well as of the newly, arising economic
and political organizations of the toll
ing peasantry, besides establishing
contact with the left;Eing and radical
groups Of those agricultural organiza-
ton which are still dominated by
landlords, wealthy peasants or petty
bourgeois leaders. =, On the other
hand, the bourgeois and capitalist
reaction, in league with the wealthy
peasants, is trying to capture the
peasant movement and to direct it into
its own channel, notronly nationally
in the different countries, but also in
ternationally upon a world scale.
Already before the formation of the
Krestintern, the capitalist and land.
lord reaction had fendeavoured to
create a "black agrarian interna-
tional." On their part, the wealthy
peasant, upon the initiative of SIAM
bulisky, created the peoples green
agricultural International" which to
this day retains its Slavonic charac-
ter, not having made any consider
able Roadway.
Along with these attempts there
could recently be noted the reports of
the social-reformlsts of the menshev-
list type to draw the peasantry into
the sphere of influence II was not
gratously that Otto Bauer published
his book "The Fight for Land, Field
and Forest" neither is it by mere
accident that the Second international
Is converting shortlygat Paris a confer
enoe on the agrarlan and peasant
question. But by faritHe most brilliant
proof OF the growing struggle for the
peasantry and at theeame time to us
the most dangerous manifestation Of
the black reaction, is the fact OF the
decision Of the 18th international con-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18

gress at Warsaw last June to create
It's own black agrarian international
as counterpolse to the red Krestin-
tern. Every emphasis should be put
upon the undoubted fact that since
that very moment the fight for the
peasantry between the world reaction
and the proletariat has assumed an
organized character on either side,
and that henceforth it will be waued
chiefly under the banner of the two
internationals: The red Krestintern
and the black agrarian international.
The agrarian congress at Warsaw
was convened by the so-called inter-
national agrarian commission created
at the world exhibition of Paris in
1889, upon the initiative of the then
premier of France, a member of the
Paris Commune.
Under the slogan of professional"
unity of all the agriculturists, begin
ming with the large landowner and
ending with the poorest peasant, in
the spirit of the Anticipated doctrine,
"The plough becomes the symbol of
civilization" was founded the inter-
national agrarian commission, which
has since convened congresses (there
were twelve agrarian congresses, in
GLIDING that at Warsaw and acted
as their executive organ. At first the
participants of these congresses con-
sisted Of representatives Of the diff
ferent agricultural associations (al-
most exclusively of landowners)
professors and other specialists, and
later on they were attended also by
delegates Of about thirty governments
ministers of agriculture and higher
oficials), who have established close
contact with the international agra
rian commission Of Paris and with the
international Aerarian Institute at
Rome, which had been founded under
its auspices in 1905.
Ostensibly these congresses have
pursued scientific aims and have been
convened for the exchange of infor-
nation on agricultural progress, but
in fact they have helped the large
landowners to bring pressure to bear
upon their respective governments in
the furtherance of their particular
interests. The Warsaw congress at
tended by about $50 delegates repre-.
senting rs countries, and also by re-
preventative Of the league Of nations,
constitutes the most important Of all
the organized offensiyes of the worlds
agrarian capital against the toilers
In general, and the peasants In par
Id s.ai.nr
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18

appreciation and so penetrating .
sympathy has given us this picture
THERE are other pictures of direct
i interest to workers. Some because
OF their working class Interpretation,
others for their beauty of theme and
color. Among these are Planting Po-
tatoes, by Ross Moffitt, Number I41;
A Valencian Morning, by Arthur
Rider Number IT'S, showing oxen
bringing in the boat. There is a won
CerlM picture Of Mexican herder,
by Henning, Number 81. While -ou
gro looking at this you will notice
that the lovely lady in black beside
MIN is by the same artist who paint
ed Antonio. AS you pass down one
room on the right you will notice Ran
dali Davey's Cowboy--simply beauti-
full. SO true, so fine and big and
strong, so saturated with the spirit OF
the out-of-doors, OF the mountains and
the plains-so all but alivel Yet we
heard man say in passing: "I don't
like that-his shirt is all open"
Wouldn't you have smiled, too?
Be sure not to miss Benelzer's
From the Soil, portraying worker
leaning on his spade. The hardened
soul-benumbed features recall IN
evitable lines from Markham's Man
With the Hoe, and especially those
from Josephine Peabodys Singing
Man:
"Perished thot and halting tonRue--
(Once II spoke--once 1t sungl)
Live to hunger, dead to song,
Only heat-beats loud with wrong
Hammer on, How long? How long7
How long?"
The institute is open without
charge on Wednesdays. Saturdays,
Sundays and all legal holidays. Ask a
guard to direct you to athe rooms
whore the annual exhibition is hsiA.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18
ART REVIEW = By GeOrgiana Bonita

