davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17

ute forget that unity must be ac-
conplished below, in the neighbour
hoods. in the bread lines, in the
flop house, in the shops, in the
trade unions, unity on a fighting
program of the masses. There was
not sufficient unity in struggle
which would embrace members OF
the Unemployed Council, the Chi
cago Workers Committee on Un-
employment, the Workers League
and unorganized and unemployed
masses, who, together with the sup
port Of the employed workers and
trade unions. would make further
advances. This is just beginning
of the development of the correct
policy and mass action IS necessary
to broaden these methods of united
front struggle, embracing the. en-
ployed and unemployed workers, to
unite the struggles of the workers
on the streets with the struggles Of
the workers in the shops, and the
struggles Of the workers in the
shops with the struggles Of the
workers in the streets. 1t means
that the struggles Of the unem-
ployed must be utilized to reach
workers in the factories and in the
trade unions, organizing them for
the struggles against speed-up,
worsening of the working conditions,
wage-cuts, discrimination against
Negro workers and foreign born,
ctr
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
CORRECTNESS OF POLICY
SHOWN


The correctness of the policy
carried out in the Chicago united
front clearly demonstrates the fact
that we were successful in under
mining the influence of the social
fascist leadrs among their own
membership and among the masses
in general and were able to mob
ilize the masses and lead them in
successful struggle.
In all our united fronts we must
always carry the sharpest differ
entiation between social-fascist
leaders and the workers and mem
bers of the organizations that So
cial-fascist leaders have dominated
and workers temporarily have fallen
for, always having the objective of
establishing the closest unity of
all the workers on the basis OF COM
mon struggle as was the case in
Chicago.
The correctness Of the policy also
is shown in the response of the
masses to this policy. This was SO
outstanding that the Chicago
Tribune" on November /, reporting
on the Hunger March and mass
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
MASSES SUPPORT
CORRECT PROGRAM

Neither will we follow the line Of
being afraid to meet leaders in the
united front movement if they are
elected by the workers and we are
not afraid of conferences in which
these leaders will be seated as del
egates because we know, and we
have learned this from experience
in the struggles of the Chicago
working class that when we cor
rectly advance the program of
struggle, these masses will support
this struggle and will break away
from misleaders
The struggle Of the Chicago work.
ing class which arose from the con-
crete issues and problems of the
masses, was raised to a higher level.
The National Hunger March was
very prominently brought forward
and when vote was taken as to
who we're in favor of the Hunger
March, together with tens Of thous-
andS OF workers who raised their
fists, Mr.. Borders also raised his fist
in support of the Hunger March.
He could not do anything else. 1t
was also absolutely correct to make
a step toward broadening this
struggle on state wide basis by
sending mass delegation to the
State Legislature.
While all this was absolutely ne
cessary, we must not for one min
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
BIZ BILL GEBERT

rorARADE FOSTER, in his Chi
y cago Coliseum speech of Sep
TENDER 10, brought before the work
ing class The necessity of uniting
workers in the shops, Of the trade
unions, f-asses of the unemployed,
the toiling farmers, in the united
front from below, based on struggle
for the concrete demands of the
masses. He called upon the masses
to organize Committees of Action,
embracing the broadcast possible
number of workers to carry on the
struggle.
The Chicago workers understood
the meaning Of the words Of the
revolutionary leader of the Ameri-
can working class, and they in turn
put the words Of their leader into
practice. How this was done will
try to elaborate in this article.
On October-1, 1882, without any
announcement, the Emerson Relief
Commission introduced a so per
cent cut in relief, in the already
starvation ration that had been
given to approximately 100000 fam
lilies in Cook County.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
CALL OF UNEMPLOYED
COUNCILS 80

