The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-09-23

kinds of industry are determining fac
bors) but the same Is also true of the
farmer movements which are more or
less linked up with the labor party
movement.
Agriculture differs greatly from
state to state. In one part Of the coun-
try there is one type of crop and in
another part an entirely different
type; in some regions there is large
scale farming and in other regions.
the small farm prevails.
The cotton crop may be very bad
and the cotton areas in deep depres-
sion with resulting failures, fore
closures and expulsion from the land,
while the corn belt may be having
bumper crops and bumper prices, or
vice versa. Yet the farmer is most
militant in periods in which the
banker and usurer are foreclosing on
him and It is then that he thinks most
Of entering into political activity.
Local Governments as strlkebreakers.
THE greatest stimulus to the forma-
L ton Of labor party is the use Of
the courts, police and other govern
mental agencies as strikebreaker. Yet,
except IN the basic industries in big
national strikes such as railroad and
coal strikes or the big steel strike, it
is the local or state courts and the
local police OF 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 IN
dependent political action is aimed at
the local government which is used
against him and makes demand that
workers government be set up in
the city and state.
Thus, because Of the great extent of
territory of the United States Git is
as if all the countries of Europe were
fused into one), because of the diversi-
fed industries, because Of the division
into states containing industrial CEN
ters, because of the diversified nature
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 central
lied government and still is not near
ly so centralized as are the govern
ments of the European countries-for
all these reasons and for the reason
also that local labor councils are most
responsive to the needs and desires
of the rank and file, that the natural
mode of formation Of a labor party
in American is thru the formation of
various local labor and farmer-labor
parties, at least in the state most
favorably disposed, as a preliminary
to the formation of national labor
party.
THERE are times, however, such as
4 the period 192O-1923, when the i'm
petus for a 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 nationwide drive
for labor party.
The Task Before Us. =.
This year, however, 1t is obvious
that no national labor party will be
formed and therefore 1t is the task
Of our districts according to local con-
ditions, to make the biggest possible
steps forward toward the formation OF
local labor parties and the creation Of
sentiment for a national party.
THERE are some states in which
l. farmer-labor parties already exist
and the problem of the Communist is
to strengthen and broaden them.
There are others in which labor par
ty can be created and still others in
which a united labor ticket, as a first
step toward labor party, can be set
up. New York falls into this category
and every effort must be made 10 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, a national labor party may be
formed.
Att DL.. NH-I-