The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-30
By SAM DARCY.


There is a difference between a
worker who deserts his class and be-
comes d lackey of the ruling class, and
one of the ruling class who aligns
himself with the cause Of the work
ers; for in the former case the individ-
ual sells his soul for reactionary aims
and in the latter case the individual
aligns himself with historical prog
ress.
Pohn Reed Lives Forever.
History gives many examples of
both types. But those who serve reac-
ton have sunk into inglorious OBJ
livion and today we know little of
them. But to those who have aligned
themselves with the oppressed and
who often because of superior educa-
ton and training have become leaders
of the oppressed, to those we feel
grateful for having served our cause,
the cause of posterity and we there
fore keep their names alive.
John Reed was one of these.
Though graduate of Harvard and
classed among the bluest of the Blue
Blood he yet had enough vision and
enough courage to break from his
surroundings and join the revolution
airy proletarian movement. 1t is true
he belonged to the intelligenzia but
then he was distinguished from the
rest of the intelligenzia in that he
really had intelligence and not merely
a veneer with which to hide stupidity.
Goes to Mexico.
In 1914 he was in Mexico, almost
Immediately after he left the uni
Yersity, officially reporting the revo-
stationary events there, hut actually
studying them and feeling a deep SYM
pathy which he coupled with a cri-
teal understanding of the revolution
airy movement which was then agi-
tating all of Mexico, and which was
being utilized by military clique for
their own purposes. He wrote book
on his findings there called "Insur-
gent Mexico" In discussing what he
characterized as the "opportunist, re-
formist, and self-seekihg bourgeois
character" of the leadership of the
Revolutionary Army, he recognized
the weakness of the Mexican revolu-
ton.
Reeds cause in Mexico was as one
who knows Reed would expect, the
cause of the peon. And all through
his activity in Mexico just one vein of
thought ran through his mind, his
writings and hts activity; namely,
how best to utilize the events that
were taking place for the freeing of
the peon from the economic and po-
litical bondage with which he was so
heavily burdened. Thus he denounced
the so-called revolutionary generals
Of the time, for he despaired of their
military and nationalist narrowness.
He bitterly complains, in his book.
that during all the time | talked
with them (Carranza, and the other
generals) never detected one CLEAN
of sympathy for, or understanding of,
the poems"
Scored Bourgeois Honors.
Then the war broke out. John Reed
who was already back in the United
States joined the revolutionary move
ment. He had been working for
bourgeois newspaper in New York
but he used his income and his major
energies for the revolutionary move
ment. The bourgeoisie acknowledged
that he was a brilliant writer and GER
tainly one of the greatest war CORE
spondents that ever lived. They Of
fered him every honor thonor as they
saw it, but this meant nothing to
Reed whose only conception of honor
was honor in the service of the revo-.
lutionary proletariat. "The Masses"
the "Liberator," the organ OF the left
wing of the socialist party, the left
wing and the Communist Party them
selves all are witness to the activities