In the call the Unemployed Coun-
ellis stated.
"The Unemployed Councils urge
all unemployed. workers to unite
their forces in each locality and
demonstrate immediately to every
alderman and-FeIief station that we
refuse to starye, while Mayor Ger
max takes pleasure junket trips to
Europe Lets-every meeting and
demonstration send delegations to
the city haH to demand withdrawal
of this cut. Let all Of these local
struggles lay the groundwork for
huge, cityzwide action, as proposed
by the Unemployed Councils to the
other organizations and to the work
ers generally. AS part of all of
these actions every organization
should elect delegates to the Cook
County Conference Against Starva-
ton, being held, October IT,"
~s
In speaking directly to the mem
bers of the above mentioned organi-
cations of the unemployed, the IN
employed Councils declared;
1--WE are prepared to propose a
program of local and city-wide
struggles involving not only the
members of present organizations,
but drawing in thousands of unor-
ganized workers to place the de-
mands of the-unemployed for the
immediate withdrawal of this cut"
The call of-the Unemployed Coun-
ellis for united struggle was greeted
by the members Of the Chicago
Workers Committee on Unenploy-
ment and the masses Of the I'M
employed in general. It's echoes
were heard In the local unions OF
the American Federation of Labor
and other mass organizations. 1t
met with the sympathetic support
of the workers in the shops, those
who are employed part time and
who suffer with the unemployed,
and those who work full time who
have had their wages slashed to
the bone.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
DEFEAT RELIEF CUT

The masses organized against this
cut and were successful in defeating
it and forcing the authorities to
Withdraw the SO per cent cut. IN
dsniably the unemployed workers
OF Chicaso-&on an important VIC
tory, the LESSONS of which must be
studied and learned not only by the
Chicago working class but through
out the country.
Immediately, after the so per cent
cut in relief was announced, the
Cook County Committee of the IN
employed Councils issued a call to
the members OF the Chicago Work
ers Committee on Unemployment.
controlled by Socialists, Musteites
and Farmer-Laborites, and sup
ported by the Ministerial Alliance
and some charity institutions), to
the Workers League of America
(split off from the Proletarian
Party) and-to the masses of the
unemployed in the City of Chicago
and Cook County in general, calling
for a united struggle against the cut
in relief.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
CONFERENCE SHOWS
WILL TO STRUGGLE

On the day Of the Conference,
$50 organisations sent 730 delegates.
They came from organizations of
the unemployed, fraternal and other
organisations, including the unions
Of the Trade Union Unity League
and ten local unions of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor. The
Conferencey~ By. an overwhelming
majority, elected Joe Weber, Secre-
tary Of this Trade Union Unity
League, as Chairman, and Karl
Ioclner, a member Of the Cook
County Committee Of the Unem-
ployed Council, as Secretary. AS
one OF the rank and file delegates
Of the Chicago Workers Committee
, on Unemployment stated: vote for
bWeber for Chairman If you want
Hunger March to City Hail." which
was definite expression of the fact
that the rank and file members of
the Chicago Workers Committee on
Unemployment had no faith in the
leadership Of the Socialist, Borders.
The Conference demonstrated a
willingness to struggle and adopt
the program submitted by the dele
gates Of the Unemployed Councils.
To this conference also came such
leaders as Borders, Schneid Of the
Socialist Party, Mcvey Of the
Farmer-Labor Party and a member
OF the Chicago Federation OF Labor,
few leaders Of the Khaki Shirts,
and others. These leaders game be-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
PARTY PROVES TT
CAN LEAD MASSES

The Communist Party in Chicago
in the recent struggles of the unem-
ployed has already proven its abil-
ity to lead masses and to win a VIC
tory for the masses. We must not
only increase such activities but we
also draw the lesson that these
victories canot be maintained with
out organizational consolidation of
the masses, of building mass organ
izations and drawing active revolu-
tionary workers, even though they
may not completely understand the
full program of the Party into the
ranks OF the Communist Party.
The building Of the Party must
be considered as one of the tasks OF
broadening, developing and leading
the masses Of workers in the pre-
sent revolutionary upsurgc which
was so definitely demonstrated I'm
the city Of Chicago.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
Practical Experience Proves Tactics Unemployed Councils ON" Way Win Relief;
from Hanger

