The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-21
ks...s,x Sick
BY T. ). o'FLAHERTY


THE slush fund probe is with US
i again and 1t came in just the right
time to comfort the democratic candi-
date for the United States senatorShip
for Illinois for the discomfort Of hv-
ing in an hospital while the political
battle Is raging outside. Look forth
from the window again fair Rebec-
ca" he may say 10 one OF his nurses,
and see II you can see approaching
the foaming heeF-stein Of democracy
or the furtive eye-opener Of the re-
publicans." You have read Ivanhoe,
have you not?
THRANK L. SMITH, the favorite Of
Il Samuel insult and George e. Bren-
nan. also a favorite, are the chief con-
tenders for the senatorship in Illinois.
THE pure" republicans who happen to
lsc both wet and dry, inject an indie
ndent candidate into the arena who
Is as dry as dust and is supported by
fae multi-millionaire head Of the
( s-Roebuck mail order house. Thus
re destinies of the masses are being
decided while the labor takers favor,
now one, now another OF the capital
list lackeys.
YT1HE American Federation OF Labor
4 convention has come to close and
ii anybody could tell where 1t diff
fered from a convention of pawn
brokers', that person must have an
agile mind. There was no sign of pro-
gress at this convention. The left"
were simply left out. A few relics of
bygone days like Max Hayes, send up
a puny prayer for labor party and
the leaders laughed because they knew
there is nothing behind Max's voice
except his larynx.
A ND the same is true Of the few so
n called near.radicaln that are left
to us. They bleat like lonely sheep
on a bleak mountain. Unfortunately
for them, they have developed hun
ger for radical thrills, but they can
never forget the feel of a hot meal, so
they keep one eye on the flesh pots
OF Baal and another on the mental
cafeteria of radicalism They usually
manage to get their fill of both, be.
cause they happen to live in the right
historical period for such political
foraying.
VNHERE seems to be little left OF the
Il old progressivism in the American
Federation of Labor. But aSnew class
of progressives is arising. This class
iss coming from the YOUTH. Old
people seldom amount to anything ex-
cept that they may be useful as pro-
fessors. OF course there are excep-
tions. But in general the young pro-
vide the dynamite for revolutionary
movements and old people are usually
found devising excuses for applying
the brakes Whatever progressivism
there is now in the A. F. OF L. of the
Max Hayes type is standing on an
over-ripe banana peel and might as
well look around for political under
taker.
DUT the workingclass movement al
IL ways goes forward. even when
the superficial eyes think it is going
backwards. Labor leaders may wear
jewelry at conventions that might
make the queen of Roumania throw
an envious fit, but back in the consti-
tuencies of those labor takers are
workers who have to worry about
where the next meal is coming from.
Necessity is a great propulsive force,
and the fat labor faker. like the pro-
verbal dog, has his day. And in my
opinion, the day is not far distant,
even tho American capitalism is just
now on the top of the heap. but world
capitalism is declining and capitalist
cess-pool cannot long survive in rev.
dictionary oasis.
CONGRATULATIONS to Max East
" man for getting his aanaatioro1 ,ar