The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-02-11
LIBERAL LAWYER
Gets WORSE END
IN OPEN DEBATE
Audience Agrees With
Communist Speaker

CLEVELAND, Feb 8 - The debate
between I. Amter, district secretary of
the Workers (Communist) Party, and
M. c. Harrison, an attorney of this
city, demonstrated that the foes of
Communism know little about the
country they praise so much and less
about Soviet Russia.
Workers Protect Their Interests.
Amter, who took the Affirmative on
the question Resolved that the Work
ers (Communist) Party has the only
program for the working class" de-
monstrated that the premises for the
revolution are presenting themselves
in the European countries and are de-
veloping in the United States. The
workers and poor farmers-the pro-
ducers Of the country-will face the
question of whether they will con-
tinue to be oppressed and crushed, or
face the combined forces of the cap
italists with their extra-legal organ
izations, the ku klux khan, American
Legion, American Defense League,
Dawes Minute Men etc. in an open
conflict to protect their interests.
Harrison made the central point of
his speech an attack on Soviet Russia.
He knew nothing about the develop
ment of Soviet economy, of the draw
ing in of the mass of the peasantry
into activity in the local Soviets. He
declared that if all that the peasants
got was the land, then there was no
reason for the American farmer to
want a revolution, for the American
farmer has the land.
He had nothing to reply to Amter
in his rebuttal when Amter told about
the progressive impoverishment of the
farmers in this country, the corn farm
ers' conference only few week ago,
the increasing mortgages, the rising
taxes, the growing tenantry.
Mr.. Harrison spoke about the condi-
ton of the Negro today, but forgot, as
Amter pointed out, the miserable con-
dition Of the millions of poor Negro
tenant farmers of the South, who are
in worse condition than under the
chattel slave system.
Ignorance Of Imperialism.
Speaking of militarism, Mr.. Harri-
son declared that war is not the re-
suit of Imperialism, but of race pride
and race prejudice" This utter lack
of understanding of the ground work
of imperialism and of war, and COM
plete ignorance of the reason for race
pride and race prejudice, evoked an
answer from Amter, who proved that
in this country, the capitalists foster
race prejudice and antagonisms in
order to keep the entire working class
down.
"Will you explain, Mr.. Harrison"
said Amter "how it happens that Eng
land was against Germany in the last
war, and associated herself with
France? For surely Inere is closer
racial affinity between the population
of Germany and England than between
that of England and France? And
yet seven years later, we find Eng
land the ostensible friend of France,
turning to Germany and lining up
more with her against France? The
reason is clear Germany was the
strongest competitor of England be-
fore the war; today France is strug
Cling against England for the hege-
mony of Europe and the East. That
is the cause of imperialist war and
that is the economic basis of all war
today"
The questions from the floor were
Illuminating. One elderly gentleman
commenting on Harrisons statement
that if all the peasants in Soviet Rus
STA received was the land, said that
that is more than the American farm
err has He referred to the United
States census and proved his conten-
ton.
Liberal Gets Little Support.
The crowd was the largest that has
ever gathered at the Goodrich House
Settlement. and the applause that
greeted Amters speech showed that
the liberal attitude on current prob
lens has little hold on them.