Negroes and foreign-born workers.
1 go a step further: I am against
discrimination of every kind when
it affects law-abiding human be-
ings.
81 shall investigate immedi-
ately whether any workers have
been arrested and are in custody
as a result of their struggle against
starvation, and, unless in such
struggles they committed some ma
jor crimes, I shall advise their re-
lease. The matter of deportation
Of foreign workers is, of course,
purely a federal matter with which
the city administration has abso-
lutely nothing to do.
"10.-You ask for immediate in
auguration Of a program Of public
works, including building Of houses
for the workers in place of the ex-
listing slums of the city, the build
ing of more schools in the working
class neighborhoods, all workers to
be employed at union wage rates.
1 am for this program 100 hundred
per cent, if means can be found to
accomplish it. I have not given up
hopes of obtaining help from the
Reconstruction Finance Corpora
ton, to carry on some public i'm
provements, and if these hopes ma
terialize there will be no delay in
prosecuting the work.
"11.-You ask that all unemploy-
ment funds be administered by the
elected representatives of all organ
lied workers and unemployed work
ers' organizations. OF course you
understand that the Emergency Re-
lief Committee is organized by the
state and not by the city. How
ever 1 shall urge that the workers
have greater representation upon
that committee. believe it would
be a wholesome thing to do. 1t
would help remove the sting of
pauperism from the workers if the
funds administered on their behalf
were administered by a committee,
some Of whose members are repre-
sentatives of those who are COM
PEELED to receive add
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17

ministration Of the bosses, stands
exposed as an arch enemy Of the
Negro and foreign born as well as
the native American workers-the
working class as a whole.
FORCE SPECIAL SESSION
OF LEGISLATURE
Half million dollars to deport
foreign born is an additional APP
preparation for terror and persecu-
ton against the toiling masses. The
Unemployed Councils and the Com
munist Party will rally masses in
struggle against this, will unite ma
tive Americans, Negro and foreign
born workers to defeat thes vicious
attacks upon the working class.
As a result of the struggles of
the unemployed in Chicago which
very definitely served a notice on
the ruling class that they will not
starve, that they will continue the
fight for their demands and against
starvation, a special session of the
Illinois State Legislature was called
for November 18th to discuss the
issue Of relief and the United Front
Conference against Starvation
which was held on october 10Th has
issued call to ali trade unions, or
carnations Of the unemployed and
other working class organizations
and the workers in the shops to
send delegates to present demands
to the State Legislature mainly
around three main points:
NO evictions, no foreclosures
on houses of the workers and
farms of the poor farmers.
adequate winter relief for
the unemployed by the state.
3.-SociaI and unemployment
insurance at the expense of the
bosses and government.
What was the position Of Mr..
Borders on the question of sending
a mass delegation to the State
legislature and continuing the fight
ing united front? Mr.. Borders,
faithful to his role, Immediately is
sued a different cali He has called
a conference for November 10 and
20 'of unemployed organizations in
tn middle west" to take up the
questions of self help" for the
unemployed, "bartering Of labor for
farm products" The aims Of the
conference outlined are:
Helpful exchange Of ideas,
aims and tactics.
2.-Unanimous agreement on
immediate demands.
3.-Federation of jobIess leagues
in which none give up their au-
tonomy."
Mr.. Borders is serving the best
interests of the bosses by attempt
ing to split the unemployed move
ment so that the workers would be
unable to present united front in
the struggle for adequate immediate
relief, against evictions and for un-
employment instrance-to consoli-
date united front of the workers
from below.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
DID NOT PENETRATE
RANKS OF ALL.

Likewise, we did not utilize the
opportunity that offered itself to
penetrate into the ranks Of the AM
erican Federation of Labor. We
should have had the following pol
icy. We should have issued q call
to the members of the American
Federation Of Labor, employed and
unemployed, to join in this united
front struggle and to send dele
cation elected by the Conference of
$50 organizations to the Chicago
Federation of Labor demanding an
endorsement of the Cook County
Hunger March. This was not done
and we therefore lost splendid
opportunity in this situation to ac-
tually bring about unity in struggle
of the employed and unemployed
masses, organized and unorganized.
1t was too much a united front of
the unemployed workers and the
unity of the employed and unem-
ployed workers in struggle was not
brought forward. In the shops the
wages have been cut and at the
time the fifty per cent cut in relief
was announced, 1.-THE Chicago lily
News" organ Of the bankers, wrote
in its financial page as follows:
Generally speaking, we should
say that while no specific wage
can or should be assured, the
right to work for some wage, even
IL only a loaf Of bread per day,
was, in complex industrial civil
ization, an essential part Of lib
erty."
The Chicago bourgeoisie, bank
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
CAN LEARN MUCH
FROM WORKERS

