davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
KE IT A DAY OF WORKING CLASS MIIITANCY

AS Communists we examine the
past only with view of drawing
inspiration and determination for
the present and for the future.
First and foremost we must rally
to the miners. We must mobilize
every section of the whole labor
movement, draw in every mill and
factory, bring over to our side every
exploited farmer. for 1.-THE miners
fight. Every worker must consider
himself or herself dutybound to
serve as an organizer and fighter
in the mine strike. This strike
is the most important labor battle
in the history of the country. Re-
lief for miners, tents for coal dig
gers, fighting against injunctions,
beating back the open shop drive,
cleaning out the corrupt Lewis ma
chine-thus saving the miners I'M
ion-these tasks must be indelibly
impressed on the minds of all the
workers this May Day.
Let no one overlook the brave
textile strikers of New Bedford.
The textile workers have always
been in the front ranks resisting
wage cuts. Every frontal drive
that has to date been launched
against the wage standards of the
working class as a whole has been
opened with a wage cut for the
textile workers. May First finds
the textile industry face to face
with strike wave. The textile
workers fight is the fight of all
of us.
In the needle trades, the left
wing has led thousands of workers
for many months in an inspiring
fight to save the union from the
reactionary socialist trade union
bureaucracy which has been in
league with the garment bosses to
reestablish open sweat shops in the
industry. A struggle of paramount
significance for the entire labor
movement is being fought in its
last rounds in the needle trades.
May First is most fitting day to
help the left wing deal knockout
blows to Sigman, McGrady, VOL,
-Schlessinger, Thomas, Hillquit and
Co.
We must keep in mind the fact
that this whole offensive against
the labor movement is part of the
general preparations Of our bour-
geoisie to crush the workers so as to
make it easier for the Yankee inn
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

Instead it gives them a diet of I'M
employment, wage cuts, and gen
orally worsening conditions on every
front.
The great masses of the workers,
whom American imperialism hoped
to lull and terrorize into submission,
begin to stir, to organize, and to
resist under the heavy economic
pressure to which they are subject
ed. This is the outstanding char
acteristic Of the present situation.
1t is an era of growing class cons
ciousness, of expanding class strug-
giles. and as American capitalism
gets into greater difficulties, be-
cause of it's insoluble contradictions,
these tendencies of the workers to-
wards rehabilitation and more in
tensive and extensive struggle will
be deepened and broadened.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

Many signs are at hand of this
new spirit of struggle among The
workers. The bitterly fought strikes
of the miners and the determined
movement to GUST the Lewis gang;
the big New Bedford strike OF tex
tile workers; the Haverhill shoe
strike; and the tenacious fight of
the rank and fila in the needle
trades, are symptoms of the grow
ing resistance in the working class.
These fights, as yet confined to or
ganized or partly organized indus
tries, will soon be followed by vast
movements among the unorganized
workers. AS yet the struggles are
confused and disconnected, but their
inevitable tendency, under the pres
sure of the employers and the state,
viii he, despite temporary revivals
Of industry, to develop into broad
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

try. This translated itself into an
exceptional prosperity for the work
ars: that is, relatively steady EN-
ploynent and comparatively high
wages levels, especially for the more
skilled sections OF the workers. ne
suits, weakeningN of their deter
mination to build strong organiza-
lions and to struggle; a slackening
in the development of class consci-
|ousness; and a spreading of illu-
sions, carefully cultivated by the
trade union leaders and other agents
of American Imperialism, that cap
italism offers to the workers the
means to Systematically better their
conditions without limit. Reformists
of all shades held that the era of
Iclass struggle was over in the United
States and that this country was
ION the road to the development, on
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

er and broader base and to take on
higher political forms.
To conduct their fight in this era
of growing struggle, the workers
possess only the most fragmentary
mass organization, and this is led
by the most reactionary and treach-
erous officialdom in the world. No
labor party and pitifully weak trade
unions. Often the unions, obsolete
in form, encompassing only a small
fraction of the workers, in the
hands of hopelessly corrupt leaders,
and collapsing in the face of the
employers attacks, are more of a
hindrance than a help to the york
ers in their efforts to develop real
struggle against the bosses. Signi-
ficant of the new spirit of struggle
among the workers is their deter
mined efforts in the lnining indus
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
Ey JOHN PEPPER

