The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-04-08

THE question naturally arises: Why is the
Southern ruling class so thoroughly alarm
ed so thoroughly frightened at the appearance
of the T.U.U.L. in Chattanooga? 1t is because
evidence is at hand to prove that organizations
under the political leadership of the Commu-
mist Party can smash the barriers of race pre-
JUDGE and mobilize the workers of the South,
black and white, for militant struggle against
capitalism. Because Chattanooga has not es-
capped the general crisis of capitalism and here
as elsewhere, one witnesses the terrific on.
slaught of capitalist naturalization with its
wage cuts, speedup and, stretchout and increas-
ing unemployment At the same time one also
witnesses a decided growing resistance of the
workers to these attacks upon their living
standards.
This growing resistance of the workers is
shown in their response to our program of revo-
lutionary unionism-in the fact that 1000 leaf
lets with minimum of information on them,
could bring into our hall some $50 workers
in the fact that the T.U.U.L's acceptance of
the political leadership of the Communist Party,
which has been brought out to them time and
again, did not in the least keep the workers
from crowding around the organizers after the
meetings were over to join the T.U. Lin
the fact that in space of two weeks time, in
Chattanooga, absolutely new territory, num-
Der of workers from the shops and factories
were drawn into the Communist Party.
Indicative of the rehabilitation in process
here is the relationship existing between the
Negro and white workers. Though the issue
of race against race has at times in the past,
assumed acute form, the intense process of in
naturalization and naturalization has educated
them to the need of standing together. Rapidly
they are coming to realize how race prejudice
is used by the bosses to keep them divided, so
that the standard of living of both groups can
be lowered. In several instances in this city
Negroes who were barred from the A. F. of L.
unions, have been used to scab on the white
workers who have gone out on strike. In other
instances, Negroes, tho barred from the unions,
have refused to scab on the white workers
when on strike. At all of our meetings both
Negro and white workers have taken the floor
and pointed out the necessity of standing to-
gether.
The attitude of the Negro workers in this
respect presents a very interesting study He
has absolutely no objection to uniting with the
white worker but neither does he regard it in
the light of special privilege granted him.
And while not in the least subjective they
want to be certain that you mean it when you
say absolute equality, for they have had sorry
experiences with the A. F. of L.
In 1920 the A.. F. of L. came to Chattanooga
and carried on campaign of organizing Ne
gro and white metal workers together. At
first they declared that the workers were to be
organized on basis of equality Soon how
ever, they revealed their true intention. They
organized the white workers as mechanics and
the Negroes as helpers, stating that while the
Negroes were receiving only s6-ss per day as
mechanics, as helpers they would receive $3.50
and up. But the white mechanics would re-
ceive SO per day. The Negroes told the A..