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

OF the employer that the employee
can do nothing about it,"
THE N. r. A., Thomas admits, nov
i turns out TO be an instrument Of
the greatest oppression of the work
ers. BY means Of It the bosses slash
pay in half and tell the worker TO 90
to he'll. In fact, while the bosses
were doing this, and when the work
ers resisted through strikes, the New
Leader told them not TO hamper the
N. r. A., because they would be in
terfering with the development Of
socialism.
On August 5, 1888, an article ap-
peared In the New Leader, declaring
Whatever the risk We run on bank
ing too much upon this effort 10
place industry on an even foundation
chat Is, a smooth, no-strike basis
much more danger lies in trying 10
hamper its try-out" In other words,
the Socialist official organ told the
workers not to rock the Roosevelt
recovery boat by strikes.
A little later, Joseph Baskin, an
other Socialist leader, general secre-
tary Of the Workmen's Circle, strove
to revive dwindling faith among the
workers In the n. r. A. On August
Is, 1888, he wrote:
eve ara not inclined To shout
that the entire recovery act Is
swindle designed to blind the eyes
of the masses, that the gains Of the
workers in some industries are com
pletely devoid Of value"
Now Mr.. Thomas sings another tune
and for another reason:
TT is already clear" he writes,
that the codes are likely TO become
a straitjacket for labor"
But he forgets to add that the So
cialist leaders helped the bosses strap
the straitiacSet on the workers.
The Socialist reyerend's belated and
unwilling admissions are made for
a purpose, the same purpose that &C
tivated him in urging the workers 70
greet the N. r. A. as a powerful
weapon, If rightly used, for genuine
socialism. With the whole country
seething with disillusionment and
strike struggles against the N. r. A.,
II the Socialist leaders are 10 serve
capitalism in their particular man
ner, they must still continue to
dangle the bait Of peaceful social
ism but this time with paper swords
tilted N. r. Awards.
In fact, Norman Thomas becomes
very radical in Words and declares:
I'VE are making fast headway IN
America to the labor serfdom which
Fascist countries have set up
Fascism rides on the wings Of the
Blue Eagle, and what is to be done
about it2
From the very day the NJ r. A. was
passed the Communist Party deciare0s
It paved the way to fascism, when
Mr.. Norman Thomas hailed it as q
powerful weapon for genuine social
ism" Isn't it typical Of every sec
ton Of the Socialist International TO
hail every instrument that leads to
fascism as peaceful development
to socialism?
Has Norman Thomas really seen
the light now? Is he becoming q Bit
ter critic Of the capitalists in their
drive against the workers? Nothing
Of the kind. He still holds forth
the Illusion that the N. r. A. can be
used as springboard to socialism,
and least Of all does he want q
struggle against 1t that would awaken
the might of the workers against
capitalism.
After all his criticism, after all his
nasty words about what the N. r. A.
has done, Mr.. Thomas pleads with
the workers to rely on the very sec
ton Of the N. r. A. which has been
used to set up company unions, TO
develop fascist attacks against the
workers.
The Reverend says: There is stiM
time for workers to make a little use
OF section Ia to get more effective
organization, and of course they
ought TO demand shorter hours and
an end of chiseling."
It's not the N. R. A. that is paving
the way for fascisrn, still believes
Mr.. Thomas, but the chisehng bosses.
NOT word about girding for striks
~ struggles. Not a word about 3
united front OF all workers to repsl
the advances OF fascist attacks.
Just as Otto Bauer up to the very
moment Donfuss ordered the Fascists
howitzers to open fire on the Austrian
workers, Norman Thomas pleads with
the workers to submit within the
bounds set by the American capitalist
class. namely, the yellow-Gog COM
pany union section la, whose fright
to join union Of their own cfoos-
ing" has in practice and in fact be-
come conlpulsion to Join company
unions.
To the last moment the socialist
leaders want to preserve and H.
crease the workers illusions In n. f.
A.
But this is not the road the Amer
can workers are taking. The rising
strike sentiment which makes the
Socialist leaders as well as Wall
Street so fearful (because 1t inter
feres with the capitalist plan OF
profit recovery shows that the work
ers are taking the path of depending
on their own fighting ability; their
own class organizations, their own
actions. "This-is-not- the time-to-
strike" Thomas knows, for instance.
that railroad strike would become
a tremendous political battle AGAINST
the Roosevelt regime, and so in Kan
sas City he advises the railroad
workers to take up their grievances
with Roosevelt, instead of In their
own rank and file councils Of action.
The most effective answer the