1t is difficult to navigate in the
deep and stormy waters of politics.
Waves of events fellow one upon
another. Winds suddenly change
their direction. It is easy for a
Communist Party to get lost, if it
does not use instruments of orien-
.tation, if from time to time it does
not carefully locate its position.
What is our exact position at the
present stage of development? We
must localize our position, if we
want to avoid two dangers. One is
the danger of missing opportunities;
the other the assumption of tasks
beyond our strength.
There are two extreme mistakes
committed by our comrades in the
estimation of the present position
of our Party One is to see only the
strength and power of American
imperialism, forgetting all its weak
nesses, complications, and contradic-
lions; the other, to see only our own
evolutionary goals, to get drunk
ftym our own enthusiasm, and for
get the enemy, which is the most
powerful imperialism in the world
and still on its upward grade. Both
of these erroneous locations of our
position lead to erroneous naviga-
ton. The first leads to the con-
clusion that there is no place at
present for a Communist Party in
l1erica in political sense, that
have to 90 back to the sta~e of
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

perialists to plunge the country into
new war for American democracy.
The war danger is real menace.
1t is no phantom danger. Look at
Nicaragua Notice the arrogant
hostility of the Coolidge government
to the Soviet Union. The greatest
resistance by our workers is not too
great to remove the war danger.
May First must be a day of inter
national working class solidarity
and unity-American working class
solidarity with our victorious broth
ers in the Union of Socialist Soviet
Republics, with the courageous pro
letarian fighters in Germany,
France, England, China, Italy and
Latin America.
We Must Garry the Fight.
It's up to the Communists to
make May First not only a workers
holiday, not only day for demon
strating working class solidarity,
but especially in 1928, a day for pro-
letarian fighting.
No formalities, illusions, fetishes,
threadbare regulations, threats and
violence of the enemies of the work
ers, within or outside the labor
movement, will thwart us. While
the corrupt trade union leaders talk
about democracy, the Communists
must lead the fight for democracy
in the unions. While the reaction
airy trade union bureaucrats are at
tempting to hide their wanton de-
struction of the trade union move
ment by frantically yelling at US
"splitters," we must work overtime
to save the unions from these Grim
inal misleaders of the workers and
their open shop bosses.
Let us remind the bureaucracy,
republican, democrat, socialist, non
partisan, and what not, that they
are the worst enemies of unity in
the ranks of the working class. 1t is
these high-priced labor leaders that
are basically responsible for the i'm
potent, bankrupt condition of our
labor movement We can proudly
tell the workers that the only coun-
try in the world where the working
class is completely united, where the
trade unions flourish, where there is
genuine democracy for the working
class and poor farmers, is the Soviet
Union, where Communist policies
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

IA mere propaganda society, The
second leads to policies calling fol
premature actions, and tends to dis
connect US from the masses of the
working class. The first would
transform us into mere observers
and commentators of the class
struggle instead of active partici-
pants and leaders Of the mass strug-
giles of the working class. The Sec
ond would lead US to adventurous
"putschism," and it might lead US
to unrestrained opportunism, such
as participating in any kind Of
mass action, appealing to any sort
of masses, merging ourselves com
lpletely with the masses.
theology and Leadership Crystallized
What is our exact position today ?
The Communist Party of America
has already passed through the
stage of a mere propaganda society
and the forming of the first Com
munist cadres. Nine years of strug-
gle have not passed into history in
vain. The struggles against the So
cialist party, the trade-union bur
leaucracy, and the I.W.W., and the
inner-Party fights on basic issues
of the American labor movement
have helped in crystallizing the
Communist theology and the lead
ership of our Party. There was
much useless factionalism in the
history of the American party, but
! it would be very shallow interpre-
tation of the history of the Party
If one did not recognize the political
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

ganized. But that does Dot mi Ian
chat we should abandon to the bu-
reaucracy the three milliofs of or
gained workers. A powerful left
wing must be formed ald must
serve as an auxiliary instrsment in
carrying out the task of tie organ
ization of the unorganized.
Mass work should not Ie placed
in contemplation to Party work.
The Party is our weapon. Extensive
mass work will not lead toIany rev.
olutionary goal, if we neglect in
tensive Party building.
Not less but more Communist
propaganda for our final goal should
be the slogan of the day.
The Communist Party Of Amer
lea finds itself in a difficult posi-
ton. 1t is passing through period
of transition. 1t is out of the stage
of mere propaganda society, and
it is not yet in the stage of struggle
for the conquest of the majority OF
the working class. In a period OF
transition it is easier to commit mis-
takes than to shape correct policies
But correct policies are never more
necessary than in such period
And we shall find the true course
for our navigation, if we use oul
three main instruments to locate
our position and to determine oul
direction: the feminist method, thu
concrete analysis of conditions il
this country, and the complete unity
and unansmity of the Party.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

masses, the breaking of the power
of the A. F. of L. leadership, the
building of the Labor Party, the
political education of the masses to
their true class interest, are vast
immediate tasks. But our Party and
the left wing must plunge into them
with greater energy than ever.
Our forces are small and our
tasks are great. But our Party can
live and grow in the struggle. The
present situation, with its perspec-
/ tive of growing struggle, is highly
favorable for us. May Day this
year presents to us unequalled OPP
portunities for leadership in the
battles for the workers, for laying
the basis of an eventual big mass
Communist Party. We must mobil-
! ize our forces and plunge into the
struggle as never before.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
BY JAY LOvESTONE.

1t is now nearly forty-five years
that May Day was first celebrated
as proletarian holiday. Few real
ize that May Day was first pro-
claimed as a day Of working class
solidarity and demands in the Unit
ed States. "Down Tools on May
Day" is a slogan genuinely made
in America.
These torty-odd years have seen
fundamental changes in American
economy, in class relations in the
United States. There is no need of
going over details in retrospect. In
1884 when a Baltimore local of the
Knights of Labor selected May
inst as the day on which to launch
fight for the eight hour day, the
| nited States was only laying the
economic basis for its entry into
world politics as a first class i'm
perialist power. There was then no
conscious revolutionary movement
among the workers in the United
States. All revolutionary conscious
ness was limited primarily to a
handful of German immigrants.
In fact, even our very working
class was then only in its first
stages of national capitalization.
Free land was beginning to disap-
pear. The trusts were first show
ing their ugly heads. But already
there were sufficiently sharp and
gigantic class struggles in which
the proletariat distinguished itself
admirably. These early struggles,
like the railway strike of 1877,
rlearly showed that there was dew
clipping in the United States a
working class heroic and capable
enough to fight successfully not on
" for the every day immediate in
terests but also for the complete
proletarian victory, for the over
throw of capitalism for the estab-
ljshment of the socialist order and
Communism.
Today, we live in the land Of the
mightiestt and most ruthless i'm
peFialist power-the home Of Wall
Street. Free land is gone. The
finance and industrial monopoly
capitalists WELD undisputed power.
We have the biggest working class
in the world. Numerically the AM
e''ican proletariat is the greatest.
Class lines are now definitely crys-
tallized. The Negro is being driven
into the industrial center. The
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
Locating Position Of the Communist Party on MAY

workers in the needle trades, in the
textile mills, and in the mining fields
are engaged in a desperate, defen-
sive struggle, and it is the basic
task of the Communist Party Of
America to participate in these
struggles, to be the organizing and
driving force in the struggles of
these sections of the working class.
Must Not Forget Basic Struggle.
We are not mere propaganda
society. But that does not mean
that we should neglect Communist
propaganda. At times tendency
manifests itself in our ranks to re-
strict ourselves too much to agita-
ton for immediate demands, to be
practical" to fight only for wages
and hours, and to forget our basic
struggle against capitalism and for
a Communist society. On the other
hand, our comrades often complain
about too many campaigns" and
ask the question: us our Party
strong enough to throw all its forces
into the mining, textile, and needle
trades campaigns ?" There is in
some sections Of our Party GER
tain skeptical attitude towards the
question of organizing the vast mil
lions of unorganized. There is some
times too stationary attitude of
certain sections Of our Party, com
pairing the numerical weakness of
the Party with the bigness of the
country and the millions of the
working class. But we should never
forget the power which lies in an ac-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

try, Haverhill, New Bedford, e
to force the existing unions to fu-
ton in their behalf in spite of
dictionary leaders. This symptom
the deep-going revolt now deveh-
ing in the unions which must 4.
inmate in supplanting the preai
weak unions and corrupt leads
with powerful unions and miIit;t
leadership.
The present situation, with (
growing spirit of revolt among L
workers, with the weakness of Il
mass organizations and corrlb
leadership, throws tremendous tax
upon our Party. We have the MI
tasks in building up the mass pdi
tical and economic organizations b
the workers and of leading themEl
the everyday struggle. Tha orgh
Iizations of the great unerganik
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
Ey WIN. Z. FOSTER.

May Day, 1928, shows many
manifestations of a new spirit Of
revolt in the ranks Of the working
class. The workers in ever greater
masses are throwing off the leth-
argy which has characterized them
for several years past and are be-
ginning to enter more and more in
to conflict with the employers. May
Day Of this year marks the tran
sition of the working class from
the period of deepest quietude in
it's history into one Of growing dis
content and struggle.
From 1917 to 1927, with the eX-
ception of short intervals, the
United States experienced an indus
trial activity and expansion alto
gether without parallel in any coun-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

farmer is being appropriated at an
accelerating tempo. Proletarianiza-
ton goes on apace. The working
class already has a conscious ma
tional revolutionary party. This is
the Workers Community Party.
Our party is not yet mass party
but it is growing steadily as the
real vanguard of the proletariat
through vigorous participation in
the struggles of the working class.
1928 is a pivotal year for the
American working class. 1t is the
year of the most profound crisis in
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

democrat or socialist ticket. Let
those who want a genuine labor
party rally to the Workers (Com.
munist) Party in the coming cleo.
tlons, Tor we are the only party that
is lighting for labor party. The
National Nomination Convention of
the Workers (Communist) Partvsto
be opened in New York on Nav 25th
VIII clearly show to the working
class of this country that our party
IS the only party worthy of working
class support.
Join the Workers Communist
Party.
Inc best way to make May Day,
1928, day Of working class mill
fancy is to join the Workers (Com-
munist) Party whose members ara
IN the front line of every struggle
OF the miners, textile workers
needle trades workers, shoe work.
ers and the working men and work
ing women of every other craft and
industry and the farm. The repub-
hcan governors have sent troops to
crush the striking miners. Demo-
cratic judges have hurled iniunc-
lions at the workers. Socialist party
oureacrats have sold out the work
ers and resorted to the worst forms
OF gangsterism and terrorism In or
der to smash the workers ranks. At
the same time the Workers (Com.
Party members are leading
The mass struggles of the miners
'extlle workers, needle trades, and
ire fighting against the imperialist
var on Nicaragua.
Every worker who wants to fight
he capitalists and their labor
gents IN our ranks is eligible to
DIN our Party. Every worker
hould read and support the Daily
Forker-the one paper which cour-
geously and consistently serves the
'orking masses in their smallest. as
'ell as their biggest, struggles.
Let this May Day usher in a Pc
lod of clear. thinlsi,,--1 -. =, 30
onary acClon.
Into the ranks of our Party-the
.merican section of the Communist
for the immediate
truggles and for the final overthrow
the whole capitalist system, the
establishment of the proletarian
dictatorship and of Communism.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

the American labor movement. The
much vaunted property bubble has
been punctured. Today, less than
one out of every ten "gainfully en-
ployed," inclusive of capitalists,
technicians, and the most highly
skilled, have an annual income of
$4,000 or more. At least four mill
ion are unemployed. The very basis
for the continued domination of the
labor movement by the skilled
crafts is being undermined. Our
ruling class is driving headlong
towards new imperialist war. And
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

the Communists are not only serv-
ing as the revolutionary propa-
gandists and agitators but are more
and more beginning to serve as the
actual organizers of the labor move
ment. The socialist party leader
ship has not only merged completely
with the reactionary trade union
bureaucracy, but at its recent con-
vention the socialist party, as 8
party, severed itself from all ties
with the revolutionary, with the
conscious, militant forces in the
working class.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
Railroads in Fight on
Government Barges

WASHINGTON, April 3O.-Rail-
roads are maintaining lobby to OPP
pose the government operation Of
freight barges on the Mississippi
and Warrior Rivers. The barges are
controlled by the Inland Waterways
Corp, a federal board. unfair
competition" is charged by the rail-
roads, whose profits have been cut
by the government barges.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

PROVIDENCE, R. l., April 80
Cotton manufacturers from all
parts of the country are assembled
here for the convention of the Ma
tional Association of Cotton Manu-
facturers.
Plans for the lowering Of pro-
duction costs are being discussed
It is believed that a drive to lower
wages will start nationally after she
close of the conference.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
Jail Sick Communist

PRAGUE, Czecho- Slovakia, April
3O.-A report Is being circulated
here that the communist Deputy
Steiner, who was sentenced eight
months in prisdr for a speech, has
been seized and taken to Jail altho
he is seriously ok. This has been
done, it is pointnd out, with the OBJ
vious conniva5ie of the Chamber
of Deputies.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

tive, conscious minority. We should
not forget that we are a part of the
powerful international movement of
Communism and that even the
mighty American imperialism has
its contradictions and difficulties,
and already manifests certain. signs
of decline export of capital, under
mining of the home market, rapid
increase of the RENTER class.
The correct location of our posi-
ton on May l, 1928, gives us firm
course for our future navigation,
for our policies, and for our basic
problems.
There will be no national Labor
Party in 1928, but our Communist
election propaganda must concen-
trate on the Labor Party issue.
The decrease and diminishing sig
nificance of the existing trade
unions should not lead us to reverse
our Labor Party policy. Our basic
conception remains: the Labor Par
ty must be based on the trade I'M
ions and other labor organizations
but we should add the following:
We should directly approach the
Iunorganized workers in the fac
tories; we should try to create a
second basis for a Labor Party in
the form of factory committees and
shop councils.
Must Organize Unorganized.
The main emphasis must be on
the organization of the unorganized.
It is the historic task of the Com
munist Party to organize the lInor-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

are being applied, where our pa
is at the helm.
Last but not least, let May I
be day on which the workers
begin energetic preparations for
presidential elections. One vote
the communist Party ticket /.
worth mere than thousand Vi
for the so-called socialist ticl
even from the viewpoint of IA
protest against capitalist class I
There can be no more wasteful y
for worker to vote than by Ct
ing his ballot for the republic
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
Deny Citizenship to
Worker; Opposed War

WENATCHEE, Wis, April 30
Application by Leslie P. Dunning
for American citizenship has been
dismissed without prejudice" by
fedora, examiner here because Dun
ming was conscientious director
during the world war. Dunning was
born III Canada.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
Fascists Send Police
Against Poor Peasants

VIENNA, April 30.-Unable to
pay their taxes, the ruined peasants
of Trentino and Nonstale in the
German speaking sections Of the
italian Alps have been visited" by
facist carabinieri, who have used
fascist means in putting down the
unrest among the poverty stricken
peasants.