The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-20

0ClluJh OGdllSA AoPSC4dl 3 udIuSJ, sur
rounded the polling places in dis
play of force to terrorize the voters.
The official reason given for this
armed concentration, was the fear
of demonstrations at the polling
places.
Storm Troopers were sent into all
neighborhoods to force people to
vote. Trucks were rushed through
the various cities, and voters who
were afraid to vote No, preferring
to express their protests by remain
ing away from the polls, were forced
to board the trucks under Nazi
guards and were dragged to the
polling places.
Nazi district leaders in Berlin
posted slips of paper on the doors
OF voters, reading:
TN case you have not appeared
at the polls by noon Sunday am
going to take the liberty of
coming around TO your house and
reminding you personally Of your
duty. 1 request you, therefore, to
tighten my task by voting during
the forenoon and giving up this
notice in the election polling
booth"
A few days before the voting took
place, threats of murder and i'm
prisonment were made against voters
either staying away from the polls
or voting against Hitler in the Ma
tional Zeitung." This paper de-
clared:
THE slogan has been issued:
Anyone staying at home on the
day of election Is an enemy of
the state. Death is the punish
ment for enemies of the Fascist
state-Daily WOrker.) On August
10, all houses will be searched for
such enemies of the state. The
public is beginning to ask: If mere
abstentiOnS are to be judged so
severely, what is likely to happen
to No voters? The fear of the
state is so great that even with a
secret election it will be only very
fearless people who venture to
vote No"
The voters are presented with a
ballot reading: do you, German
man, do you German woman, agree
to this regulation?" The regulation
refers to the cabinet decision merg-
ing all state authority in. Hitler,
combining his Office of Chancellor
with that of President under the
general title of Reichsfuehrer (Reich
LEADER.
Before the day of voting, not a
single voice was allowed legally to
be raised against the plebiscite or
against Hitler. The entire press and
radio as well as every other avenue
of information was modified by the
fascist leaders to instill terror and
fear into the minds of the voters
in order to get them to vote eyes"
Nevertheless, the Communist Par
ty of Germany utilized the plebis-
cite for the most widespread cam
paign against fascisn, calling on
the voters to brave the fascist ter
ror in order to record a millionfold
MOI vote as protest against fas-
cism and as a sign of rising revo-
lutionary wrath.
"Rote Fahne," central organ of
the Communist Party of Germany
declared, in denouncing the terror
election, that if the German peo-
pie had the free right to vote as
they wished, without the threat of
Nazi terror hanging over their
head, Ernst Thaelmann would re-
ceive the overwhelming majority of
the votes.
No total of the votes will be pub
lished until council of the fascist
leaders has an opportunity to look
them over, and decide just what
information they desire to issue.
The only results available at this
hour comes from the concentration
camp of Dachau where the prison
ers were given the free" right to
vote on the plebiscite under the
eyes of their jailors and tormentors
Yet despite the certainty Of pun
ishment in the event of a vote
against Hitler, out of 1852 ballots
which we're said to have been cast,
eight prisoners risked death to voice
their opposition to Hitler; ten
marked their ballots with slogans
against Hitler and for Soviet Ger
many, demanding the release Of
Ernst Thaelmann and other anti
fascist prisoners. None were allowed
to abstain from voting
A Red Builder on every busy
street corner in the country means