The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-05-08
Racketeering--- Capitalist Gov
eminent Institution
BY 1. AMTER.
III,

WITTY has the scandal in New York broken at
w this time? Is it because racketeering has
suddenly assumed such large dimensions that
something slipped and an exposure followed?
This Is not the case, the history of the Amer
lean fortunes will disclose. Racketeering( al
though styled differently in the pasD has existed
for few hundred years in the United States,
and has now become fixed governmental insti-
tuition But the increase in the government
force with more and more rackets being added
has increased the greed and the number of those
directly involved and therefore the struggle be-
comes keener.
But two other factors of outstanding impor-
lance have forced the exposure at the present
time. One: the political struggle within the
democratic Tammany Hall machine. In the last
elections, the democratic machine suffered
severe defeat on the alleged score of prohibition
The solid South, which supposedly is dry, repu-
dated Smith, the wet, and voted for Hoover.
The break was complete, and the crushing OF
the democratic party on this score seemed I'M
minent. This was fake issue, the real reason
being firstly, as far as the South is concerned
that industries are growing up in the South, that
northern capital is flowing into the South, and
that the same interests demand the same policies
Of protection. And secondly, difference between
the republican and the democratic parties no
longer exists. Neither is dry or wet, neither is
for free trade or for high tariff. The struggle
is sectional struggle-not of So-called indus
trial against bank capital (for these are now
merged into finance capital, but of groups of
finance capital in different parts Of the country
Tammany Hall is now in the midst of strug-
gle between three groups the Roosevelt, the
Smith and the Walker faction. The struggle is
over the presidential nomination for the coming
campaign-in 1882 Smith has not given up his
aspirations; Roosevelt is being groomed for pres
ident. Smith is wet, Roosevelt is on-comnittal.
Tammany Halls name is stencil, and too close
connection will doom any candidate The south
ern democrats declare that they will not be tied
to the tail Of the Tammany tiger. They declare
that this will mean runation for the democratic
party. But Tammany Hall does not give up its
control Of the democratic party SO easily, and
Smith, who u . loyal Tammanyite leads the
fight for Tanlmany control Roosevelt, who is
the most promising candidate for the demo-
cratic party, senses the danger of being iden-
titled too closely with Tammany and there
FORE must find means of breaking the hold of
Tammany Hall on the democratic party
The republicans, knowing of this struggle
within the democratic party and knowing that
the continual defeat OF Hoover in the u. S. gov
eminent has shaken the faith in the republican
regime; and since Hoover has been repudiated
by the republicans in Congress, it is necessary
to start the struggle in the stronghold Of the
democratic party-New York-in order to expose
1t and weaken its position. Roosevelt, on the
other hand refuses to captulate to the demands
Of Tammany, and to promote his hold on the
democratic machine, not only in New York. but
particularly outside New York. he has consented
to the investigation Of the Walker administra-
ton.
This exposure will not proceed very far, for it
will merely start the investigation Of every re-
publican and democratic administration in the
country, with the result that the workers will see
the rottenness Of the system and begin to recog-
nise the need Of sweeping the entire system out
Of the country.
The second and most important factor is the
economic situation. The mass unemployment,
starvation and misery Of the 100000 uncm-
ployed in the country: the starvation of the
poor farmers; the refusal of the CITY, state and
federal governments to provide unemployment
relief and insurance; the paltry assistance only
to the well-to-do farmers who can furnish Sc
cirity for loans from the government-have pro-
Ancsd : condition q dtDccntent spd distrs4t In