davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

the workers First Of May, denounced and dis
avowed by the ALL, which even by Gonpers'
admission (you might almost say, "boasting")
brought it into existence.
A glance at the facts surrounding the "lead-
ership" the ALL. gave the 1885 strike move
ment will clear up much Of this mystery.
Gompers' own words on the subject Of the
1890 anniversary give the matter the twist that
the ALL. has followed since. He states GO
Years)
"My letter informed the Paris Congress Of
our American efforts to celebrate the coming
May Day by establishing the eight hour day
for the carpenters, and urged them to CO.
operate" and "That was the origin Of Euro
pean May Day, which has become regular
institution in all European countries" EN-
phasis by V. 81
The resolution passed in the 1884 conven-
ton does not call for strike in plain terms.
1t says: Resolved by the Federation Of Or
ganized Trades and Labor Unions of the u
S. and Canada (the name then Of the A.F.L.)
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

A wind of revolt blew over the labor world
in 1886, and the ALL. kite flew high. But
Gompers and his clique during all this time
were holding down on the string of that kite,
no less than was Powderly trying to hold
down the X. of L.. The wind was strong, and
occasionally Sammy got his foot tangled in
the string and was lifted little, but he
kept forcing the ALL. to the ground. He
and his kind finally made it the social fas.
cist, company unionized body it is today.
Gompers did not work as crudely as Pow
ierly. He always said he approved of the
eight hour movement. But he spent 1885 and
the spring of 'S6 signing up as many employ
ers and unions as possible on general, stereo-
typed contract surrendering the right to more
wages in return for formal granting of the
eight hour day-thus limiting the scope of the
strike movement as much as he could.
He quit at the first opportunity. In his bio
graphy he says he regarded the Haymarket
affair as "a catastrophe, hating our eight
hour program" He tells, in Seventy Years"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

(p. 1860 how, before the 1890 strike movement,
the second May Day, he sent circulars not only
to unions and employers, but to the President
of the United States, the cabinet, 40 senator's
and rs representatives, "to forestall any as
ISOLATION of the movement with the anarchistic
influences :" that is, those same "anarchistic
influences" that had led the strike Of 1885 to
success in Chicago, and whose leaders were
martyzed in the Haymarket trials. They were
actually not anarchists" anyway, but class
conscious fighters, though with confused,
sem-syndicalist philosophy.
In 1887 Gompers delivered in Brooklyn his
famous speech: with fairness on the
part of the employer there is no desire to
strike on the part of the men we are
y opposed to sympathetic and foolish strikes"
("Seventy Years." p. 1857. 49,
He recites, with pleasure GO Yrs, p, 1861,
how, in the days before May l, 1890, when
Gompers and his aides had limited the second
eight hour day movement Of the ALL. to
strike Of one union at time: II squelched an
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

From day to day a large part of
the working masses under the OBJ
jective situation become more rad
icalized, more class-conscious, show
more fighting spirit in their strug-
gle, recognize our Party as the
stronghold of the American work.
ing class, as their vanguard. The
most class-conscious workers feel
the necessity not only to be active
in the struggle, but to join our
ranks, to accept the discipline of
the Communist Party, to march, to
fight in the line Of our Party. g.
There still remains . dispropor.
ton between the Party's influence
and its organizational strength, as
was clearly manifested in the March
9Th demonstration, . disproportion
between the influence Of the Party
and the number Of readers Of our
press in general, and our Central
organ. the Daily Worker, in par
ticular. s3svs.
This disproportion must BE- over
come and will be overcome with the
concentration Of al the party's
energies, II the comrades. together
with the everyday tasks Of the
Party in the recruiting Of new
members, win also clearly under
stand the necessity Of strengthen
ing the central organ Of the Party.
Of strengthening the weapon Of the
American working class, will under
stand the necessity that the Daily
Worker shall penetrate the larger
masses in the shops, in the mines,
in the mills, among the agricultural
workers, among the poor farmers, to
bring there the word Of the Party
Of the most conscious section Of the
American proletariat, to give them
the line in their daily struggles, to
lead the struggles.
Together with the growth Of the
Party, it II an absolute necessity
that our central organ shall grow to
the same extent.
The hundreds Of thousands Of
workers whom our Party reaches
with the Daily Worker, the language
press, with the numerous leaflets,
ETC., through the districts, by the
shop papers, ETC., should also be
made. subscribers, propagandists and
agents for the Daily Worker. The
masses today feel the need Of our
press, look for it, but we have not
as yet found the correct method Of
bringing to them the Daily Worker,
Of developing the workers as agents
an distributors Of our paper. The
example Of Detroit, where our COM
In -ss- " .A.A.4sAt.sa .sfa. -...iai
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01
MAY DAY 1880

