The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-10-14
BY SAM DON.

BY SAM DON.
THERE are local elections this year in Boston,
L Elections for City Council in all the twenty
wards of the city There are $50 candidates
running for office The largest number in years.
The Increase in number of candidates, many Of
whom are competing with each other in social
dsmagogy will tend to confuse and mislead the
disconnected workers.
Amongst the $50 candidates the Party candi-
dates are not to be found. Why? Is it because
the ruling class barred the Party from the
ballotP Not at all. Nor is it~because large
number of signatures we're required and the
Party did not succeed in obtaining them. The
number of signatures required for ward can
didate is about fifty. There was not even an
early attempt made to mobilize the Party for
the election campaign in the city of Boston
Can it be merely explained by criminal negli-
gonce?" We do not think so. Undoubtedly, as
the leading comrades in Boston have stated
there was criminal negligence. But it is more
than that There are two reasons for it: First
the undereStimation of the election campaign
and linked up with it Experimentation ten
denotes in practice. Second-insufficient ability
to coordinate the various campaigns Of the
Party and to concentrate simultaneously on
more than one basic activity.
What is the meaning and what will be the
DO
participate in the Boston city electionsP To
state it briefly and sharply: % The bourgeoisie
will find it much easier to fool the workers with
its election demagogy. 90 Inability of the
Party successfully to bring those workers who
accepted our leadership in various economic
etrl7ples under our political influence. Failure
to utilize the election campaign means Of
developing struggles and building the Party. 90
Workers anxious to vote for our Party viii be
compelled to abstain from voting and partici-
pating in our election CAMPAIGN altogether. And
what is worse Many workers will, because Of
our own failure vote for candidates whom they
might consider "lesser evil
On october 4th there was a demonstration
held on the Boston Commons against the wage
cutting campaign. The meeting was held under
the auspices of the Party with Comrade Minor
as the speaker. There we're eight thousand
workers at this meeting. Comrade Minors re-
mark tAat the Boston workers will vote red this
year was greeted with thunderous applause.
Yet. . Well, the lessons are so obvious that
there is no need for any comments.
Just two examples throwing more light on
some Of the basic causes for this condition. In
Chelsea, Mass. the Party viii be on the ballot.
But how was the Party unit moblized for the
elections The unit bureau was not explained
the general political Importance Of the elections.
The resut--the unit bureau brings in some tech
meal motions to the unit meeting political
discussion developed around the technical mo-
tons number of comrades stating that there
is no sense in participating in the elections
Two reasons we're given: a. The Party candi-
dates could never be elected f2) We cannot
I'd anv competent comrades TO be nominated
'',is case We see clear evidences Of the routine
, meal manner in The mobilization or the
,nrmtersllip And more than that Dcf-
, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. tendencies. How deep