The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-09
By JACK sTACHEL

BY JACK STACHEL
BEGINNING with October 1880, our work
among the unemployed has gone steadily up
ward. In rallying masses, the recent demon
STATIONS and hunger marches are beginning to
assume the mass character of March 6. Here
the Philadelphia Hunger March of January 20
was the outstanding example.
This demonstration rallied actually more work.
ers than this city did on March 6. At the same
time the movement at the present time is quite
different than at the time of March g. Then
we we're the only ones organizing the unemp1oy-
ed. The Hoover government, the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, were busy denying the existence
of mass unemployment, while the liberals and
socialists were echoing the boss assurances that
soon everything would be normal again.
At the present time things are different Most
of the basic shortcomings of the movement at the
time of March 6 have been overcome. 1t was
these very weaknesses that after March caused
steady decline of the movement until checked
in october. The flood of demagogy that began
after we dramatized the situation on March 6
found us unprepared and inexperienced to cope
with the situation. We still repeated the old
slogans when they became outworn. We did not
raise demands and issues necessitated by the
changed tactics and activities of the bosses, the
government and the social fascists. And the
movement declined
But now much of this has changed The work
ers convinced of the seriousness of the crisis
and its steady growth Even the bosses and their
lackeys can no longer hide this We have learn
ed how to expose the demagogy of the masters.
And after all this was not so difficult. For the
masses do not appease their hunger with dema-
gogy any more than with promises.
This of course does not mean that the danger
is over. On the contrary. The bosses are ever
inventing new methods and forms to fool the
workers. The American Federation of Labor
leaders and the socialists are allowed and direct
ed to put on new robes and play new roles. But
we have learned how to unmask them before the
workers. We have learned how to put forward
a positive program of struggle for relief to rase
local issues and demands. Today we have move
ment more entrenched than ever before. We
also demonstrated, though still with some weak
nesses, that we can combine the struggle for
unemployment insurance with the struggle for
immediate relief.
This was seen in the campaign for the colec-
ton of signatures, the election of the delegation
to Washington that went on simultaneously with
and was an organic part of the hunger marches
that took place throughout the country These
masses. The growing mlitancy, the actual fight
for food that resulted in number of cities
shows the maturity of the movement
Basic Weakness
We can say with a great amount of certainty
that the International Unemployment Demon
STATIONS in this country on February Is will
find that the movement numerically will reach
the stage of March g. But it will be a more
entrenched, deeper movement and hundred
times more significant.
But there still remain some important ques-
lions that we have not solved. They are serious
questions. Among these the most serious one
is the building and sterilization of the Unem-
ployed Councils.
To be sure, here, too, much progress has been
made. But the organization of the councils has
by no means kept pace with the developing
movement and struggles. This problem must
gress made in the unemployed work there will
be no guarantee of stability and continuity. We
will not be able to withstand the attacks Of the
enemy to guard the movement against the many
dangers that stand in its path.
Why No Councils?
Why has the organization of the Councils OF
Unemployed failed to keep pace with the de-
veloping movement? Primarily because we did
not yet clearly understand how to draw the
masses Of unemployed into the work Of organiz-
ing and leading the struggles. The work is car
ried on too much In a bureaucratic manner
with the masses OF the unemployed merely par
tcipating in the demonstrations as they occur
But these starving unemployed and their fam