The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-02-09

!
mitted, but remained after securing a
wage increase. All City Hall clerks,
on strike, obtaining a wage increase.
The dress and shirt makers struck.
The Chicago actors struck, and also
the carpenters, both groups winning
their demands. A strike completely
tying up the city street car system.
During practically this whole period,
the campaign to organize the Chicago
stockyards workers went on in full
swing, reaching its high point during
the last two weeks of June, when
5000 workers were brought into the
union. Shortly thereafter came the
bloody race riots, instigated by the
packers in their efforts to crush the
union organization drive Police and
soldiers were stationed throughout
the yards, but were forced to with
draw by the strike of the young union.
Nationally, events of even greater
magnitude took place during that
same period, as, for instance, the Bos-
ton police strike, the strike of 100000
railroad shopmen, the campaign to
organize the steel industry and the
| big steel strike, the miners strike on
November 1, with the notorious An
derson injunction and the cowardly
retreat of John L. Lewis.
Nationally, events of even greater
magnitude took place during the same
period, as, for instance, the Boston
police strike, the strike of 100000
railroad shopmen, the campaign to
organize the steel industry and the
big steel strike, the miners strike
on November 1, with the notorious
Anderson injunction and the cowardly
retreat of John L. Lewis.
| Labor Party Developments.
The political awakening followed in
the wake of these events. Labor par
ties were formed in South Dakota,
North Dakota, New York, Indiana
and elsewhere. The national Freedom
Convention, formerly mentioned, met
in Chicago to demand the reestablish-
ment and maintenance Of political and
civil rights and the release of all poll
teal prisoners. Chicago became at
that time the birthplace of the Amer
lean Communist Party.
The Masses Press Forward.
| The tremendous pressure by the
working masses, as shown by these
gigantic events, was the real factor
in bringing the movement to head.
The leaders rose on the crest of that
wave, continually pressed onward.
The Chicago Federation and it's lead
ership recognized the signs of the
times and did not falter. The Com
pers administration was practically
limpotent in the face of this move
ment. The forces of capitalist re-
action had been compelled temporarily
10 give way.
In its Labor Day editorial, the New
,iajority, official organ of the Chi
cage Federation of Labor, made the
following statement: .s-. =
-. workers everywhere have turn
ed their thoughts toward freedom.
"Urion men are awakening to the
fact that the struggle for wages,
hours and local shop conditions, while
essential, is not all there is to labor's
cause. They have seen the workers
seize freedom in Russia, by taking
over control of their government and
industry. -"
The Labor Party Convention.
1t was but natural that, under these
conditions of militant struggle, the
labor party convention which assem-
bled on November % in Chicago, with
1900 delegates from 33 different
states, should take distinct progress
live direction. The program adopted
condemned autocracy, militarism and
Imperialism. 1t demanded the repeal
Of the espionage law and the estab-
lishment of political and industrial
equality. It demanded abolition of
anti-labor injunctions, reduction Of
the high cost of living and national
ization of all basic industries, public
utilities, natural resources and un-
used land. 1t demanded the abolition