The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-12-21
How Our "Daily" Was Born
By Fred Ellis

1909 North State St., Chicago, be-
gan. John J. BALKAN was manager
of the campaign for the Daily" the
writer was publicity manager, hav-
ing emerged but short time before
from little vacation OF five years
at Leavenworth penitentiary. Did
he work? Did the workers re-
spond? Emphatically; we did and
they did.
The writer remembers, wistfully,
that he was editor, or father, if you
like, of "The Baby Daily Worker"
q miniature edition of the DAILY"
which was to come. Like all babies,
it's function was to cry out loud and
keep everybody awake, plugging for
1.-The Daily" Il did its job.
The farmers were in revolt in
those years, too, end the weekly"
did s. large share in putting the
Workers Party at the lead of the
movement which eliminated at the
Chicago convention on July 8, 1928,
which formed the Federated Farmer
Labor Party. But the Workers
Party also grew, as it has since
grown, in power and wisdom. This
struggle added to the need for a
DAILY"
On the eve of the birth of the
Daily Worker, the Workers Party
held its Third Convention. This
convention hailed the establishment
of the Daily as follows: "The
Third Convention congratulates the
thousands of members and sympa-
thizers who co-operated with the
Daily Worker Campaign Committee
in the drive to establish the Daily
Worker"
IAN Important Step"
The Workers Party Convention
and the Communist International,
both reviewing the struggles of the
year for the workers and exploited
farmers, recognized the DAILY" as
necessity. The, greetings of the
Communist International to the
Third Convention not only said that
"the organization of the Federated
Farmer La6or-P Party was an achieve
ment of primary Importance, but
in calling attention to this and other
struggles pointed out that "the estab-
| lishment of an English Communist
daily was most important STEP"
Why Not Communist Sundays?
"The Communist daily must be-
come the organ not of the revolu-
tionists alone, but of the whole
working Glass;" was the greeting of
the Communist International. To
aid in making it so, the Party had
carried out plan that would do
well to repeat now, in 1928. 1t had
organized Communist Sundays" all
over the country to go from house
to house, soliciting subscriptions,
leaving sample copies and rousing
interested support among the work
ers.
Just because the workers liked
our DAILY" and because the Com
munist International and the work
ers of the Soviet Union hailed its
establishment, reaction attacked it
before its birth. Ellis Searles was
just making his. annual discovery"
that there are Communists in Amer
lea, and took whack at the
Daily"
Enemies FAIL
Old "Whiskers" Charlie Hughes,
who was then Secretary Of State,
was fighting against recognition by
the u. S. of the Soviet government.
He attacked the Party and the
Daily" using a forged "Zinoviev
letter." the first one of series Of
such forgeries, one Of which was
later used to put the skids under
the yellow reformist Macdonald of
England. s
But all enemies could not stop
the "Daily" being born. It's first
issue was out on January 10, 1924,
and it has been fighting for your
interests, reader, ever since. But
now, we ask, what are you doing for
the Daily Worker fifth anniversary
Can it expect subscriptions and help
from you? 1t has earned all you
can do for it. Make it grow!