The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-05
HEROIC WORKERS
FIGHT DESPITE
DREAD. DISEASE
City of Consumptives
and Scenic Beauty
By RERTRAM D. WOLFE.

yer is one of these towns with a eli
mate and scenery, and very conscious
of it. 1t is a tourist town and well-to-
do Americans come from all over the
United States to see It's wonders.
Among these tourists, however, not
all are well-to-do. Many of those who
come for the climate" are tragic vic
Tins Of the capitalist system. / met
scores Of workers during my brief
stay in Denver and most OF them
were consumptives. Three Of the
members of the executive committee
Of the Workers Party here are vic
Tins Of the dreaded T. B., contracted
in the unsanitary factories Of the
great industrial centers of our coun-
try. Some Of the most active spirits
In the union movement here are the
same. 1t is a testimony to the un-
conquerable will of the working class
and its awakened fighters that even
that dread proletarian disease does
not break their will and determine
ton to struggle
visited a cemetery in the out
skirts Of the town and on tomb
stone, found, not a cross, but a ham
mer and sickle. "A consumptive, my
companion explained, "a veteran
fighter in the Jewish labor move
ment who died here couple years
back. Contracted T. B. in the sweat
shops of the East"
Climate. Suitable.
The labor movement is not strong
here. A constant stream of broken
down invaded workers come to Den
yer because they must live in such
climate, and they are willing to
work for almost nothing in order to
stay. The supply of available work
ers is greatly in excess of the de-
mand. Yet the class conscious work
ers struggle with the double handicap
Of disease and an overstocked labor
market and keep a labor movement
alive here. At the present moment
a labor lyceum is under construction
in Denver to serve as rallying CEN
ter for a movement absolutely with
out adequate headquarters. The
$4,000 necessary to build the labor
temple was raised mostly by the left
Workmen's Circle Zone Of the branch
es expelled by the right wing bureau
crazy Of the Workmen's Circle) and
by the Workers Party. But the whole
labor movement will benefit by hay
ing a rallying center.
Khan Is Licked.
Until recently, the ku klux khan had
control of the administration of Den
yer and the entire state. From -Sena-
tor Means down to the local dog
catcher" they were all members of
the night gown brigade. The word
Of the Grand Kleagle was law, and
there were nightly burnings of
fiery cross on Table Mountain over
looking the city. But the khan split
over the division of the booty and
the former boss Of the khan organized
the Minute Men of America. Now the
grip of the khan on local life and poll
tics is broken, Senator Means was de-
feated in the primaries in his own
party, the fiery cross burns no more
on Table Mountain.
The state federation OF labor has
weekly here Of large circulation-the
Colorado Labor Review. It is in many
ways considerably more progressive
than the average official organ OF
state federation. But it and the lead
ers of the official labor movement
here are supporting the democratic
candidate, Mr.. Sweet for United
States senator. Sweet is a one-time
socialist. and his father is still the
lone socialist of Denver, Colorado.
The Millionaire Sweet.
But Sweet is a, millionaire as are
the present incumbents, Means and
Phipps. These days 1t is as easy for
q rich man to get into the senate as
into the kingdom of heaven and the
Colorado labor leaders seem to be
used to being represented by million
aires. Because Of the split in the
republican ranks on the khan issue,
he election OF Sweet is highly prob.
lble and he will probably line up with
Reed and the progressive democrats
N the next senate. But in spite OF
he sweep for Sweet, the Workers
Party has succeeded in getting the
necessary petition signatures among
he workers to put full ticket in the
ield with Ayres for senator and Diet.
Itch for governor.
Two years ago Governor" Dietrich
cot about 1000 votes even tho there
was a LaFollette ticket in the field.
Europe steel Combine Meets.