The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-06-15
New York and the United Labor Ticket
ARTICLE VII
Why Local Labor Party?

the Central Labor Council that the de-
mands of labor for independent politi-
cal action first makes itself felt and
most strongly so.
Local Governments as Strike Breakers.
The greatest stimulus to the forma-
ton of Labor Party is the use of the
courts, police and other governmental
agencies as strike breaker. Yet, ex-
cept in the basic industries in big ma
tional strikes such as railroad and coal
strikes or the big steel strike, it is the
local or state courts and the local 20
lice or the state constabulary and the
local and state governmental agencies
generally that do the strike breaking.
Consequently, again the first natural
step of labor towards independent po-
litical action is aimed at the local
government which is used against him
and he makes demand that work
ers' government be set up in the city
and state.
Thus, because Of the great extent of
territory of the United States cit is as
If all the countries Of Europe were
fused into one), because of the diver
sified industries, because of the d.
vision into states containing industrial
centers, because of the diversified ma
ture of the farm industry, because OF
divergent laws in each state and the
state and local courts with their in
functions, and because it is generally
the local police and the local govern
ment rather than the United States
army and the national government
that have been used against strikes,
and because of the doctrine of state
rights and the innumerably separate
state legislatures, and finally because
the government Of the United States
has only recently become a centralized
government and still is not nearly so
centralized as are the governments Of
the European countries-for all these
reasons and for the reason also that
local labor councils are most respon-
sive to the needs and desires of the
rank and file, that the natural mode
of formation of labor party in Amer
lea is thru the formation Of various To-
cal labor and farmer labor parties, at
least in the states most favorably dis
posed, as a preliminary to the forma-
ton of a national labor party.
There are times, however, such as
the period 1920-1923, when the i'm
petus for national labor party is very
much stronger. This was due, in the
period mentioned, to the open use of
the national government as a strike
breaker in the case Of the railroad,
coal and steel strikes, and therefore
such national unions as the Railroad
Brotherhoods made a nationwide
drive for labor party.
The Task Before Us.
This year, however, it is obvious
that no national labor party will be
formed and therefore it is the task of
our districts, according to local condi-
tions, to make the biggest possible
steps forward toward the formation of
local labor parties and the creation of
a sentiment for a national party.
There are some states in which
Farmer-Labor Parties already exist
and the problem of the Communist is
to strengthen and broaden them.
There are others in which a labor
party can be created, and still others
in which a united labor ticket, as
first step toward labor party, can
be set up. New York falls into this
category and every effort must be
made to set up a genuine united labor
ticket in the New York campaign.
II the various units of the party all
over the country create the proper pre-
conditions from below, we can trust
the government to create the proper
conditions from above so that in 1928.
which is a national presidential cam
paign, National Labor Party may be
formed.