The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-09


the Party they told me to build
Party nucleus in the railroad indus
try. I didn't understand lust how
to 90 about it. If I was going to
have to go underground, how was
I going to build the Party nucleus2
I read and studied up on it. 7 got
in touch with the district organizer.
talked things over with him, told
him I needed some help. I got a
bawling out because they told me
the thing to do was to get down in
the cellar and preserve myself
somewhere. I didn't know what
benefit I would be to the Commu-
mist Party if I had to hide out
some place away from my fellow
workers.
II Am a Communist
Before I got into the PARTY 7
was transferred to another lob
The railroad workers were approv-
ing Roosevelt. T was q new man
on the Job. One said: Are Won a
Hoover msn?' I kind Of laughed
1 said I don't know, bows. whether
1 dare tell YOU my political views
or not ! said: I would like TO work
here at least month or two any,
way. It's no secret 7 said, where
l come from. The officials on the
road, they all know nv political
views. You man know them. too.
/ am a Communist-thst is. 1 will
he one lust as soon as I find the
Party. I voted the Communist
ticket ever since it's been on the
ballot. think it's been on the bal
lot in this state for four years. I
am going to continue voting for IT,
AT that time the boys had To
switch a few boxcars. When thev
done that one of them was IN a
hurry to whisper to me and tell me
what bad spot I was in. 'Thev
we're all stool-pigeons.' He was the
only one that was radical or pro
gressive.' he said. I shouldn't be so
open. I said: They couldn't tell
the officials what they don't al
ready know Finally the bows did
come around with their troubles. I
began talking unity. I told them
this is the reason we we're receiving
no decent pay, because we were
calling each other stool pigeons.
We must get together. If we
couldn't agree on political beliefs.
let's agree on working conditions.
Due to that policy I got two of
the workers into the Party.
1t took considerable study and
fight to learn how to activize them
l was reading them the Daily
Worker We must activize!' That
was something new. didn't know
how to activize. Some, however.
seemed to think I was too active
already-that is, the Party. So I
had the problem of activizing. I am
isolated away from the center. I
have belonged to the Brotherhood
Tor Is years. I never attended
lodge meetings because 7 realized
they we're doing nothing for us ]
decided the thing to do. to sctivize
was to go back into the lodge and
get some action.
Fights for Unity Program
got in touch with the unity
program, I started going to the
lodge. The first time I went to the
lodge I brought out the unity pro
gram. First thing 7 was denounced
by the local chairman for being
known as a 'dynamiter and radical.
told him was well aware of that
fact and I didn't want to lose the
reputation of being militant
fighter for the workers. I told him
l was coming out with a program of
unity OF the rank and file. I told
him I thought it would take long
before the rank and file would
agree with me on this point.
The N. r. A. came in. They
were all talking about it. All we
had to do. they said. was to SIT
down and be quiet, and we would
get the siX-hour day. increased
wages. There we're going to be
Jobs for everybody. So 1 stepped
forward. I asked the spokesman Of
our local when all this was going
to happen. Why he says, by the
first Of October I said, "AIl right
just wanted to be informed now.
says, BY october first? All right
want to make statement. Il
won't be October first this year, nor
I next year, nor the year after. I'M
less we take action to get it our
I selves
Il had my pockets full Of N.RA
/ pamphlets gotten out by the Party
I handed them to the lodge room
I said Boys. study no a little bit.
I could have gotten on much faster
in the lodge, but something hap
psned.
as fast as 7 would get one Of the
boys to understand the program, he
would stay home the next lodge
meeting. So that left me alone
again. We had TO have five for q
quorum. I drive about 65 to rs
miles to go to lodge meetings, and
my activity led to no quoruns. Sc
I wondered what was the matter
1 had to start looking the boys up
did They said, What's the use7
I said. We have TO go in there
and take possession of our organ
izstion. That's all
In our locality every fireman
/ has gone on record for the entire
unity program; not only gone or
record but have notified the grand
4 president, Robertson, to that effect
Other comrades I am workin:
with have gone into the trainmenl
lodge and done the same thing
One Of the firemen on a furlougt
got back into the shops and lodgt
to put over the program. I wen
into the ladies' auxiliary of tn,
firemen to put forward the Com
munist program and defense of tn
Soviet Union They, as a result
are electing a committee of tire