We must understand also that we
can learn much from the masses,
Never should we approach prob
lem with the attitude that we know
everything. We must learn. We
must very patiently examine every
concrete situation and together with
the workers develop a policy, pro-
gram and demands.
Leadership does not mean a sub
stitute for the masses. The masses
will not tolerate bureaucratic meth
DDS of work. Leadership means
daily contact with the masses, to
help to organize the masses and
mobilize them for struggle.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
CERMAK BACKS
DECORATIONS

DECORATIONS
On the matter of deportation of
the foreign born, Mayor Cermak
misrepresents the facts. 1t is not
true that the city government has
nothing to do with the question of
the deportation of the foreign born.
The contrary is the fact. He has
very much to do with it, and what
are the proofs2 1.-THE United Mine
Workers of America Journal" Of
Nov. l, 1882, quotes the following
dispatch from Chicago:
Pending an appeal, Kjar was
releaicd in bonds of $4,000, but
was re-arersted by the iuiEnigTa-
ton authorities in May on the re-
quest of the Chicago Police De-
partment. The police state that
Kjar's activity as Communist
organizer created so many riots
and so much diSsension that he
should be jailed in the interests
of public safety"
How about this, Mayor Cernak?
Here you stand exposed as the one
who jailed the leader of the I'm
employed Councils, one of the most
popular revolutionary leaders Of the
workers in the city Of Chicago and
the state Of Illinois because Of his
devotion, activity and struggle
against starvation. Mayor Cermak.
you cannot get away with this!
You are responsible for the police
department. ard here is conclusive
proof that it is your Police Depart
ment, your special Red Squad"
who are actively cooperating in the
deportation of the revolutionary
foreign born workers direct and
upon the foreign-born workers gen.
orally, and there is no doubt in
any ones nina that for the depor-
tation of Nels Kjar and holding him
in Jail for several months, you and
your police deportNent are primar-
lily responsible. But this is not all.
III answer to No. 8, Mayor CerInak
declared: There should be no dis
elimination of any kind against
Negro and foreign-bOrn workers."
And it is your police who killed
three Negro workers on the South
Side of Chicago on Aug. 8, 1881,
when they protested against the
eviction of a T2-year-old Negro
woman, although in your answer to
No. 2 you speak about mot ousting
families for tho time being at least"
AS far as foreign-born workers are
concerned, we would like to know
where you stand on the question Of
the proposals of the immigration
authorities to appropriate $i50,000
which is to be placed at the dis
posal of the Illinois Emergency Re-
lief Commission to deport those
foreign-born workers who receive
relief. And the Cook County Com
missioner, P. Kelly, a Democrat, a
member of your party, Mayor Ger
max, declared:
81 favor this plan and j will
propose to present 1t in detail 10
the County Board"
Commissioner Kelly declared fur
ther:
"Betwen fifteen and twenty per
cent of 125,000 families and 10000
single persons might be eligible
for deportation under the federal
administrations"
Mayor Cermak, words and not
not deeds. Your nice words will not
fool the masses. The deeds of your
administration and the Democratic
Party which controls the city of
Chicago and Cook County, an adj
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
DEVELOP UNITED
FRONT POLICY

