The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-15
By E. GARDOS.

ELECTION DAY is over and the capitalists are
jubilant. A record breaking vote of 100000
and a record breaking majority of 100000 for
Tony Cermak, the candidate of the "Peepul";
both of organized labor and of the Association
of Commerce, of the small taxpayers leagues
and of the Big Businessmen Committee, of the
Ladies Peace Societies and of the American Le-
gion. Prosperity comes back to Chicago" ex-
claims full page ad of the Tribune and there
is q favorable reaction at the stock exchange.
Chicago has redeemed ITSELF" writes the social
demagogue Wallace of the Daily News. Foreign
born workers helped to make our city, let us
show that we are real melting pot, by electing
our first foreign born mayor" Many misled
workers of Czecho-Slovak extraction, with the
dagger of finger-printing and deportation over
their head, feel proud as ever. Isn't this
Horatio Alger story coming to life, how mine
boy-through hard work and sheer ability (of
real estate speculation and grafD is rich man
today and the mayor of the second city of the
U. s.? Isn't democracy a great thing? exclaim
the prostitutes of the press pulpits and schools.
Yes, bourgeois democracy. paradise for the
rich-a trap and deluSion for the poor"
And democracy is working fast. Forty-two
hours after the closing of the ballots, Cer1nak
sits firmly in the saddle. 5000 Thompson ap-
pointees discharged and Col. A. A. Sprague, the
big capitalist in the office Of Commissioner of
Public Works, is checking up on all contracts.
Cermak, before the picking of his new cabinet,
decides on the immediate auditing of books. His
post election statement is celebrating on the first
two main campaign planks, crime and taxation,
but the third one-unemployment entirely for
gotten. Expression of thanks to "our business
men and great newspapers" but labor forgotten
again by the one who called upon them, to work
for he rIre fot.x Ay,I i,, fIo
meantime preparations for drastic 'reorgan-
ization" of the police department. The small
bootleggers are cleaning up things, fearing raid,
while Capone sits with his six million a week
business undsturbed. And the acting chief of
police holds up the application Of the Commu-
mist Party for the May LIST parade, because eve
don't know what the policy of the new commits
soner will be-" Yes, democracy works very fast.
Why Change in Mayor?
Big Bill Thompson, product OF the old Lori
mer School of political leaders, the Tweed ring
of Chicago has outlived his usefulness big
capitalist himself, surrounded by group Of
cronies, who were in business for themselves
first, he was not the ideal man for finance capt.
tai, which since his first election in 1915, as
sumed undisputed control over the city. This of
course does not mean that he did not sell him
self to the highest bidder. During the last year
of his third and last administration he delivered
the $100,000,00O traction steal to insult. His
gang, relying upon a strong political machine,
built upon money, upon the support Of AL Ca
pone the A. F. Of L. leaders, and the Negro poll
ticians with the vest pocket wards, went little
too far. Spending money like drunken sailors"
they wasted, according to the Herald and Ex-
aminer, $l56,0OOo00 year; built up an over
tapping system of boards and commissions with
$4,000 job holders, who had only one ambition:
to get rich quick, may the deluge come after
wards The tax rate has been raised over 20 per
cent besides the increase in revaluation. With
over $60O000,000 debts, the city has been facing
bankruptcy in 1929. The bankers, led by Silas
H. Strawn, stepped in, gave lift to the city,
with definite conditions. These conditions were
not held by Big Bull, who wanted to run the
show BY himself He has been doing It Tor u