The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-10-30
THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AND
ELECTIONS

one of its very primary issues as the basis for
its election strategy. And in proposing all sorts
of unemployment schemes call of them with the
purpose of detracting the attention of the work.
ers from real unemployment insurance. there is
not only a gesture of relief for the unemployed
but also an expression of fear for what the
workers might do under the leadership of our
Party. 1t is no accident at all that the speeches
by the democratic senatorial candidate in the
State of Illinois is not only filled with sym
pathy" for the unemployed and all sorts of pub
lie works schemes, but also expresses the
dominant fear of Communism as shown in his
statement that the unemployed are Eft for
Communism"
Since prohibition cannot blind empty stomachs
and the fear of Communism is haunting the
bourgeoisie. unemployment schemes and SYM
pathy speeches are the strategy now to blind
the workers
The growing dis1usionment of the workers
and their desire for change are already being
noted by the advance political predictions on the
outcome of this years elections and in all the
analysis made by the capitalist press unemploy-
ment is taken the starting point. For in
stance. in Chicago Hearst's publication in a
Washington dispatch of october 10 reporting a
special meeting of the leaders of the republican
party stated the following: while republican
leaders insists democratic landslide is in sight
they are worried over what may result over the
combination of business depression and the pro-
hibition issue"
But Mr. Longworth, the speaker of the House
of Representatives, is far more emphatic than
the above mentioned report. He stated. MY
reports are to the effect that in industrial sec
tons the republican vote will be reduced due to
unemployment" And the New York Times in
its September 10 issue, in taking up the election
situation in the state of Illinois and referring
to the National situation states the following:
AT the republican campaign headquarters in
Chicago where representative Will R. Wood, of
Indiana is in charge, overconhdence is not OBJ
servable. There is a feeling among Party lead
ers that November's voting will leave only
shadow of the majority which the COP now
enjoys in the House
In the various primaries throughout the courl-
try unemployment was in many cases a decisive
issue in the outcome of the nominations This
brought out most strikingly in the non1ina-
ton of LaFollette in Wisconsin, as admitted by
the New York Times in the following state
ment; Along with the LaFollette name, unen1-
ployment was a determining factor. This was
strikingly true in Milwaukee county where in
1928 Kohler insured his nomination with a
plurality of $4,000 which melted away in this
LaFollette landslide 1t struck again in other
industrial centers along the Lake Shore and up
through the Fox River Valley. Nothing could
stop it"
1t is very interesting to note that while in the
last few years the SP. in the State of Illinois
did not even take the trouble to nominate many
candidates in the various elections this year not
only did they nominate quite number of candi-
dates, but are also making attempt to develop
a big campaign with unemployment, the present
economic situation and the building of LABOR
party as the main issues. Mr.. Howatt one of
the very expert social fascists and the president
of the Independent Miners Union declared that
the Labor Party is the only hope AS the
workers will begin to lose faith in the social
demagogy of the open bourgeois parties, the
bosses will begin consciously to build up in the
ranks of the workers the labor party illusion as
the only hope.
There is no doubt that the workers were re-
acting politically to the present situation. The
prediction. even by the republicans themselves
of a democratic landslide and the gains of social
fascist votes will be due to the growing disatis-
faction on the part of the workers and their
desire for change. The bosses are haunted by
the growing rehabilitation of the working class
and the fact that they become eft for Com
munism" This explains not only the growing
fascist attacks but also the increased use of
social demagogy. 1t is up to the Communist
Party first of ALL and the duty of all revolu-
tionary workers to see to it that the workers
who are dissatisfied and looking for a change
should express this dissatisfaction and desire for
change in revolutionary channels and not in an
increased vote for the democratic party and the
social fascists.
We must convince the workers that only by
following the lead of our party will they be able
to compel the capitalist class to grant them real
unemployment relief The conscious role and
the organizing capacities of the party are the
decisive factors in the present objective condi-
tons determining whether the workers, in re-
acting politically, as they do will express it by
accepting the leadership of our Party or be
mislead by the social demagogy of the three
bourgeois parties
WnrLoxc1 To.,. III D~~k~, -