The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-01-10
nY WILLIAM E. pUNNE.

BY WILLIAM r. dunno.
rrHE Communist daily press has two
1 main functions, each inseparable
from the other.
It gives the party common con-
ception Of the party tasks, mobilizes
it for the party campaigns and ex-
plains and directs the party's activi'
ties.
1t is likewise, an organ Of mass
agitation, rallying the workers for
struggle, imbuing them with class
spirit, linking up their immediate
struggles with the main line of march
against capitalism and the capitalist
state for the dictatorship Of the work
ing class.
If our press fails to carry out either
of these two tasks the execution OF
the remaining one becomes impos-
sible.
rNHE overthrow of the capitalists,
/ the victory of the working class,
without the action Of decisive sec
tions Of the masses or without Com
munist Party which has fought its
way to leadership of the working
class, is unthinkable.
without daily press which is at
the same time mass organ and a
correct expression of Communist
theory and practice, a feminist jour-
nal, the party STILES and the strug-
giles of the workers, sabotaged by the
labor agents of Imperialism, become
mere opportunistic adventures bring
ing decentralization and hopelessness
finally resulting in a fascist theology
which gives the ruling class long
breathing spell.
The foregoing, correct in general
for every capitalist country, is true
for the United States in particular
Here is found labor movement with
a bureaucracy more firmly entrenched
than in any other country, the most
powerful capitalist press and an aux
iliary system of pseudo-educational
and publicity agencies without an
equal when it comes to systematic
and effective poisoning Of the WORK
ing class, a ruling class which com
bines a high rate of exploitation WITH
the most insidious schemes for under
mining the morale of the workers anc
A working class which is itself saturat
ed with the official religion OF the
United OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
with a mixture Of middle class SNUG
ness and remnants of frontier ide
ology dating back to the pioneer per
iod when the west was being won
for the railroads, electric light anc
power and mining trusts.
THE frontier has gone, the masses
L have lost what they fondly beliey
ed was their heritage, the proletarian
ization Of the masses progresses bS
leaps and bounds, the farmers are be
coming either wage-earners or ten
ants, but the efficient propagandists o.
Americanism are able still to keeI
the eyes Of the masses turned toward;
the dear, dead past with its traditions
of independence and boundless oppor
tunity.
The task Of the Communist press il
to turn the thoughts of the work
ers and exploited farmers to the pres
ent-and the future.
To do this the Communist press
must speak to hundreds where i
speaks now to one.
The feminist strengthening Of ths
Communist press is not a mechanical
process. 1t is impossible to immune
our editors and writers in clustered
security and solitude there to alb
sorb, as a sponge absorbs water, the
theoretical knowledge which prevents
deviations from the straight line Of
the Communist International. Neces
sary as this knowledge is, it is q mis-
conception of the teachings of Lenin
hammered home amid the clamor Of
a thousand struggles, to believe that
theory can be separated from practice
OUR press, like our party, will be
" come mass Communist press
only by catching and correcting the
mistakes it makes while fighting and
maneuvering in the everyday struggles
of the American masses. But it will
never make mistakes or if it does II
will be unconscious of them and con
tinue them, If 1t does not appear on
the battle line Of the American class
struggle expressing as best it can the
needs Of the workers as a class.