The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-06-05
BY SAM DON.


THE primary election laws and elections sup
posedly designed to democratic and perfect
bourgeois democracy inevitably has become a
source of the greatest political corruption and
a means whereby finance and industrial capital
is increasing its hold within the capitalist par
ties.
1t is no accident at all that in the two
banner industrial states in the country, Illinois
and Pennsylvania, every primary election
stands out at the height Of election corruption
and brings out very clearly the nature of the
bourgeois state. Ware scandals in Philadelphia
and Smith in Illinois, etc..
The following quotation from a speech by
well-known Chicago leader in the 1926 pri-
mary elections to the precinct captains for the
ward organization of which he was Committee
man, throws light on the nature and technique
of the primary elections:
Il don't want to scold, but l believe I've
been as good to this ward as it has to me.
I want to say to you that if any man does
not carry his precinct on the thirteenth of
April he'll be fired on the fourteenth. If
man means anything in his precinct, he can
carry it. If he doesn't mean anything in his
precict, he has no business in politics and hold
ing Job The reason that-- is on the
ticket for municipal judge in spite Of the fact
that he is new man in the ward is that he
had the banner precinct | promise that
whoever turns out the biggest vote in his pre-
cinct will be on the next county ticket, if l
sit on the slate committee, and think l will.
What is more, any of you that don't get
out the vote and have jobs, will lose them, and
they'll go to those who do work and have no
Job. I'm looking at one right now that has no
job and he'll have one that someone else now
has unless you get out the vote. Don't think
l don't mean this. I've fired the ward COM
mitteemen and I've fired the president of this
ward club, although he had $4,000 job.
Victor Gets the Spoils."
Il believe that to the victor belongs the
spoils. He who contributes most to winning
the election ought to sit at the first table,
and those who do less should sit at the second
table Any one of you who can come to me
and show that he got more votes than someone
else who has a better job can have that job"
This is so clear and obvious that it needs
no comment.
While we speak of the 1926 Chicago pri-
maries it is worth while mentioning that the
Senatorial investigation committee was COM
PEELED to establish that over a million dollars
was spent on the primaries. 1t has already
been admitted by Mrs. Mccormick that she
spent over s250,OO0 in this years primaries
Incidentally we might mention that this was
spent out of her own pocket. Poor dirt farmer.
In an examination of the recent senatorial and
local elections IN limos IL is necessary 10 as
certain the various groups and interests that
the candidates really represented behind the
fake issues.
Since the republican party is the leading
party in the state, naturally the primaries CEN
tered around the two senatorial candidates
Mrs. Mccormick and Deneen. Mrs. Mccormick
represents most clearly the interests of the
industrial and finance capital in the state. The
Chicago Tribune was her leading supporter and
she was the candidate of the Chicago Tribune.
The Chicago Tribune is the most outspoken
leading capitalist paper in the country for
American Imperialism and for the most brutal
attacks on the standard of living of the work
ing class. The Chicago Tribune calls for i'm
mediate war against Great Britain.
Demands War With England.
In connection with the London naval treaty
it has developed campaign of open challenge
to Great Britain, and states frankly that the
U. S. needs the trade routes and colonies for its
world domination. The World Court, the out