The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-09
City Elections Show
Growing Desire for
Changed Conditions

/ Bridgeport and the poor showing OF
Solomon in New York. In both cases
the Socialist Party campaigned as the
third party of capitalism, raising
chiefly issues of the reform and root
ing out OF corruption in the city adj
ministration. At the same time, they
continued to pose as q working class
party by making it appeal that their
fight for liberal reforms, against civic
corruption" against boss rule, etc,
was also the means Of securing funds
for the unemployed, for the poor suf-
fering from capitalist oppression.
In Bridgeport, McLevy and the So
cialist Party represented this reform
movement. In New York City the
progressive" La Guardia stole the
thunders from the socialists, whose
campaign was hardly distingmshable
from that OF La Guardia. Without
doubt, the present vote of the So
cialist Party also diScloSes the fact
that in the present elections the So
ciaustS were able to secure a large
portion of their vote not on the basis
of being working class" party, but
on the basis Of standing for honest
and efficient municipal government.
The unofficial vote for the Commu-
mist candidate for Mayor in New
York City, Robert Minor (26,5S4),
shows a real rise of the Communist
vote since the last regular mayoralty
lection in 1929 (abOut 10000 and an
increase Of a few thousand over the
vote OF last year. The vote for COM
radeS Burroughs (Controller) and
Gold (PreS. Board of Aldermen) was
0749 and 30384 respectively, almost
half the vote cast for the socialist
solomon. 1t is important to note
I,,at at this years elections the Com
munist vote is over 20 per cent OF
that cast for the Socialist Party, while
in the previous elections it was much
lower than 10 per cent CT the socialist
vote.
The only other city from which the
Communist vote is available at this
time is from the Ford-controlled city
of Dearborn, Michigan. Here the
Communist candidate Jones, running
on a united front workers ticket, pol
led $3.50 votes, against the success
full candidate Ford "a cousin of Hen
~ Ford who received 1925 votes
The vote for Jones was almost three
times the vote he received only a few
weeks ago in the primary elections
when he was nominated, although
the total vote remained about the
same; in fact was slightly less now
than in the primaries.
Election Lessons
All the facts are not yet available
and we ca mot yet draw all the
conclusions from the elections. We
do not intend here to review critically
the conduct of the Communist elec-
ton struggle. This will have to be
done and will be done. But what is
clear already is this:
First, the masses are growing more
/ and more dissatisfied with the pres
ent conditions. Secondly, the masses
are becoming diSilluSioned with the
Roosevelt program. Thirdly, while
the Socialist Pa rty is a growing
menace to the developing of the elias:
consciousness of the masses bridge
port), it is not inevitable that the
masses must go through the Social
list Party or that it is impossible tt
win the masses who are moving tx
the left directly for the Communist
Party.
This is indicated by the relations
of the vote of the Communists anc
the Socialists in the New York cleo
lions. Fourthly, that the Communists
Party by utilizing the united from
tactic can make great Roadway ir
winning the masses for the policie:
/ of the class struggle and for tht
Communist Party. This Is shown BY
the Dearborn results. Fifth, that oul
Party has not taken full advantage
Of the possibilities for utilizing the
elections for the mobilization of the
leftward moving masses for struggle
against capitalism, the capitalist par.
ties, the social reformists.
Party Tasks
The Party must Immediately un.
dertake the development of the strug-
/ SAC Va GllC AOI DlltlI IilOS|
elementary needs and in this way
expose the false promises Of the
elected representatives Of capitalism
whether they be the LaGuardia.
IN. ", the McNairs (Pittciourgh) OF
the McLevys (Bridgeport). The Party
must increase its agitation and prop
uganda to explain to the masses the
impossibility fthe capitalists to gel
out Of the crisis except through more
ferocious attacks on the living stand
ards Of the masses and through 8
new world imperialist slaughter. We
must especially point out the mean
ing of the breakdown of the MIRA
as far as the promises to the masses
| are concerned. We must more boldly
point out the achievements in the
land where Socialism is being built
the Soviet Union. And, finally, we
must strengthen the work In the
trade union, the building up of the
T. U. U, L. unions, the oppositions
in the A. F. Of L. unions, and, above
all, make more serious efforts to en-
roll the growing sections of the more
revolutionized workers In the Com
munist Party.
~s--o -
Coxycor T,.soI ToJ