The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-08-23
SOCIALISTS IN
KANSAS COLLECT
SMALL CROWDS
Meetings Smaller Than
City's Pioneers

KANSAS CITY, Kas. (By MALL.
The socialist carnaign and the
tour of Norman Thomas, events
which were termed by the socialist
New Leader as a revival of the de-
funct corps of the socialist party,
has proved, at least as far as Kan
sas City is concerned, a total fiasco
With thousands of leaflets dis
tributed by the local party organi-
zation," with notices and write-ups
appearing two weeks in advance in
the local capitalist press about Nor
man Thomas arrival and the meet
! ings where he was to speak, the
meeting drew less people than half
the membership of the Young
Pioneers here.
There were two meetings sched-
uled, one in Bethany Park, which
was not held at all for the reason
that, besides Norman Thomas and
his aides. nobody showed up. The
second meeting was held at the
Pythian Hall, GIG Minnesota Ave.
Only twenty-five showed up to
this meeting. This included one
farmer and the news reporters.
McAllister Coleman, the first
speaker, was introduced as "iour-
nalist who writes with power"
His job was to tell about the
tour. He started by saying what
was evidently a lie, that in New
York the socialist party had a pic
mic of 10000 workers. At any rate.
1t was rather poor way of boost
ing the strength of the socialist
party, if it will be remembered that
1t always points to the Communists
as Party which has nothing west
of Chicago. He referred to a meet
ing in West Virginia and Wichita,
Kansas. According to him there
was more hope for a socialist party
in Wichita, because all the socialists
invested their money in oil stocks.
So the socialist party is getting to
be lust as respectable as the two
capitalist parties, even acquiring
socialist Tea Pot Domers.
Then Norman Thomas was intro
duced. In his preliminary remarks
he said that there are many is
sues involved, but his whole speech
was a thorough evasion of the real
issues. About unemployment he
advised his audiences to read the
socialist party leaflet. The farm
question he approached in a typical
Smith and Hoover method, express
ing good wishes. He said, 81 do not
know anything about the farmers
But he, the socialist standard.
bearer, justified it by the fact that
neither does Smith know ANYTHING
"But l believe that we ought tc
create conditions where the farmer
could market his whole product, and
also bring about the elimination OF
the middlemen." But about how this
is to be done or under what condi.
lions it is to be accomplished he
said nothing. He did not even men.
ton the war danger, Soviet Union
in1unctions and other vital prob.
lens. He mustered up his entire
strength and loudly exclaimed, "But
the big problem before US is lib.
erty, civil liberties" This was the
biggest issue before the American
workers. Most of his talk dealt
with denial of civil liberties by the
sheriffs and lower courts, as il
everything was o. K. with the
higher governmental authorities anc
institutions. Then he declared that
the socialist party has a specia
message to q thought to workers.
but no, to cities. "Yes," he repeated
ito cities, clean streets, smooth
sidewalks, better sewer pipes, ETC.
Then Norman Thomas was very
respectable. In responsibility h,
aped the democratic and republican
party to the minute details. He re
Trained from attacking Hoover an,
Smith, not only that, but he evel