The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-10-26
Reactions to
Red Election
Campaign
By BERT MILLER

/
of the workers toward our election
campaign, conclusions which may
serve as a guide for the more in
tensive phase of the campaign which
lies ahead. The comments made in
this article are necessarily limited
in their scope to the experiences in
our campaign in and around New
York City.
In spite of the much-vaunted
Coolidge prosperity, we find a genu-
inc and very evident ferment among
the workers, feeling of restless
ness and dissatisfaction with pres
ent conditions, which expresses it.
self in such forms as the freight
handlers outlaw strike and the Pat
erson silk strike, and also in a grow
ing sympathy toward our Party
Even in the conservative sections of
Long Island City, where Irish,
Scotch and American workers pre-
dominate, there is an evidence of a
willingness to listen to our Party,
without raillery or ridicule, without
interference, even though we enter
into the most vicious attacks on the
pet of the conservative Irish worker,
AL Smith.
Prejudice Wearing Away.
In this territory the prejudice
against the Communists is being
worn away. An analysis of condi-
tons in the Soviet Union, which
would formerly have been greeted
with cries of, "Why don't you go
back there?" are now received with
interest and. attention. The recent
period of unemployment has evil
IDENTIFY left its mark, and the menace
of more serious times ahead has set
even conservative workers thinking.
The close Identification Of both
major parties with the big business
interests of the country, the open
proclamation of both parties as to
their solicitude for the interests of
Wall Street, the fact that both par
ties are more openly and brazenly
than before supported by the big
gest business barons of the United
States, all these things are arous-
ing in the minds of even the most
conservative American worker a
tendency toward scepticism as to
the sincerity of both the republican
and democratic parties and their
acknowledgements, and willingness
to hear our propaganda. This fact
is particularly true among the Ne
gro workers and among the low
h paid and exploited workers Of the
small factory towns in New Jersey,
New York and Connecticut.
Proves Influence.
The fact that our Party has be-
come factor in these sections and
menace to the ruling parties is
evidenced by the interference with
cur meetings, and by the unusual
efforts which reactionary bodies are
making to counterfeit our influence.
Witness the organized attacks of the
American Legion, the Veterans of
Foreign Wars, ETC., on our meetings
in Long Island and Bay Ridge. Wit
ness the fact that in Long Island
the question of combating Com
munism has become the main order
of business at legion meetings and
that Communist talks are be-
ing broadcasted by special lecturers
employed for the purpose. Witness
the fact that in Long Island Mr..
Kemp is employed by the Veterans
of Foreign Wars to combat our
propaganda, that in Poughkeepsie
Mr. O'Brien is employed for the
same purpose by the DeLaval Sep
arator Company. Witness the nu-
merous efforts made by the police
authorities to interfere with Com
munist meetings in New York, New
Jersey and Long Island.
Among the needle, workers, the
former followers of the socialist
party, there, too, we find deep
scepticism regarding the revolution
airy quality of that party of the
middle class and it's frock-coated
standard-bearer, Norman Thomas.
We find just the beginning of, an eff
fort to bring over the lessons of So
cialist betrayal in the trade unions
to the political field-but just the
beginning. Our Party members
have not yet thrown themselves,
personally and individually, into the
campaign against the socialist
party with that same energetic
fighting spirit which they have dis
played on the picket line, when they
fought the agents of the socialist
party, the Sigmans, the Beckermans,
ct al.
This indicates there are still REM
nants Of syndicalist theology, of
anti-parliamentarism in our Party,
of underestimation Of the impor-
lance Of political campaigns which
must be overcome if we are to de-
velop into q powerful political party.
Must Work Everywhere.
Present indications are that our
Party will receive unprecedented
support both from former followers
Of the old capitalist parties, but
mainly from the disillusioned fol-
lowers of the socialist party. But,
to capitalize our opportunity to the