lave you been to see Antonio? II
not, you still have a chance. The
annual exhibition of American paint
ers and sculptors now open at the
Art Institute will continue until De-
cember 10. We have visited the ex-
hibition on several Sundays and each
time we have come away with the
conviction that If we were permitted
to take away the picture Of our choice
out of the scores of interesting paint
ings, we would take Antonio, Number
1879. You will find him away in the
corner of the last room at the right,
sitting on park bench, his head rest
ing in his hand. There he is, the
itinerant worker. You see that he
has nothing in the world but the
clothes upon his back. You see in
his face WEAKNESS, the disappoint-
ment, and the hopelessness, not of
his own life alone, but OF the age-old
experience Of his class. Life has rob-
bed him of everything but one. What
is tia memory or a dream? Decide
for yourself. Go and see him and
bring away with you the love of the
memory OF him as we have done.
But II we could not have Nikol
Shattinstein's Antonio, we would take
Miners, by Knute Heldnar, Number
81, in room on the left side. Work
ers are issuing from the mine, their
dinner pals in their hands. They
seem to bring something of the damp
and darkness Of that other world OF
theirs back with them, and even the
dusky light OF eyening--or is II morn.
ing, seems too bright for their eyes.
Heavily they walk, their shoulders
dropping. their spirits sagging. They
are tired. Too tired to care. See II
you do not love the Miners. And1et's
be glad that an artist Of so true an
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18

his tax proposals he presents o con
Trajectory argument by excusing his
fragrant exemption If @r1r.
by stating that the millions OF dollars
saved ny the D4g capitalists VIII be
reinvested in this country. Instead OF
employing American workers some OF
it will go to Italy to enable Mussolini to
weld more firmly the shackles OF slav-
cry upon the working class of that
hapless nation; some of it will claim
its toll from the suffering of the work
ing class of Germany; another part of
1t will be used to support the rapac-
ious assaults Of Major General Leon
ard Wood against the Filipino people;
it will pay the gunner Of Imperialism
in China In order that the millions OF
workers there may be brought undcr
the domination of Wall Street. It will
create poems and slaves, and mighty
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18

ment." Surely no one who sees the
manner in which the petty bourgeois
shopkeepers hire jay-bird lawyers to
show them how to evade taxes can be
induced to believe that taxpaying in
creases love of government. The aver
age taxpayer has about as much
respect for the government as boot
logger has for prohibition agent
when they try to cheat him out of
his share of the graft.
The few workers who have had to
pay income taxes look upon the gov
eminent as brigand, highwayman,
who squanders their money in the
same reckless manner in which mem
bers of the cabinet squander oil lands
They consider the government a pack
of thieves. Unfortunately they do not
understand how intelligently to com
-bat the thing.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18

A S for the reinvestment of the prof
a its of the richest people of the
country in industry so there can be
more $4,000 year men, everyone
knows that this profit, for the most
part, is Of late years being invested
in foreign countries. Industrial devel-
opment in this country is so advanced
that but very sma1r portion of that
which is piled up as surplus is ever
reinvested within the borders of the
United States. In Mr.. MELONS report
to congress he emphasized the enor-
nous plethora of gold now in the coun-
try and the necessity of disposing of
it in a profitable manner. Then in
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18
Mr. Mellon Hands out Christmas Presents MWeh
By H. NJ. WIGS
FRIENDS AND REMEMBERS HIMSELF.

