The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-11
CLEVELAND RED CANDIDATE, FORD,
GIVES PROGRAM OVER RADIO

while mentioning in Florida with his
boss class friends.
= D. E. Morgan, head of the present
city administration Of misery and
terror for the workers, was forced
by the aggressive Communist cam
paign to strike a demagogic note.
After haYig lodged the issue as long
as he could, like all the other cap
italist candidates, he declared at this
meeting that he "agreed with Ford
that the economic crisis and the re-
sultant misery is the main issue of
this election"
Having said this much, however,
he Immediately revealed the i'm
pudent unconcern of the capitalist
class about this misery, actually
boasting of Cleveland's wretched rec
ord of letting the workers starve. He
stated that he had refused and would
refuse to take any money from the
city's general fund for memploy-
ment relief, and tried TO pass the
buck by declaring for a special ses-
sion of the state legislature.
The weakness of the defense of
both Miller and Morgan against
the Communist attack reflects the
crumbling influence of the Democra-
tic and Republican machines So
now the capitalist class of Cleveland
is bringing up the heavy artillery
which it has held in reserve, namely
Peter Witt, renegade radical and
labor leader who is now an employe
and political tool of the Van Swerin-
gems, the biggest bosses of the city.
Witt swept his middle class au-
dience with all the platform tricks of
an accomplished Snowman, but the
real issues which Ford had raised
he avoided completely.
The same Witt, the capitalist
champion whom the more far
sighted bosses of Cleveland are back
ing, is also the hero of the local
Socialist party leaders, some of
whom, however, have declared they
will support his weaker mderstudy,
Walz, This situation is splitting the
Socialist ranks, for there is every in
dication that what working class
elements there are in the party are
going TO vote for 1. o. Ford, the
yvOrkinc-claee candidate
Disguised with a leadership which
in a clear-cut fight between working
class and capitalist class is support
ing capitalist candidates, twenty
workers in the Broadway section
who previously followed the social
fascists of the Socialist Party have
applied for admission into the Com
munist Party.
The revolt against social-fascist
leaders is also evident in the Work
mems Circle In one branch, the
Socialist party elements took tbs sloor
to oppose 1. o. Ford but were de-
feated by rank and file elements
who pointed out that he is the only
working class candidate. AS a result
the branch went on record endorsing
Ford for mayor.
The Plain Dealer straw vote
shows votes for the Communist
candidate in 81 out of the 80 words
of the city. Rugged as it is in
favor of the capitalist candidates,
it still indicates that an honest
count would give Ford one of the
largest votes that any Communist
candidate has yet received in an
American city election.
Only wholesale trickery and vote
stealing can prevent a huge vote for
Ford on Tuesday. All Cleveland
workers must be on guard to prevent
this thievery of the capitalist poll
teal machines. All out Tuesday to
work, watch and vote for I. o. Ford,
the Communist candidate!