The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-03-10
BY TOM JOHN son
PART II

DELATTVELy few Negroes are involved in the
~ present strike struggle, Yet, here in the
South, particularly the Negro question is an
issue OF paramount Importance IN EVERY
STRUGGLE. In this strike we have an oppor-
tuntty to bring forward our position in the
course of the struggle in bold aud clear man
ner. 1t has been done only in an abstract way.
We have not formulated any specific and con-
crete demands for these Negro workers involved
in the strike. We have failed completely to
draw into the leadership Negro comrades.
In consequence the number of Negroes who
have returned to work is out OF all proportion 10
the number involved in the strike.
Our failure to bring forward sharply the rev.
dictionary program of our Party and Union OH
the Negro question certainly constitutes an OPP
portunistic retreat before the chauvinistic ten
denotes OF the Southern white workers Our
leadership in the strike has failed to place this
issue squarely and boldly before the masses Of
strikers, explaining to them the necessity for the
closest solidarity of white and Negro and the
methods for It's achievement. Is is necessary to
correct this major error without further loss of
time.
Broaden Struggle.
We have not sufficiently broadened out the
struggle in the strike area, that is TO include
workers other than miners. In those few in
stances where q real effort has been made to
collect relief among the poor farmers, their re-
Spouse TO our program, and their support of the
strike, has been splendid. We must take steps
to bring the present struggle to the attention of
the whole working class and the poor farmers
OF the South, to draw them into support OF the
struggle through relief and defense activity and
to finally win them for our movement
Corresponding with this failure to broaden
out our activities is the failure of our mass
auxiliary organizations TO secure a foothold in
the course Of the strike. The International La
Dor Defense has been completely absent from
the strike area. Despite repeated appeals and
requests from comrades in the field no organizer
has arrived in the strike zone at this writing
For the first six weeks of the strike not a
single Labor Defender or other agitational ma
terial OF the international Labor Defense came
into the strike area. The LID. simply isn't TO
be found.
notable exception to our weaknesses in fail
ing to use the strike to reach out, Influence and
organize for struggle workers other than miners
is the situation in Knoxville. There. with com
paratively little effort we have succeeded in de-
yeloping real mass movement among the I'M
employed which is now beginning to take firm
organizational shape We are in contact with
the textile workers in some of the biggest mills
in the South and the basis has been laid for the
organization of Grievance Committees in these
mills We have also organized one unit of the
Party in Knoxville.
In no strike led by our revolutionary unions
has the politicalZation of the struggle as a
means OF strengthening the strike assumed such
Importance as in the Kentucky strike
Respect for the claw and legal procedure"
generally, is deeply rooted in the Southern work
ing class. This Is particularly true in Kentucky
Hence, the necessity, II our strike is not to be
broken by combination Of stark terror and
city authorities, for thorough going exposure
OF the class character OF the state power from
top TO bottom
In the present struggle we have had not one
but dozens of instances in which individual
strikers including members OF our Central Strike
Executive Committee, have appealed to county
sheriffs for warrants against the operators
against gun thugs and against professional strike
breakers imported by the coal companies This
went SO far that on one occasion strikers came
70 the general relief warehouse and found posted
on It's doors a notice signed by the chief of police
Of Pineyille to the effect that only members Of
the relief committee would be admitted The
notice was written and posted at the request Of
comrades from the relief committee
On the other hand, i'll no strike in my ex-
perience, have the full forces OF the government
been used so openly and brazenly to break the
strike, thereby facilitating the exposure to the
fN4kers OF the class rhayscter ri tlre zpYerr-