The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-01-05

On the Fifth Anniversary of the
Daily Worker, the only genuine
workingclass newspaper in the
United States, the following COM
ment on the corrupt labor press"
by William 2. Foster becomes es-
pecially appropriate.
The complete control of these
organs by labor bureaucrats, sub
sidized by boss associations, proves
conclusiveIy the vital need for
supporting and extending the in
fluence of the Daily Worker.
By WILLIAM 2. FOSTER
The need Of the r. for a
press Of their own, 4, their in
terests, is fundamental. For the
workers, surrounded as they are by
oceans of capitalist propaganda and
confronted with a maze of battling
problems, the existence Of labor
press which honestly analyses the
situation, educates the masses, and
leads them in their everyday strug-
giles is a life and death question.
But the labor takers have learned
how to sell out to the employers
even this basic institution and they
are doing it wholesale. One Of the
most destructive phases of the wide.
spread class collaboration corrup,
ton in the American labor move.
ment is the prostitution Of the labo,
press. This assumes the most aston.
ishing forms. 1t saps the vitality
and understanding of the entire la.
Eor movement.
Capitalistic advertising is main
high road TO the debauchery of
labor papers. This, piled on the
other influences tending to make
the labor papers reactionary, is
disastrous. The employers and
their political agents contribute
huge sums to the trade union jour-
mails for advertising. Thus they
are enabled to dictate the policies
of these organs and to reduce their
editors-to the most abject vassals.
By buying up large numbers Of
labor papers in this manner the
employers inject the poison of
their propaganda directly into the
veins of the labor movement. The
American labor press is tainted
with the money of the enemies Of
the working class. This fact has
contributed enormously towards
llindering the theological develop
ment of the toiling masses in this
county.
National Labor Papers
The central national organ Of
the trade union movement is the
American Federationist, official or
gan Of the American Federation Of
Labor. This paper, which should SCI
an example Of proletarian honesty
for the whole labor press, is, en- thu
contrary, deeply afflicted with al
the forms of the corruption which
destroys the usefulness of many la
Dor papers and turns them int
enemies Of the working class. IT
columns reek with all kinds of cap
italistic propaganda and also will
advertisements Of the worst labo
batting companies in the Unite,
States.
Every monthly issue Of the Ameri
can Federationist contains 20 to 3,
pages of capitalistic advertising
large share Of which comes from
corporations which rank among tn,
rabid "open shop" concerns in tn,
country. For example, in the March
1927 number, which is typical, W,
find represented such notorious
"open shop" companies and prod
ucts as Standard Oil Company, Pru
Dental Insurance Co., General Elec,
trio Co., American Brass Co., Proc.
ter and Gamble, Fleischman's Yeast
National City Co., American Smelt.
ing & Refining Co., Pittsburgh Plate
Glass Co., Philadelphia Electric Co.
Utility Securities Co., Wriglcy's
Chewing Gum, ETC., etc. These firms
expect nothing from the American
Federation;st as an ordinary adver
Using medium. What they contrib
ute is so much "hush money" giver
with the expectation Of .softening'
union labor's policy towards them
Nor are their investments in vain
The advertisements Of the American
Federationist are handled by broth
err Of Frank Morrison, who make.
thousands Of dollars yearly from this
source Of corruption.