persons who paid last year will be
exempt from paying income taxes this
year. Since the total number Of in
come tax payers last year was 4,270.-
421, that means there will be but L.
2T0,421 or less, paying income taxes
this year. For these people we hold
no brief. They are either big exploit
ers of labor or petty bourgeoisie. with
a prinkling Of labor takers whose IN
comes place them definitely in the
bourgeois class.
Nor do we rejoice over the exemp-
ton of the 100000. For the most
part they are the lowest, the vilest,
the most filthy of the petty bourgeoi-
sie-small shopkeepers, country bank
ers lawyers, preachers, university
professors, and salaried petty slave
drivers in industry. They are the chief
benefactors aside from the top-notch
capitalists.
Then. in between the two extremes
there is an upper strata of the petty
bourgeoisie who didn't get any tax
reduction. Those with incomes from
$1,000 to $4,000 year do not get
any relief (?) from the Mellon tax
plan. They are for the most part in
dustrialists who resent the encroach-
ments of finance capital, and Mr.. Mel
Ion, the Pittburgh banker, has no SYM
pathy for them and he knows l1re,
have but little power and are few in
number, so they must bear their af-
Fiction in impotency.
The Rest of Us.
A S for the rest of us, who did not
A pay income taxes last year and
do not pay them this year, we cannot
get excited over the tribulations of
any of the income tax payers. But
there are points to the Mellon tax bill
that amount to reduction in the
standard of living by placing taxes
upon necessaries of life. For instance,
more than $3.50 100000 is paid in taxes
on tobacco, while for amusement and
recreation where an admission fee is
charged, more than $75O,OOO,OOO will
be collected to defray the expenses of
the capitalist instrument of subjec-
ton, whose one reason for existence
is to hold the, workers in slavery in
order that the capitalist system may
continue.
According to the last census (1920)
there were 41,50O,OOO wage earners in
the United States. There were some
thing over 21,OOO,OOO families of wage
| earIers.
The last census proves that there
were in this country more than &c.
100000 wage workers who received
less than the previous exemption
limit. It~means that most of these
received less than $4,000 year.
Melons tax report gives the lie to
the much Wanted prosperity talk in
the bourgeois press on the one hand
and on the other it reveals the finan-
cial barons of the country as unwilling
to, finance their own government and
striving to devise means of transfer
ring the tax to the middle class in the
form of direct taxes and to the work
ers in the form of indirect taxes,
which act TO reduce their standard of
! living.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18

tlcular.
The actions of the landlords cannot
be considered as isolated. Before
starting the attack, they have reached
an agreement with the big bourgeoisie
and secured the support OF both in
dustrial and financial capital. Ex-
tremely characteristic for the whole
tactcis Of the landlords is the fact
that, upon the demand of the bour-
geoisie, they have agreed to some
concessions on the land question.
Continued in next issue)
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18

could have conceiveds of such bill
His plan should not be considered
real reduction in revenue. Any
halfwit on earth can bring about a
simple reduction in revenue by simp-
ly slashing all taxes, both direct and
indirect.
For instance it would be simple
thing to take taxes on all necessaries
of life, knock out taxes on all incomes
under $4,000 year and make every
one receiving above that amount pay
t all out in taxes. But such propo-
sition would be nothing less than sui
,idal for Mr.. Mellon and his class and
besides, it simply isn't being done I'M
der capitalism. ssrs
Much more ingenious is the scheme
If Mellon. In his testimony before
the committee on ways end means he
said: $40
In determining what taxes should
first be reduced, it lis, important to
bear in mind the distinction between
a reduction in taxes which simply
reduces revenue. III
"a reduction of the lower brackets
in itself means no increase in tax
able income. A man with a $4,000
salary does not carry funds in non
productive Investment, and reduc-
ton in his taxes does not therefore
create additional taxable incomes.
"a reduction in the surtax, how
ever, increases the amount Of capital
which is put into productive enter
prises, stimulates business and
makes more certai1 that there will
be more $4,000 jobs to go around
It is with such sophistry that IL
Coolidge administration donates
hundred million dollars to three thor
sand plutocrats. The government b
longs to these three thousand, or
least the most powerful of this nun
Der, and still they object to payint
for the conduct of that government
Mr.. Melons proposals simply NEAR
that the financial magnates Of the
country are to be relieved of paying
heavy taxes in order that they may
have more to invest in profitable in.
dustry. In other words so that they
will have more capital with which
to exploit labor. The only manner
conceivable in which profits can be
made is through the exploitation OF
labor. Nothing hassahy value what
soever until labor-power has been ap-
piled to it and it's value is determined
by the amount of socially-necessary
.abor-time required to- Teproduce it.
But Mellon evades this plain fact by
stating that with this, money invested
in industry more men will have $4,000
jobs and since these FIVE Thousand a
year men do not invest in nonproduc-
tive securities (tax-exempt securities)
they will pay Sufficient in income taxes
to make up for the loss on the great
incomes.
A MOTHER illusion being dissem-
a mated by Mr.. Mellon and his gang
of imperialist yegg1men is that of
every person having an interest in
the government" If people pay in.
come taxes they will feel that they
have a share in the government and
will therefore defend their invest.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18