Down with the. second interna-
tional!
Long live socialist competition,
herald of the triumph Of Commun-
ism! rs
Long live revolutionary interna-
tional competition which means the
mutual incentivee Of the worlds
workers.!
Imperialism Is mobilising the
church for struggle against the
Soviet Union.
Workers, break the chains of re-
ligious serfdom!
Fight for the victory Of socialism
in all countries!
Soldiers and sailors In capitalist
countries, refuse to be misused
against your class brothersl
Proletarian Youth, rally to the
flag OF the Young Communist In
ternational against world imperial
ism and for the world dictatorship
Of the proletariat!
Toiling Farmers, appropriate with
the assistance of the proletariat
the capitalist, noble and churchly
landowners!
Long live the revolutionary ALI
ance of the workers and the toiling
peasants!
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

that eight hours shall constitute legal days
labor from and after May 1, 1886, and that we
recommend to labor organizations throughout
this jurisdiction that they so direct their laws
as TO conform to this resolution by the time
named"
This might mean a general strike for the
eight hour day on May 1, and the masses of
workers did so consider it.
The largest workers organization of the
time was the Knights of Labor with 100000
members. The ALL. had about 100000. Pow
derby, grand master of the K. of L., sent a
secret circular to his lieutenants ordering them
to stop the eight hour day movement. 1t didn't
remain . secret, and the K. Of L. went down
in shame. Some 100000 workers took part
100000 won a shorter work day, and the A.
F. Of L. gained immeasurably in influence. Be-
ginning from about this date it became what
it was until the time of the world war, mar
row craft-bound organization, but real work
ers' organization, with membership which
fought for better hours, wages and conditions.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01
Way Day Established By Strike Called By OF L. But GonbGs Saoaga

incipient rumor that q general strike would
be called May l." +
, To conclude: in the only industrial crisis b.
fore the present in which rehabilitation prs-
vailed, the workers made the eight hour move
ment, and made May First revolutionary an
niversary The ALL. rank and file were heart
and soul in the movement. The ALL. bureau
cracy was caught At the head Of the procession,
and was pushed along, pushing back as much
as it could. It has never recognized May First
or any Of its class and revolutionary signifi-
canoe. It was celebrating the first Monday IN
September, and the Chicago anarchists" were
holding counter demonstrations TO it on that
date, in 1885. It still celebrates this holiday,
handed to it by legislature acts Of the bossss'
state, as review Of voting strength for sale,
two months before elections.
But May First is the. day Of strike and
struggle Of the workers, not only Of the world.
but particularly Of America, where it started.
The ALL, which renounces it, should not
have even as much credit al It usually gets
for starting it.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

