The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-02-14
LESSONS OF THE 1929
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

formism is also best expressed in the election
platform of the Philadelphia district, which
said: "In this country the Socialist Party
is organizationay weak and the bosses do not
as yet need to turn to it for help in getting
out of the crisis, as in England and Germany"
In San Francisco, for example, our comrades
of the opinion that because the Socialist
Party did not have its candidates in the recent
elections, therefore there was no need to ex-
pose the Socialist Party, the treacherous A.
F. of L. and social reformism generally in their
platform.
The general participation of our Party men,
bership in the elections was very mechanical
and not political The Party failed to a very
large extent to mobilize the support of work
ing class organizations which are very close
to the Party as recruiting agents and agitators
for the program of the Party in its election
campaign. The Young Communist League,
with the exception of Pittsburgh and San
Francisco, made a very poor showing in the
elections
The programs put forth by the various Party
districts in the last elections were in the main
politically correct and based on the line of the
Party and the Communist International. How
ever, all platforms without exception, suffered
from the fact that they did not deal suffi-
GENTLY, if at all, with local issues and local
acter of our platforms was best manifested by
this example: In Buffalo the comrades simply
took the New York platform and copied verba-
tum as much as could go into two mimeo-
graphed sheets. To this must also be added
the fact that practically without exception, the
Party platforms were put out too late-on the
average only about two weeks prior to the cleo
ton date
The Communist Party, with the exception of
New York and Cleveland, actually doubled its
vote when compared with the national elections
in 1928. In the industrial towns, in Pennsyl-
vania where the Party for the first time put
up it's independent ticket, the Party received
more votes than the Labor Party or the So
cialist Party. In San Francisco the Party re-
ceived 6,114 votes, ~ per cent of the total
vote cast. In Toledo and Canton, and other
industrial towns, where the Party had its can
ddates, the vote was more than doubled. An
instance that could picture the good response
of the workers to the Party's program is
Springfield, Ohio. There the Party has only
one member, who, with another Negro worker
then not yet a member of the Party, were rum
ming as candidates for the Board of Education.
The result was that the white comrade received
,489 votes, the colored comrade, 9S3, COM
pared with 10 votes received during the Ma
tional elections. Generally, in the State of
Ohio, this year we received ZAP votes, conf
pared with 997 during the national elections.
Other cities and districts also showed a gain
in membership and general popularizaton of
the program of the Party among the masses.
There where the Party actually participated in
these elections, the workers responded very
we'll to the Party candidates and Party pro-
gram These municipal elections best expose
the strong right wing tendencies and theology
! Ill Dor Tbo lc.o ,of
Lovestone and his group does not expel the
right-wing danger that still exists in various
forms in our Party. On the contrary, the
struggle against the right danger must be in
tensifed and carried on Systematically in every
phase of Party life and Party activity.
The results of the municipal elections very
definitely demonstrated the growing discomfort
and rehabilitation of the working masses. The
results of the elections also show the strength
ening Of capitalist reaction against the work
ers. 1t brought up the Socialist Party as def
ntey the third party of capitalism, which
will try to play an important role in the COM
ing elections. The results of the elections also
definitely demonstrate to the Party the i'm
portance of participating and modifying the
Party membership in parliamentary struggles.
The last municipal elections must be lesson
to the Party and at the same time call for
action for mobilization for the coming congress
sional elections. This year the entire congress
and one-third of the Senate as we'll as various
governmental elections will take place all over
the United States Unless the Central Com
mttee of the Party and the district and city
organizations with the active support of the
enire Party membership begin to make immedi-
ate plans and preparations for these congress
sional, senatorial and governmental elections. we
will again meet with as little success as we had
in the last municipal elections but at the same
time the Party will miss great opportunity,
particularly in the present period of develop
ing class struggle and growing unemployment,
to bring forward to the of workers its
program not only for the immediate interests
of the workers, but for the overthrow of the
capitalist system and establishment of Work.
ers and Farmers Government.