The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-09
By JACK STACHEL.

BY JACK SIACHEL.
A number of politicians of the
West and Midwest have issued
call for a "Farmer-Labor" Conven-
ton to nominate candidates for
president and vice president, to be
held in the city of Chicago on July
10th.
Among the names mentioned as
possibilities for presidential candi-
date, the most outstanding ones are
Senator Norris of Nebraska and
Ex-Governor Pinchot of Pennsyl-
vania.
Both of these politicians have al
ready informed the two capitalist
parties that they will not form a
third party and that they will not
be candidates on any such party.
Senator Norris stated that he is of
the opinion that although the plat
forms of both the republican and
democratic parties are not satisfac-
tory for him, nothing can be done
at the present time.
1t is quite impossible that in this
situation, this convention will not
even be held, for in the very begin
ming it represents nothing more
than a few politicians who are try
ing to utilize the farmer-labor SEN
timent for the purpose of bargain
ing with the capitalist parties for
their own benefit and for the bene-
fit of the interests of well-to-do
farmers and independent capital
lists that they represent.
At the same time it is impor-
tant for US to bear in mind what
these politicians represent and what
their main objective is.
Parties and Classes.
The parties of any significance
that will enter into the present cleo
ton campaign are the two capital
list parties, the republican and
democratic parties, the socialist
party and the Workers (Commu-
nist) Party. AS for the other par
ties, such as the socialist labor,
prohibition, etc., they are of no i'm
portance in this campaign.
The republican and democratic
parties-both are the parties of big
/ business, both are the parties of
the bankers and the large indus
trial interests, both are the enemies
of the workers and poor farmers.
Our party in its platform states:
There are no real political
differences between the two big
political parties. Both are par
ties of capitalism; both are the
enemies of the working class. The
very existence of the two-party
system is the most reactionary
factory in American politics. 1t
is one of the factors which are
responsible for the lack of an in
dependent mass political party
OF the working class. Both capt.
talist parties try to put up the
semblance of being defenders of
the farmers, vying with each
other in putting forward fake
farm relief measures. The 'strug-
gle between the republican and
democratic parties is a staged
fight, a mock struggle. There
are no political issues between
these two parties. On the ques-
ton of tariff, prohibition, tax
alton. imperialist war, farm re-
lief, League of Nations, and all
other discussed political issues,
there is much more division with
in each party than between the
two parties.'
The socialist party is petty
bourgeois party. 1t is a party of
small business men, professionals,
and retired radicals. The socialist
party which was once a party of
che workers, is today nothing more
than the party of the petty bour.
geoisie. 1t has demonstrated both
in its platform and its activity that
it is an enemy Of the working class
and of the poor farmers. The plat
form Of our Party adopted at the
last nominating convention had the
following to say on the socialist
party: