davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

1t was charged that he would not
resist oppression.
Persistent research by Harrison,
Du Bois and others has put stop
to such charges. Thanks to the eff
forts of these men Negroes know
now that they have rich heritage
of revolt.
The Negroes resistance at the
outset of the slave trade was
marked by the death of thousands
of African natives. Raiders had a
hard fight in getting together their
captives for the slave market. Slav-
ers, carrying their living cargo over
the ocean, lost many on every trip,
who leaped to death rather than
live in slavery.
The Negro Year Book lists twen-
ty-five slave revolts in the South.
The names of Denmark Vesey, Nat
Turner, Cato and Gabriel, leaders
in notable instructions, are becom-
ing household words among us. The
names of the colored men who were
with John Brown at Harper's Ferry
are known and revered today.
Thousands of slaves made their
escape whenever the chance offered.
Southern slave owners testified
that so many Negroes ran away that
the institution itself was threatened.
Osceola and other slaves from Geor-
gia found a haven among the Semi
noles in the Florida everglades.
When the government found it i'm
possible to defeat or dislodge these
runaways, the whole tribe was
transported to Indian Territory
The presence of colored groups in
Mexico and Canada today is evil
dence of the Negroes resistance.
These people are the descendants of
runaway slaves.
Many Negroes were active as
agents or secretaries in the "Under
ground Railway" the organized
movement against slavery. In st.
Louis free Negroes organized the
Knights of Liberty. After ten
years work this group was finally
merged with the Underground Rail-
way. Some agents had the job of
going back into slave territory and
helping out their brothers. One
heroic woman, Harriet Tubman,
herself a runaway, made nineteen
trips back into the South, bringing
out over three hundred people. She
did this knowing all the time there
was price on her head.
America did its best, but was new
er successful in keeping from the
Negroes the thrilling story of TouE-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

Paterson, once known as the city
of reds, the home of anarchists who
talked a lot but who never harmed
hair on any ones head, has today
become Infamous as the city of the
blues.
Blue laws, blue uniformed cops,
syncopated blues and many blues
of other brands. From the list one
should not omit our Labor Lead
ers" and the remnants of the
Anarchists" who became suddenly
blue and melancholy when approach
cd on problems materially affect
ing the silk workers.
DESPITE the record of the heroic
struggles of the Paterson silk work
ers for decent wage, shorter hours,
against the speed-up and the multi
iple loom system, working condi-
tions today are worse than those
proceeding the famous strike of
1913. The conditions vitally affect
ing the life of the workers as we'll
as the labor organizations uperat-
ing among them, have not changed
in the least. The development of
the silk industry brought on many
changes which added to the com
plexity of the issues. Those changes
brought on the struggles which
broke in 1913 and later led to the
strike of 1924.
''Rip In Silk Industry"
In 1913 the silk workers revolted
against the introduction of the null
tiple loom system and caused what
Bill Haywood termed "a Rip in the
Silk Industry" vic most character
istic fact of the 1918 strike was thai
g. mere handful of determined mem
bers of the I. w. W., full of vigor
ard confidence in the mass of work
crs as we'll as in themselves, carried
on struggle almost unequalled TO!
courage and nlilitancy.
The reason, however, that the
strike did not accomplish its object
i've was due mainly to the wrongly
applied l. w. w. slogan zone for
all and all for one" the interference
and brutality Of the police coupled
with the downright betrayal Of the
United Textile Workers leaders. Not
withstanding the terrific forces
against the strike, the workers sue
ceeded in stemning the tide of the
universal introduction of the null
tiple loom system.
Following the strike, a period of
recession set in, for the silk work
crs unions. The patented medicines
of these leaders did not bring about
organization among the silk work
ers and much less improve working
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

was represented. Of more impor-
tance was that in this congress, the
first one in the history of the Chi
nese labor movement, it was decided
that the unions be organized along
industrial lines.
AS l do not attempt to write on
the history of the Chinese labor
movement, l will not, therefore, set
down the development of it. Only
those events, most important and
significant, that have taken place or
past May Days will be written here
All-China Labor Congress.
On May Day, 1925, the Second
All-China Labor Congress was held
at Canton in an atmosphere of ris-
ing and militant labor movements
In this congress 100000 workers, OF
three times the number in 1922 were
represented. However, the militancy
and solidarity Of the Chinese work
ing class were not shown by the in
'creasing membership represented in
the congress only, but by the cor
rect theology, tactics and leadership
this congress decided to follow also
1t was in this congress that the
working class organization, the All
China Labor Federation, was inau-
gurated. 1t was in this congress the
decision to have this organization
affiliated to the r. I. L. u. was
made. In other words, the May Day
of 1926 marked the beginning Of the
entering of the Chinese proletariat
into the world proletarian move
ment..
On the May Day of the following
year, 1926, the first anniversary of
the organization of the All-China
Labor Federation, the Third All
China Labor Congress was held. In
this session 100000 workers were
represented, comprising 600 unions
In Shanghai, at that time, the labor
movement was "illegal" and was
suppressed by the northern militar-
lists. There was a drop" in the
memberships in the unions. The NUN
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
Class Collaboration Class StruggleRecord of Revots III

as the reformists and class collab-
orationists have tried to tell US,
American capitalism has grown into
powerful financial oligarchy, that
exploits the workers and poor farm
ers, that destroys the petty bour-
geoisie, that dominates industry
and government, that crushes with
its iron heel the colonial peoples,
that supports fascist dictatorship in
all quarters of the globe.
The A. F. of L. bureaucracy has
made an open confession of bank
ruptcy, pleading with big business
to accept its officials to manage"
the workers and to maintain
peace" in industry.
The 'heroic" liberals who were
going to "bust the trusts" have
passed into oblivion or have become
the official minstrels to sing the
praise of these same trusts. The
socialist party, which was going to
reform capitalism out of existence,
has reformed itself out of existence.
The label is still there, but with the
class struggle abandoned and no
mission left but the dirty task of
showing the capitalists and the A..
F. Of L. bureaucracy how to fight
the "Reds," the socialist party is
deader even than pre-war trust
busting.
Yet never was there greater need
of class struggle, of powerful wea-
pons of struggle, than on this May
Day, 1928. American capitalism,
concerning when so many illusions
were deliberately fostered by the
liberal and socialist "theoreticians"
is showing itself in all its vicious-
ness. American prosperity" has
brought unemployment in its train,
and that working class which the
reformists were flattering as "the
best off in the world" proves to be
the worst off Of any of the indus
trially advanced countries, because
America alone has no insurance for
its unemployed workers.
American democracy has shown
itself nakedly as a financial oil
garchv, as an open and brutal die
tatorship of Wall Street, over the
masses Of American workers, and
much of the rest Of the world. That
"pacifistic" government which en-
tered into the world war "to end all
wars" is openly preparing for new
imperialist war that will be far
more terrible than the last. I'M
employment. war, union-smashing,
injunction government, wholesale
arrests. breakup of picket lines,
open dictatorship by Wall Street
such is the face that American capi-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
How the Chinese Workers Celebrate First of May

May Day is an international labor
day. But May Day was of little
significance in the history of the
Chinese labor movement until 1922.
Up to that date, it was the intellec-
tuals, the professors and the stu
dents, who were enthusiastic about
it. 1t was always an occasion for
the intellectuals to issue special
numbers. 1t was the magazines and
newspapers and for the students to
have holiday" 1t is interesting
to note that when it is day for the
workers of the entire world to DEM
onstrate solidarity and ceaseless
fight against the capitalist glass
, the historic enemy of the working
class, the intellectuals have a whole
days rest. AS to the Chinese work.
ing class, May Day still meant little.
There were only a few unions or
ganized which were also illegal"
They had to work on that day as
hard as on any other day.
Great Seamen's Strike.
In January, 1922, the great sea-
mems strike, at Hongkong and Can
ton, took place. 1t lasted for IS
days, ending in the recognition of
the Seamen's Union and increases
lin wages In the same year, the
strike of the railwaymen on the
Peking- Hankow line, in the course
of which many of the leaders and
strikers were shot, took place. But,
a central Railwaymen's Union was
lorganized in Hankow with a MEM
bership of $4,000. All these, with
the successful results of other minor
strikes, stimulated the whole move
ment and led to the formation of
unions in various parts Of the coun-
try. 1t was on the May Day of this
year that the Chinese working class
for the first time, demonstrated its
solidarity. On that day, the first
All-China Labor Congress, on the
initiative of the secretaries of all
the existing unions, was held at
Cr "a a ~r,--lhc~shir Of 23o 0ao
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

ber of the members dropped from
218,754 in September, 1925, to 91,-
600 Tin Shanghai, one place.. But
the organized lines increased from
six to fifteen. In the Fourth All
China Labor Congress held last
year, the membership represented
reached 3 million. This amazing in
crease Of the membership and the
remarkable growth Of the trade
union movement after the May Day
of 1925 were chiefly due to the de-
velopment of the revolutionary
movement in China and such events
as the May 80 massacre.
Pan-Pacific Union.
The May Day of 1927 is of his
torical Importance in the world la
Dor movement. That day was the
date set as the opening day of the
Pan-Pacific Labor Conference to be
held at Canton. 1t was demon
stration Of the solidarity of the
working class along the Pacific. But
this solidarity meant blow to the
world lmperialists and the native
capitalists in the Far East. The
world imperialists and the Chinese
militarists wanted to crush it and
they did succeed outwardly. Com
rades Losovsky and Iznaloff of the
All-Union Central Council of Trade
Unions were arrested for two hours
Iat Hongkong, the Japanese dele
gates were arrested at Kobe, the
government of the Australian Union
refused to visa the passes of the
Australian delegates and the Chinese
delegates were hunted throughout
the territory under Chang Kai-shek.
But all these could never hurt the
solidarity of the working class a
bit. 1t only served to expose the
decadence of the capitalist system.
The working class shouted "it must
take place." The conference did
take place successfully. The date
was changed to s15 and place was
Hankow. These changes never
changed the SOLIDARITY of the work
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

saint L'Ouverture. This Halt
slave led successful revolt again
the French masters on the islan
He then fought for his country's i
dependence, defeating picked troor
from Spain, England and France
Napoleon's brother-in-law captured
him through treachery, carried hir
to France, where he died, in a du
geon, alone and neglected. It /
been stated that Napoleon was gi.
to cede Louisiana to America bt
cause of the trouble which LOuver-
ture made for him in Hayti. Haiti
gave asylum to Bolivar in his de-
feat, and later gave him aid In fit
ting out the forces with which he
freed Bolivia.
Independent West Indian Negroes.
In other parts Of the West Indies
and in Guiana, escaping slaves en-
trenched themselves in the Jungle
country or in mountain fastnesses.
These are the famous Maroons.
Their position was so strong that
their governments, finding it I'M
possible to beat them, made terms
with them. In some places they
were allotted certain territory and
permitted to have their own rulers.
In Guiana they possess this land to
this day.
The long history Of Negro suffer
ing has produced these fighters
mentioned above, along with men
like Frederick Douglas, Dessalines,
Shields, Green, Robert Smalls and
others less well known. Their fight
against the established institutions
and governments of their time was
revolution and their names are lie
names of revolutionists. K
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

ganizatlon. This Official" debate
lasted long enough to make possible
the stampede. Silence on the part
of the officials gave stimulous and
expressed assent to the action taken
which disgusted and disgruntled the
mass cf workers and caused them
to leave the union in great multi
tudes.
Workers Deserted by Officials.
The U. T. w. having no jurisdic-
tion over the Broad silk fields by
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

ling class. Though the date of the
conference was not on May Day, it
was, nevertheless, the scheduled
date, May Day, that we should al
ways remember.
It is now May Day again. In the
last year, the Chinese labor move
ment has suffered severely under
the rule of the Kuomintang. Accord
I ing to the report of the All-China
Labor Federation, 32,316 persons
were sentenced to prison and 37,985
persons were killed and executed.
Among the imprisoned, killed and
executed, most were militant work
ers.
The White Terror.
About $4,000 of the murdered
were executed in such ways as tear
ing out eyes, cutting off fingers,
toes, hands and feet and slicing up
live bodies. All these were done, of
course, with the inspiration of the
British, American and Japanese i'm
Iperialists,. with the object of crush
ing the Chinese revolution as a part
of the world proletarian revolution,
and keeping the Chinese workers
and peasants in slavery.
The Chinese proletarian move
ment is now at stake. The imper-
ialists are sending more warships to
China to oppress the workers. The
American government has sent
three additional warships to China
just recently. And this means war
on the world working class. The
world labor movement is in danger.
There is urgent need of solidarity
of the workers Of the entire world.
Workers of America, May Day is
the day to demonstrate solidarity.
You can demonstrate it in no better
way than to denounce the white ter
rorists in China, to struggle against
the imperialist aggression in China
and to demand the withdrawal of
American armed forces from China.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
DELIGHTS IN Blues WORKERS SEE RE

conditions. While these organiza-
tions were contending for a place
in the sun, the silk industry began
to face westward and northward,
towards New York, Connecticut,
Massachusetts, etc. The industry ex-
panded while the unions shrunk.
In 1916, hardly three years had
gene after the 1918 struggle, the
workers, still imbued with the spirit
of revolt and acting only through
the medium Of a conference, COM
posed of the few little remaining
unions and some fraternal organiza-
tions, proclaimed the 9-hour day.
The victory of the 9-hour day did
not stimulate the then existing or
CARNATIONS to activity and it was
not until 1910, when through the
boom caused by the war in the silk
industry that the 8-hour day-44-
hour work week-was won, even
though the United Textile Workers
leaders and their chosen friends
fought against it.
Associated Is Born.
When the leaders forced upon their
membership an infamous decision on
the question Of the 44-hour work
week, purporting to have been hand
ed down by the war labor board, the
Associated Silk Workers was born.
wrapping itself in cloak, labeled
industrial unionism," and at once
claimed jurisdiction over the terri
tory covered by the U. 7. w. in Pat
erson. The same year also witness
sed the birth of still another or
ganization, Industrial in form and
national in scope, the Amalgamated
Textile Workers of America. The
aim Of this organization was to en-
brace all Independent unions into it's
fold and to eliminate from the field
the United Textile Workers craft
locals. 1t struggled with the task
by arranging conferences with the
existing independent unions in the
textile field for the purpose of es-
tablishing unified force against
the u. T. w. It is on record that
the Associated Silk Workers set the
race for breaking away from the
conferences when it put the per
capita tax above unity, though its
objective also was to eliminate the
U. T. W. from the field.
Downward Trend.
With no results from the ao-called
unity attempts these dual independ-
ent unions began a downward jour
ney. Wartime prosperity came to
an end; industry depression set in,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

it is with this capitalism that the
socialists and the A. F. of L. bur-
eaucracy would have US cooperate" :"
These conditions cry aloud for a
strengthening of the working class,
for the building of its organizations
of struggle, for the reputation of
the class collaborationists, for their
expulsion from the labor movement.
We must restore to May Day the
spirit, of struggle that the Haymar-
ket martyrs bequeathed to it. And
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

did not escape the issues of Anal
gamation, Organization of the I'm
organized, Spreading Organization
to other silk centers, education Of it's
membership on industrial lines and
away from the craft ideology, etc.
The treatment accorded these and
other vital problems by the Associ-
ated and the resultant conditions in
the industry can best be judged from
the closing chapters of the 1924
strike, which it conducted to check
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

we must raise our May Day strug-
gle to a higher level than ever they
dreamed of, for have we not the
lessons of the Russian revolution?
On many points the American
working class is beginning to fight
harder. Let US make this a May
Day of class struggle. And let us
make it the beginning of a year of
such struggles as will carry the
American working class forward to
its goal.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