few $4,000 year men. Those that it
does create will be merely the vile
lackeys and thugs enabling the ruling
class more effectively to throttle the
working class. Most of the $4,000 a
year men are those craven creatures
known as efficiency experts" and "in-
dustrial engineers" who spend their
energy devising more bestial ways OF
taking from the wage slaves the last
bit of vitality within their bodies in a
given period of time.
Much noise is being made over the
fact that by raising the exemption to
include all incomes under $4,000 for
heads of families more than 10000
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18

UNREASONABLE is the contempt in
L which the ruling class of this coun
TRY holds the working class when 1t
can get away with such fragrant
fraud as the Coolidge-Mellon tax re-
form" The government, which is the
executive committee Of the capitalist
class, knows that the average worker
merely reads the headlines in the rep
tile press on such questions as tax
reduction and if those headlines So
lemnly assure him that the common
man" has been benefited thereby he
Immediately proceeds to whoop it up
for the grand and glorious republican
party that is so considerate of the
workers that it reduces his taxes
While many workers can and do ac-
curately keep track of the percentages
of the base ball scores during the
season and while they have no trouble
figuring up the averages of their ia
vorite bowling teams, when it comes
to solving problems that directly af-
feet their own economic condition
they leave that to the headline writ
ers, who see to it that the reader gets
! thoroughly saturated with misinforma-
ton.
Three Chief 6enefieiaries.
THE chief gamers as result
4 of the Mellon tax reforms are
the men who have the largest
incomes. According to last years re
turns, based upon the 1924 tax law
with surtax of 40 per cent, three tax
payers made returns on incomes over
$5,0O0,OOO. Their combined income
was S27,955.319, and they paid in taxes
the sum of $11,000,OO0. Under the pro.
posed Mellon plan which cuts the sur.
tax 20 per cent these same three, if
their income is identically the same
as it was last year land it will be
much more), will get away with a
combined tax of $5,244, 464.32.
1t is interesting to know precicely
who these three taxpayers are. Mr.
Mellon, himself, is one of them. The
other two are Henry Ford and John
d. Rockefeller, Jr.
The reduction these three received
was more than the total reduction
realized by the 100000 taxpayers
commencing at the $4,000 bracket
/ down.
/ Then we may take the next three
highest taxpayers and we get interest
ing figures. These three reported in
comes over S4,OOO,OOO each and less
than $5,OOO,OOO They paid in taxes
for last year total of S4,274,317. I'm
der the Mellon plan the taxes of these
three will be reduced $2,616,701.12.
Other figures prove that the 5000
richest exploiters Of labor in this
country will receive reductions total
ing more than $1OO,OOO,OOO next year
that is figuring their income on the
basis of last year.
Mr. Melons "Reform."
MELLON and the supporters of his
Az plan contend that it is the most
farreaching tax reform ever prop sed
to a United States congress. They
claim that only one who is well train.
ed in the mysteries of fLance capital
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-18
new YORK INTERNATIONAL |
LABOR DEFENSE DANCE ON |
SATURDAY, DEC. 10 AT 81

NEW YORK, Dec. 16.-A dance
will be held on Saturday Dec. 10
by Section No. of the |. L. D. at
so1 w. 2eth ST. All New York com
rades are urged to come and help
with the work of defense.