The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-30
Oh. "Liberty"!

Americas worst weekly, Liberty, has, m it's
January 80 issue, just had a spaSm over the rail
road men. 1t makes unsparing use ofsuch terms
as "harshness", oppression, cruelty" and "tyr-
amy" as regards the treatment meted out to
railroad workers.
Now, don't jump at conclusions. Because Lib
erty" is not concerned at all over the fate Of the
several hundred thousand railroad workers and
their still more numerous wives and children
thrown out of employment and into starvation by
the railroad companies of the United States in
the last few years No. Liberty" isn't concerned
with that.
Neither is Liberty Concerned over the way the
100000 or so workers left on the job have had
double and treble the work piled on them by the
speed-up efficiency systems of the companies
in the United States; nor is Liberty" disturbed
by the fact that this extra work has been done at
wage rates already reduced below the 1920 SCALE
Thirdly, Liberty" has not word to say in
consideration of the new, additional wage cut
which has just been agreed upon for American
railway workers, 100000 of them, by the COM
panies and their brass-faced agents whose pose
as union leaders" of the 81 different craft
unions
No, Liberty" did not use the word "harsf1ness'
to refer to the attitude of the American railway
executives toward the workers 1t did not use the
hundreds of thousands of American railway
workers whose wage Is already less than two dol
lars a day are being handed another wage cut,
thereby the bellies of their children will be robbed
Of some $215, 100000 a year-to pay more divie
dends to bankers on stock that is so per cent
water"
No, indeed, Liberty" batted not an eye st an
this What it gets real mad about is the report
that four railway employees in the Soviet Unios
have been sentenced to death for criminal negns
gence that resulted in a terrible train wreck
This, says Liberty, shows how Oppressive,
cruel" and so on are the Red Rus ans. And
it sheds bitter tears at the sentence OF the Work.
ers' Court, because so it says, such sentence 10
contrary to security to the Individual" 1t goes
on and-careless of trutt--says: THE Red Rus-
slams to bring release to the individual from
the grip of iron hand stretched out from an
ancient throne" This, says Liberty'-"the rebels
promised"
Quite on the contrary the BosheViks prom
ised security to the masses, not to the "individ-
ual"-from the individualisrn OF capitalism and
landlordisnl. It is precisely because few workers
here and there, remaining backward and indi-
vdualstic when all the rest have advanced to q
high level of social consciousness, have esadar,-
gered the lives and security of the masses By
pleasing themselves and getting drunk, that lives
were lost and their own death sentences prom
tsed. They acted as agents of the enemies OF the
Soviet power-and 'Liberty's" defense Of them
proves 1t.
Liberty" does not mention that Soviet railway
workers are getting nice wage raiss willis
American railway workers are getting w1Re
cut No, it weeps for individual" liberty defend
ing any crime against society so long as IL Is not
against the capitalist power to rule
"Oh, Liberty, can man resign thee?" wen ssw
we cap
The Workers Unemployment Insurance M
demands:
l. Federal unemployment insurance equal 10
full wages to all workers, without discrimination
as to race, color. age or sex.
g. Instead of the small and inadequate sums
in the bills discussed above, the Workers Un-
employment Insurance Bill demands that all war
funds amounting to well over 81 OOo, 900 900 in
the present budget be turned over irnrnedi-
ately; that heavy taxes be imposed on the big
capitalists and on all incomes over s5,ooo
8. That the unemployment insurance fund be
administered and controlled by the workers,
through committees selected by the workers
themselves.
4. That tocal insurance be paid to vorkseR
to the amount Of full wages to compensate f.
loss Of wages through sickness seealask - -
n'a'o1n''s' o" "Ms--- .sssrr-.,sv