with the silk industry suffering
heavily.
Since the beginning of the policy
Of working within the existing
unions there has occurred a sharp
and changing theology among the
left wing masses in the unions. Even
tho internal strife was not mani
Tested in the independent isolated
Paterson Associated Silk Workers
Union, to the extent that it was
shown in the A. f. of L. unions, it
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

the multiple loom system and for
the other demands it had advanced.
When the Associated, after a pro-
longed strike 1ealized that a large
number of shops had slipped out of
its control, its officials did not make
any attempt to cope with the new
situation by methods of organization
but instead allowed the organiza-
tion to keep on debating the ques-
tion Of whether victims of the and
"a loom system were worthy of or
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

ored America. His achievements in
this country were minimized also.
The attitude of self depreciation
which this situation developed was
deliberately fostered by the white
ruling class. White America has
been callous and brutal in its ex-
preston of contempt for everything
black.
In all this campaign there has
been no more vicious slander than
the gibe that the Negro is yellow.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
By MARY ADAMS.

Some years ago the late Hubert
Harrison correctly pointed out that
the Negro in America was learning
nothing of his races history.
Brought up in hostile environment
he had no record of African achieve
ment in tribal government, industry
or art. The story of ancient Negro
kingdoms was sealed book to col
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
DEpoRTED WORKER BROWNS.

SAULT STE. MARIE, April 3d.
While being deported from the
United States to Canada because he
was too active among the railroad
workers with whom he was employ
ed this side of the border, Fred j.
Coate, 46 years old, jumped or was
thrown from the ferry boat and was
drowned.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
2 Die For One Crime

JACKSON, Miss, April 3d.
John Fisher will hang on May 81 for
the murder of Grover G. Nicholas,
white storekeeper, in October, 1925.
A Negro who was lynched following
the death of Nicholas has been
proven innocent.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
General Strike.

That the general strike question
is closely connected with amalgama-
ton of silk unicns goes without say
ing. It remains to be seen how the
amalgamation question will be
treated by the associated and the
U. T. w. since the question was
openly broached in the 8-hour day
conference Sessions and such a unity
conference has been arranged. From
past experiences in such matters it
would be well for the workers not to
pin too much faith in the outcome
of the conference for unity unless
they become the driving force be-
hind it. The non-confidence in the
masses of the Associated officials
and leadership is responsible for
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01

virtue of having no craft locals and
with no other competitor-union II
Paterson, the workers deserted, and
left to shift for themselves, fell un-
der the complete mercies of the bos-
ses' whims. This afforded the bos-
ses an opportunity firmly to estab-
lish the multiple loom system, to
lengthen the hours of work, unmerci-
fully to slash wages and thereby
to create the general conditions un-
der which every craft of the silk
industry now suffers. Even the
ether trades in the city did not es-
cape the pace set by the silk in
dustry. This state of affairs is
still the order OF the day, and is
becoming worse.
Fortunately there is a group of
miIitants, members of the Associat-
ed who have not become affected
with the "blues." On the contrary
they have taken to red-blooded activ-
ity and were instrumental in creating
what is now known as the S-hour
day conference. This is composed
of the Associated, craft locals Of
the U. T. w. and several fraternal
organizations. It's purpose is what
the name implies. 1t has been in
existence for almost year and had
not the U. T. w. officials systemat-
ically carried on campaign of
sabotage against the conference it
would now be nearer to the realiza-
ton of its aims. From its incep-
ton, the conference has had to en-
bark upon a policy of ego easy" due
mainly to the various shades of opin-
ions. When all the applied "easy''
methods failed to bring about the s.
hour day; it came to the conclusion
that "the only method by which the
S-hour day can be re-established is
thru general strike"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-01
Downward Trend.

With no results from the so-called
unity attempts these dual independ-
ent unions began a downward jour
ney, Wartime prosperity came to
an end; industry depression set in,