ByJ.M.
YHE working class of Russia began its strug-
giles only in the nineties. Small groups Of
eeascieus workers were being organized in
circles. The sporadic strikes and struggles OF
che workers did not always have conscious
evolutionary, MARKHAM leadership. In time the
ssSsnirstional contact between the then exist
inS Socialist groups and the workers broadened.
Yhs struggles Of the workers took on more
political character and the advanced cadres of
shs working class more fully grasped the fact
that their economic and political struggles were
q part Of the general task Of the proletariat-
tAs destruction Of the capitalist system Of pro-
duetion and the establishment Of Communism.
A Crest Political Demonstration
In the revolutionary struggle Of the Russian
workers the First Of May occupies an impor-
tant place. The Russian workers, above all
workers, grasped its revolutionary significance.
The cpportunist tendencies in the Socialist
movement prevailing in Russia at that time
could neither pervert nor den1oralize the work
En-, stop their revolutionary aYdor, nor lead the
movement into paths of reformism.
Csarism-the political system of feudal au-
teerscy-like the existing imperialist autocra-
cies. prosecuted the workers by police terror,
diling, failing and exiting the best representa-
DIVES Of the working-class for presenting de-
nsards to the capitalists and the government,
All these prosecutions olo not prevent Cne 40
vance forces Of the working class from broad
sning the struggle against autocracy and cap
itaiism. New cadres, new masses Of workers
Joined in the battle. Starting with 1899 the
list Of May was celebrated in open street DEM
onstrations and political mass strikes.
In many cities the workers downed tools and
demonstrated in the streets against the Gar
and for international solidarity. The eight
hour day, the struggle against imperialist war,
and the destruction Of Czarism became the per-
Manent demands Of the working class.
Writing on the lessons to be drawn from the
May Day demonstration held in Kharkov in
1900, Lenin says
'The Charkov celebrations illustrate how
the celebration of q labor holiday can be-
come q great political demonstration and
they reveal what it is we lack to make these
sLenin works, Vol. ~, part T. page a.. In
tsrnational Publishers Edition.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01
MAY DAY 1880

Working women Of all countries,
;oin the revolutionary ranks, under
the flag. Of the world wide Bolshe-
vik revolution!
onlv the nroletar;an revolution
can free womankindl
Co,.n;., No.. ,u..ao,,, 49,.
,.aJ. throra ." rsrn,,t;ers v s,,;pno c
ieu' c,Aous" e.ViuS'oA"iS
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01
Raise High This Day the
BlOOd-Red Standard of
the Revolution
May Day-the Day of Revolution Belongs to
the Working Class-Wrote Debs

Occident and all the Isles of the
Sea!
Vive la Revolution.
The most heroic word in all Ian
guages is REVOLUTION.
1t thrills and vibrates; cheers and
inspires. Tyrants and time-ser- -ers
fear it, but the oppressed hail it
with joy.
The throne trembles when this
throbbing word is lisped, but to the
howell it is food for the furnishing
and hope for the victims Of despair.
Let us glorify today the revolu-
tons of the past and hail the
Greater Revolution yet to come be-
fore Emancipation shall make all the
days of the year May Days Of peace
and plenty for the sons and daugh-
tiers Of toll.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01
LAY DAY IN RUSSIA FROM CZARST DAYS TO THE REVOLUTION

celebrations really great All.Russian
demonstration of the class conscious pro-
letariat. What made the May Day celebrs-
lions in Kharkov an event Of outstanding
importance? The mass participation Of the
workers in the strike, the huge mass meet
ings in the streets, the unfurling Of red
flags, the presentation of demands irdicat-
ed in the leaflets and the revolutionary
character of these demsnds-the eisht-hour
day and political liberty. The legend that
the Russian workers have not sufficiently
grown up for the political struggle. that
their principal duty Is to conduct purely
economic struggle, and only slowly and
very gradually supplement II by partial
political agitation, for partial political re-
forms; that they must not take the struggle
against the whole of the political system Of
Russia-that legend has been totally re-
futed by the Kharkov May Day eelebra.
TONS"
In the same article Lenin calls the sttsn-
ton Of the comrades in Russia to the necss-
sity for dfferentiating between the small
economic demands that the workers present In
each factory and the general demands that the
workers present to the whole capitalist class.
Demands for wsge increases and better
treatment can be snd ought to be presented
by the workers to their employers in each
separate trade. The demand for an eight
hour day is the demand Of the whole pre-
letariat presented not to individual en-
ployers but to the government as the repre-
sentative of the whole Of the present day
social and political ssytem, to the capitalist
class as q whole, the owners Of all the
means of production. The demand for an
eight-hour day has assumed special sig
nifieance. 1t is q declaration Of solidarity
with the International Communist move
ment. We must make the workers under
stand this difference, and prevent them
from reducing It to the level Of demands
like free tickets or the dismissal Of
Waterman. Throughout the year the work
ers, first in one place and then in another,
continuously present variety Of partial
demands to their employers and fight for
these demands. In assisting the workers
in this fight, Communists mus always ex-
plain the connection it has with the pro-
letarian struggle for emancipation in oil
countries. The First Of May must be the
day on which the workers solemnly declare
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

