The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-11
BY HARRIS GILBERT.

THE determined struggle waged by the OPP
pressed Negro troopers in the Camp Hill Sec
ton Of the Black Belt against starvation and the
oppression of the white landlord class has great
lessons for our Party
Work had been conducted there but few
months Yet in this time organization of over
300 members was perfected This in spite of the
utmost terror and in spite of the oppression of
the Negro nation in this section as throughout
the Black Belt Here the Negro troopers and
even small owners have no rights whatsoever,
political social or even-according to the land
lords and their government-the right to eat
the right to live.
Starvct stalks through the cotton fields
Hard work under the burning sun from morn
till night for everyone adults and children
with the landlord coming around to see that you
work. The allowance advanced wass generally
but one 24-pound sack of flour per family a
month-that was all The cropper was lucky if
he could raise a little truck (some owners for
bid even this). No produce could be raised for
sale. All goods must be bought from the land
lords store at double or triple prices with so per
cent or SO interest
Then on July the landlords of Lee and Tala-
poosa counties decreed all advances woul6 be cut
off. This they could afford to do because the
crops had been laid by Through this open star
walton scheme they hoped to drive the crop
pers from the land and harvest the crop for
themselves.
1t was in this situation that the Party took a
hand and started the work of organizing these
poor troopers against the starvation schemes of
the landlords Not only Negro choppers joined
the G oppers Union but quite number of white
choppers Though there are very few in this Sec
tom likewise joined because they too had to en-
dure the same starvation conditions. Joint OPP
preston by the landlords broke down the bar Of
race prejudice erected by the landlords for the
purpose of dividing and ruling all their poor
choppers and tenants-and will serve to break it
down more in the future.
Immediately one fact was clear that here in
the Black Belt, where the Negro people form the
majcrity, of the population, where the Negro is
denied every single human right and is ruled
with an iron hand by the white landlord class
any organization or struggle fighting for even
the slightest economic demand would imnedi-
ately assume political character. The entire
force of the state would at once and unhestitat-
ingly be thrown against the Negro choppers and
the movement ruthlessly put down. Full well do
the few exploiting landlords realize the danger
to their system of starvation and oppression of
an entire nation-when the toiler~ organize their
forcesA
In view of this the party policy was to organ
ize small groups-to raise as the immediate issue
the continuance of the allowance, the right to
sell the crop when and where the cropper
pleased, right to raise garden truck Here also
was brought in the entire question of the Ma
tionI oppression of the Negro masses in the
Black Belt The Scottsboro case was an example
Of boss terror The spirit of these choppers who
had been dovntrodden was excellent. They were
ready to defend their right To live
The party made the mistake of not giving this