The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-09-17
BY JIM RANDOLPH

n free publicity for the American
Federation of Labor and the Railroad
Brotherhoods, appears in the capital
list press, At this time the A. F. of
L. and the Railroad Brotherhoods,
with incredible brazenness, prepare
to deliver the working class into the
hands of their bosses. Under the in
Notwithstanding term partisan
policy they try to deliver the labor
vote" to the Republican and Demo-
cratic Parties. So it is not surprising
to find the capitalist press, including
the most violent supporters of the
open shop American plan tlr9-Fi''
open their columns to the publicity
releases of the A. F. of L. and the
Railroad Brotherhoods
Bosses Press Helps
Recently, for instance, the ultra
reactionary N. Y Herald Tribune de-
voted three columns to the political
program Of the A. F. of L., running
it urdor the very kindly headline of
Labor Battles to Rivet Hold on Con-
4 gress." The A. F. of L. and the Rail-
road Brotherhoods are identified with
/
hold" on Congress, and that they
are battling to ''rivet" that hold.
Such kindness to the A. F of L. and
the Railroad Brotherhoods lat the
hands of one Of the most powerful
and reactionary open-shop newspa-
pers of the United States, must be
deserved. Yes, they deserve such
kindness for as far as it lies within
their power, the A. F. Of L. and the
Railroad BrotherhoodS have for de-
cades kept the working class subser-
Went to the two capitalist parties, the
Democratic and Republican.
At this election, as perhaps never
before in American history the AM
erican working class, including it's
most backward elements, Is stirring
with n3w Yigor and determinatio.l
And the capitalists and their kept
press, ever watchful, know this. 1t
is doubtful" says the Herald Tribune,
whether ! any other time in recent
years the lorces of labor have con-
stituted greater factor in the Con-
gressional campaign than now" So
it becomes more important than
kept press to support the A. F. of L.
partisan" policy.
lat Slogan Means
Reward Friends and Punish En-
emies." Such is the slogan of the
A. F. of L. But see what it means!
For. according to the A. F of L. bu-
reaucracy, the working class is for
ever limited to looking for its friends
only in the Republican and Demo-
cratic Parties! Such is the grim
meaning of the apparently innocent
term 'non-partisan." Non-partisan
only as between the Republican and
Democratic Parties!
Many workers who read this may
at some time have heard President
Green, President Vol, or one of
their lieutenants defending this mon
partisan" theory. after ALL" say
these practical fellows, the Demo-
cratic and Republican Parties are the
two big parties. So long as they know
we thEow votes their way, they may
try ~ catch these votes by being
kind to us. So let us compare the
candidate of the Republican Party
with the candidate of the Democratic
Party and vote for the best one" 1t
is this argument which the Herald
Tribune tries to push by saying:
From the labor standpoint it has
been found to be distinctly worth
while to elect its friends to the House
and Senate and to defeat candidates
for either House who are not amen
able to its program"
They Are Enemies, Not Friends
1t is obvious that if there were a
word of truth in this theory, the
Herald Tribune would not repeat it
SO apprcvingly. The fact is, of course
that there are no friends" of labor
to be found in the Democratic and
Republican Parties. Choosing be-
tween the candidate Of the Repub-
hcan Party and the candidate of the
Democratic Party is like choosing be-
tween two peas in a pot If proof
IS needed, we need only choose at
random some examples of the rec
ords of friends of labor to whom
the A F. of L. and the Railroad
Brotherhoods have given their bless
ing. OF the list Congress, most of
whose members were backed by the
A. F. of L., the executive council of
the A. F. of L. said, upon its cleo
ion: "It will be seen that a majority
n Il the members of the House and
Eenate, irrespective of politics. are
Riendly to labor" Federated Press,
October 10, 1900
Then this Congress friendly to la
Dor" got to work; and when it got
through, it had instituted the infa-
nous Fish campaign against the
working class, it had begun the pass
age of the Dies Bill against the for
eign born workers, it had turned
down every measure for a penny of
direct unemployment relief. Such is
the Congress which, irrespective Of
politics, are friendly to labor" ac-
cording to the A. F. of L.
Some Instances
Here are some individual cases.
Senators Borah, Walsh and Ham"
Lewis Of Illinois, all particular darl-
ings Of the A. F. of L. and Railroad
Brotherhoods, were among those who
voted Endorsement Of Injunction"
Wilkerson, the notorious anti-labor
Judge whose best-known exploit was
the breaking of the Shopmen's strike
of 1922 through his blanket injunc-
tions.
j.. Hatfield and Grundy, friends and
lallies of Vice President Woll of the
la. F. of L., Shortridge Of California
lwho received A. F. of L. Endorsement,
and pat" Harrison who was backed