scribers and readers.
GET NEW SUBSCRIBERS FOR
THE DAILY WORKER!
BRING THE DAILY WORKER
AMONG THE LARGE MASSES,
RUILD THE DAILY WORKER
INTO ONE OF THE STRONGEST
WEAPONS OF OUR PARTY!
These should be among the most
important slogans to concretize in
this May First campaign
If the comrades are conscious of
the situation, of the increasing radi-
calization of the masses on the basis
of the objective situation, and the
growth of the economic crisis, if
they are conscious of the dispropor-
ton between the .Party's influence
and its organizational strength, end
the tremendous disproportion be-
tween the circulation of the Daily
Worker and the million circulation
of the capitalist press, if they are
conscious Of the task of COR central
organ in organizing and leading the
struggles against . world Of en-
emies, conscious that the Daily
Worker is supported by the pennies
Of the working class and has to fight
the capitalist press, they must un-
derstand, they must be more con-
scious about the necessity to null
tiply their energies, their efforts in
the task Of making the Daily Work
err a mass paper, paper of the
millions Of workers in the United
States, to build the Daily Worker
into powerful weapon Of the Party,
of the working class against the
fortress Of the bourgeoisie.
Together with the other tasks
one Of the first and the most i'm
portant of this May Day campaign
should be the raising Of new $4,000
subscribers, and, besides this, new
5000. readers for the Daily Worker
as the first step in our march along
the line of the Daily Worker cam.
paign to build the Daily Worker into
"a mass organ, into q strong organ
izer and leader in the daily strug-
giles Of the working ilass, into q
strong organizer and leader in the
great struggles Of tomorrow.
Conscious Of this task, every party
member should become m enthusi-
astic agent and distributor of the
Daily Worker. and propagsndixe ia
bring other thousands and thousands
Of workers into the ranks Of agents,
distributors and propagandists Of
the central organ Of the party.
Forward to the building Of thu
Daily W3ker into . powerful mss
ergsn ~ ths xerkiPs class: =
- = ~ wv i0al1l1 'q
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01
By VERN SMITH.

The class conscious worker knows, but finds
- it; hard to believe, that the craft-unionist,
job trust, snti-revolutionary A. F. L. started
the train Of events that makes US celebrate
May Day, and did it by means Of a general
strike.
Samuel Gompers claims some credit for this
-Gompers the foe Of revolt and the friend of
the bosses, the civic federationst, the man of
the war labor board. In Seventy Years of
LIE and Labor" he states that he wrote the
resolution in the 1884 Chicago convention Of
the ALL. which called for the Eight Hour
Movement to start May 1, 1886. He says that
he sept Hugh McGregor as . delegate of the
ALL. to the International Workingmen's Con-
sress held July IA, 1889, in Paris, with let
tar calling for support to the May strike in
the United States, scheduled for 1890. That
congress voted, in honor Of the heroic general
strike of 1886, to observe May 1, 1890, by
demonstrations in every country in favor of
the eight hour work day, and from this dates
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01
international May Day. The
Day That Inspires the
Workers to Struggle
Ruthenberg Never Called for Retreat in the
Face Of the Bosses on May Day

they had destroyed, Is again carry
ing on its work in the open. Through
the Workers Party is is publicly adj
vocating the principles Of Commun-
ism and winning the support Of the
workers for these principles.
The Communists organized IN the
Workers Party are no longer the
outcasts Of the labor movement.
Through their work in the every
day struggles Of the workers,
through their programs Of action
and leadership they have won the
confidence and support Of an ever
widening circle Of sympathizers.
Today the Communist movemsn.
is on the road to becoming that row.
erful influence in the labor move
ment Of this country which will in
fluence the millions Of workers and
give them leadership and direction
in the struggle against capitalism.
The inner changes which have
taken place in the party have bssa
= vital factor in achieving this -.
suit. The Communist movement IN
this country il no longer satisfied
with dogmatic reiteration Of funda.
mental Communist principles. II
holds fast to this principle: Il viii
never compromise on the question
Of publicly advocating these prin-
ciples. But it has also learned 70
apply them. II has learned to make
its beginning with the present meg
tai attitude Of the workers Of the
United States. II has learned =
realistically study tho workers Of
this country and the facts Of their
life and to base its policy and taetieL
its methods Of teaching the Amer.
lean workers that their road to free
don, from exploitation and opprss-
sion lies through Communism, on
the conditions ~ they exist IA the
United States. y
n Every worker who IS . Commun-
list can celebrate May Day this year
secure in the confidence that the
movement he supports has made
great strides forward, that the road
is clear for greater achievements,
that in the United States, - else.
where in.ths world, the future n.
loats to Commun|sn, ~.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

