The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-12
LABOR PARTY
OPPONENT is
MADE TARGET
Johannsen Meets with
Audience Barrage


Anton Jehannssn, member Of the
executive board OF the Chicago Fed
GRAFTON OF Labor, who supported the
traditional A. r. on L. attitude In the
West Town Forum debate on "Is an
American Labor Party Desirable9"
must have felt like q corrupt senator
elect undergoing d senatorial inyesti
cation when the audience at Mid-City
odd Fellows Hall auditorium finish,
ed with him Sunda$ evening 10.
hansen debated against labor
party.
When the formal speeches were
over and the audience ives given the
privilege Of asking questions, yeri-
table barrage OF interregations fell
upon Johannsen.
"Ail Politicians the same
Johsnnsen declared that q labor
party Was not desirable because "all
politicians are the same, II doesn't
make any difference what they are
republicans, democrats, socialists,
Communists, or what. they are all
alike"
Workers should confine them
selves 10 building up their organiza-
tons" be said. "Haye less faith in
politics, and more faith in organiza-
tons"
The workers should leave politics
alone, no good comes from it," 10,
hammer, acoapfad az houa baagd sI,a
noise about the British Labor Party,
but haven't heard any Of its achieve
ments." He cited what he called the
failure Of the labor party in San Fran
cisco and the LaFollette campaign to
show that labor parties cannot sucs
ceed and do the workers more harm
than good"
Capitalists Like Johsnnsen."
"Johsnnsen Is in exactly the state
Of mind that John D. Rockefeller and
]. p. Morgan want the labor leaders
10 be in," answered George II. Kirk.
patrick, who spoke for the labor
party. They are perfectly delighted
to hear him spread this propaganda
against politics. His attitude is we
surrender-we don't want politics,
and then the employers make all the
rules. OF course, the workers are ig-
norant OF politics. II has been the
policy Of the A. r. OF 4. 10 keep them
ignorant. Johannsens philosophy is
a hopeless one" ta
Labor must use both its arms--in.
dustrial strength and political
strength, said Kirkpatrick. 1.-THE
workers should do more than organ.
lie industrially, they should organize
politically. To do the one without
the other is using only half its pow
or.
VIII Wake Up Worker.
"A labor party win make the work
or wake up and respect himself" he
said. ut will make him conscious OF
the things that are going on. II we
have labor party. say OF 100000
workers, 1t would positively excite the
working class. they would think more,
they would fight more they would go
forward TO victory. Politics today is
so corrupt and so dominated by the
capitalist class, that now millions do
not vote at all. Instead millions of
workers forget about politics, and let
the employers do what they wish with
the government,
Cites Mexican Crisis.
Kirkpatrick mentioned the Mexican
Labor Party as an example, and said,
within ten days from now, ! ven
ture, the United States will be going
10 war with Mexico. What would be
The effect II we had an American La
J Dor Party now. and it issued a proc
lamation declaring that American
workers would not fight against their
brothers across the border7" There
was much applause at this.