In short, we must fully develop
the policy of the united front as
laid down in the speech Of Comrade
Foster in the Chicago Coliseum ON
September 10. While this was
good beginning, this was only the
very first step in that direction. In
the course of these struggles we
must consolidate the working class
organizationally, building workers
committees in the shops, uniting
workers around the issues facing
them and building red trade unions,
developing the movement among
the members Of the A. F. of L., and
really participating in the struggles
against wage cuts and worsening
conditions, developing struggles in
support of unemployment insurance.
for winter relief and support of the
Hunger March, to build the Unem-
ployed Councils into a mass move
ment in every ward, in every neigh
borhood, in every flop house and in
every bread line and to organized
unemployed workers Of g given
shop, and set up committees of the
unemployed workers who would lead
and develop struggle also against
the owners Of the given factory in
the demand for relief.
In all these struggles we must
emphasize very strongly one main
point: No hesitation, no vacciIation
but courageousIy marching forward
with the larger section Of the
working class, not narrowing but to
embrace all the sections of the
working class. We must take the
American working class as it is and
in the struggles and activities rev.
olutionize 1t so that it win become
class conscious and fully recognize
itself as the working class, separate
from the bosses, their influence and
control and above all, in all these
struggles, the main fire must be
concentrated against the main en-
envy Of the working class, the Mus
teites, the social-fascist leaders Of
the Socialist Party. the American
Federation of Labor and all other
elements. To carry this through
successfully We must mercilessly
carry through the struggle inside
the Communist Party against the
right wing elements and against
sectarianism. When no concrete is
sues face us, everybody votes for
the resolution on the united front:
the difficulties arise always in the
struggle when all elements who are
foreign to an understanding Of tbs
correct BoIshevik line of our Cen
trail Committee are unable to adapt
this to a given situation, and I'M
derstand how to apply this correctly.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17
MUST EXPOSE BORDERS
ROLE

The role of Mr.. Borders and the
Socialist Party leaders must be eX-
posed and explained to the workers
who are members Of the Chicago
Workers Committee on Unemploy-
ment, the Workers League Of Amer
lea, the rank and file members of
the Socialist Party, American, Fed
Grafton Of Labor workers, workers
in the shops, workers everywhere.
Well, Conrade Verblin, maybe
we should not expose Mr.. Borders?
Himself? MOI We are not adopt
ing capitulatory position. We
vii carry on, as up till now, a
policy Of a united front from below
and draw the sharpest differenti-
alton between the social-fascist
leaders, Borders, Music, S. p, A. F.
of L. leaders, ETC., and the workers.
And in this struggle, which will be
based on united front from below,
we will win workers who still fol-
low these misleaders, and by this
method consolidate the working
class and obtain victories. Any
other approach means to become a
tail-end to Borders, Schneid, Nc
Vey, Music, etc. Well, we don't
prOpOse to do this
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-17

meeting in Grand Park, had the
following to say:
'Roy E. Burd, Socialist candi-
date for Governor of Illinois, was
booed when he began his five
minute speech, but was allowed
to finish"
While we sharply point out and
expose the right opportunisnl and
sectarianism, it would be wrong not
to see some of the shortcomings in
the application of the united front
policy in Chicago.
SOME SHORTCOMINGS
First of all, it was wrong to agree
to set up committee of As, elect
ing IS from the Unemployed Coun-
ills, Is from the Chicago Workers
Committee on Unemployment, Is
from the Chicago Workers League
Of America, which became an ex-
ecutive committee for the Hunger
March, a committee that was to
lead the struggle against the fifty
per cent cut in relief.
First of all, by this method, we
eliminated from participation in
the leadership representatives from
the trade unions and other organi-
cations. Secondly, we did not prac-
tice here a principle of working
class democracy-we did not permit
delegates of the masses to choose
their leaders. We artifcially set up
a committee and told them that
they were the leaders. 1t is true
that in practice, members Of the
Party and Unemployed Councils
were not influenced by these or
ganizational arrangements. Their
influence and leadership, because of
the correct policy, was accepted by
the workers who we're on these
committees, and the leaders found
themselves in the minority. This
precisely expressed itself in the fact
that when Carl Borders, for the
Chicago Workers Committee on I'M
employment called the delegates
from the Farmer-Labor Party, the
Socialists, and groups Of the Chi
cago Workers Committee on I'm
employment and the Workers
League of America, to caucus to
decide whether or not they should
continue to participate in the uni
ted front, the proposal to withdraw
from the united front was defeated
by vote of Is to IA. Their over
whelning defeat of the proposal to
break the united front shows very
clearly the attitude of the mem
3 bership.
Third, it was impermissible to
forget the workers in the factories,
part time and full time employed.
With the exception Of issuing mi
meographed leaflets to the workers
of the Stockyards and Western
Electric, no campaign of any kind
was carried on among the workers
in the shops to support the strug-
giles of the unemployed and develop
their own struggle, to unity the
struggles Of the employed and I'M
employed.