rades distribute daily 1900 copies,
where every day the number of sub
scribers are increasing, must be fol-
lowed in every district. The units,
the nuclei, must become conscious
that the distribution of the Daily
Worker in the workers houses, be-
fore the shops, that daily propa-
ganda for the Daily Worker is one
Of the most important tasks. 1t is
not correct to let things wait until
they are done by the Daily Worker
agents, believing that we have moth
ing to do with such work.
Every member Of the Party must
learn to be an agent of the central
organ of the Party, that one of his
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

tasks is to bring new workers into
the ranks of the propagandists, dis
tributors and agents of the only
paper of the American working class.
May Day shall not only be a mobil-
ization day, eliminating point of
our struggle, of our agitation and
propaganda among the workers to
bring the masses closer to the Party,
to strengthen their fighting will, but
also eliminating point in our or
ganizational task in the recruitment
of new members, in the strengthen
ing of our ranks, in the mass distri.
button of our press. and especially
our central organ, the Daily Worker
in raising the number of its sub
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01
(From the New York "Worker,"
April ~, 1900
BY EUGENE V. DEBS

Trom the New York worker"
April 81, 1900
This is the first and only Inter-
national Labor Day. 1t belongs to
the working class and is dedicated
to the Revolution.
Today the slaves of all the world
arc taking fresh breath in the long
and:weary march; pausing for a mo-
nfent to clear their lungs and shout
Tor joy; celebrate in festal fellow
ship their coming Freedom.
All hail the Labor Day of May!
The day of proletarian protest;
The day of stern resolve;
The day of noble aspiration.
Raise high this day the blood
red Standard of the Revolution!
The banner of the Workingman;
he flag, the only flag, of Free
I'm.
As the slavery of the working
class is international, so is the
movement for its emancipation.
The salutation of slave to slave
this day is repeated in every human
tongue as it goes ringing round the
world.
The many millions are at last
awakening. For countless ages they
have suffered; they have drained
to3the dregs the bitter cup of mis-
cry and woe.
AT last, at last the historical lin
itation has been reached, and soon
a!new sun will light the world.
Red is the life tide of our COM
~ humanity and red our symbol
<niversal kinship.
.Tyrants deny it, fear it, tremble
With rage and terror when they be-
hold It.
I'VE reaffirm it and on this day
elsdge anew our fidelity-come life
or death-to the blood-red banner
Of the Revolution.
Socialist greetings this day to. all
our fellow-workers! To the god-like
souls in Russia marching grimly,
snblimely into the jaws of He'll with
the Song Of the Revolution in their
Oath rattle; to the Orient, to the
TO-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01
BY CHARLES E. RUTHENBERG
(From "The Worker" New York,

(From The Worker, New York,
April 20, 1929
May Day-the day which inspires
fear in the hearts of the capitalists
and hope in the workers-the work
crs the world over-will find the
Communist movement this year
stronger in the United States than
at any time in its history. ii
Three years ago the, Communists
of the United States were driven I'M
foreground, their organization de-
stroyed. They were outcasts, de-
spised and ignored.
May Day Of 1928 will find all
this changed. The Communist move
ment, which Palmer and the various
state governments which participat-
ed in the 1920 persecution thought
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

that they realize this connection and reso-
lutely join in the struggle"
More Such Victories Will Bring Defeat
In May, 1901, the striking workers of the
Obukhov Steel Works of st. Petersburg (now
Leningrad) were massacred by the police and
military forces. Lenin, commenting upon the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-01

brutality of the government, says: "The gov
eminent emerged victorious, but victories like
these will bring the government nearer to its
ultimate defeat. Every fight with the people
will tend still more to rouse the workers to
Indignation and stimulate them to fight; it
will bring to the front more experienced, bet