The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-08
By SASHA SMALL

Down through the pages Of his
tory marches heroic procession.
It's ranks are filled with women.
Peasant women, working women,
teachers housewives, mothers and
young girls; some Of them at the
heads of divisions, most of them
scattered through the marching col
unns SIDE by side with The men
all of them marching toward the
future which their actions, their sac
rifices, their struggles had helped to
prepare future where there will
be no more hunger or misery or OPP
preston.
The procession stretches centuries
in the past. It's end is lost in the dim
ness Of time. In 1S31-English peas
ants and artisans marching to Lon
don to make demands upon the king
and parliament for better condo
tions. In 1900 German peasants fight
ing against the robber barons and
the feudsl lords for their miserable
patches Of land; 1789-French work.
ers and peasants roaring through
the streets Of Paris, through the
lanes Of villages, demanding the
head OF the tyrant king, whose lux
urious court Of pampered, useless
mobiles was draining them Of the
little they were able to Scrape from
the land.
The Paris Commune
AS the procession comes closer TO
US the figures become clearer and
more distinct. 1871-Paris Com
mune. Paris on the barricades de-
Tending the first workers govern
ment in the world against the forces
Of reaction. From the moment when
the Commune was born on the ram
parts of Nominate when the re-
dictionary government attempted to
steal the workers cannon, paid for
by themselves, the women played q
heroic and q decisive role. A Pari-
sian newspaper Of those days de-
scribes March 18th:
"a crowd Of women clamored in
the square They caught hold Of
the horses brides, surrounded the
soldiers and said to them: DO you
wish to serve the enemies Of the
people2 You yourselves are the
sons Of the people. Aren't you
ashamed Of yourselves2'
Outstanding among the women Of
the Paris Commune was Louise
Michel, q young school teacher, long
active in the ranks Of the workers.
With the proclamation Of the Com
mune her activity doubled. She per-
SonifieS the spirit Of those rs days
of the Commune. She helped or
ganize womens' clubs In the
churches which were declared pub
lie property. She was on the Cen
trail Committee Of the Union Of
Women which took up the problems
Of arranging free schools and nur-
series where mothers could leave
their children when they went to
work.
When there seemed nothing left
to do but to die fighting on the
barricades, Louise Michel dressed
herself In the uniform Of the Ma
tional Guard and fought until the
last barricade was taken. After
seven months Of Imprisonment In
the filth and horror Of the jail at
Satory, filled with arrested Commu-
nards, where every thought was
punctuated by bullets shooting down
1 into graves, they themselves were
forced to dig, the workers who had
dared to establish a government Of
their own, she defended herself be-
fore court-nartial in q speech that
echoed through the press of the
whole world.
Il am told that I am guilty Of
having participated in the Com.
mune. OF course I am. E. I de-
mand Of you the field Of Satory
where my brothers have ALREADY
been killed. AS long as eyery
heart that beats for freedom has nc
other right than to hold a piece Of
lead, I demand my share too. Il
you Let me live I shall not cease IL
shout for vengeance upon the mur.
derers Of my brothers. II you are
not towards, kill me-"
Clara Zetkin
/ Other heroic figures emerge as the
years pass. Clara Zetkin, who liver
to become one Of the veteran lead.
ers Of the revolutionary workers o.
the world, who worked with Lenin