The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-01

N'NA CAeNA WV @ANNhNNaJs CA4tV
department of the Central Commit
tee of the C,P.; Jack Stachel, acting
secretary Of the Trade Union Unity
League; Charles Krumbein. New
York district organizer Of the C.P.
and Hugo Gellert, artist.
Many kilograms
kilograms and letters poured into
the hall all during the evening
They came from William z. Foster
chairman of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party, and from
as far away as Moscow, from the
editorial staff of the Trud, central
organ Of the Soviet Trade unions
One came from the California dis
trict of the Communist Party. But
the one that received the most STIR
ring applause was a special delivery
letter from Tom Mooney.
The letter from prison, which
was censored in the first sentence
by prison authorities, said:
My dear Comrade Minor:
Greetings from this San
Quentin Prison, to Bob Minor, q
fearless, honorable fighter for and
defender of the workers struggle
throughout the world, on his fiftieth
birthday.
Long may he live, at least an
other fifty years, which will find
for him a place among the first Of
those great leaders Of the militant
working class, to be honored, loved
respected and revered by the gen.
erations yet unborn, for all that he
did in his great life of service to
the Toilers. You shall always and
forever have my eternal blessing
for the manner in which you sped
to our rescue in those dark days
of August, 1919, when the powers
that be put their iron heel down
upon our necks, and still seem to
hold fast to at least two of us.
Those were trying times, and
your magnificent services have for
ever enslaved you in the hearts of
all who know you and they shall be
engraved in working class history
when the final and complete victory
is won, and when the great audit,
with all its checks and balances are
made.
Good health and strength to
carry on.
"Affectionately,
tom MOONEY, No. 1921"
Earl B-owder, in greeting Minor
told how he bad seen him during
those times which were called turn
ing points in the life of the Party
He always turned and led it in the
correct direction" declared Browder
Fought Right Wing Cancer
Browder spoke of the uncom-
promising stand that Minor took in
the critical days when Jay Love-
stone conspired to smash the Party
and how he helped to "cut out the
right wing cancer with the least
loss of blood" HE led the first
real May Day demonstration in
New York City" Browder added.
The great role Minor played in
fighting for a correct policy on the
Negro question was brought out by
many speakers, and especially by
James Ford and Ben Davis. Ford
told how Bob Minor recruited him
into the Communist Party, how
Minor led the work of uniting the
Negro and white workers in Chicago
in the struggle for Negro rights.
Fighter for Negro Rights
In answering the numerous
speeches, Minor told how he was
raised in the savage cattle town of
San Antonio, Texas, where white
chauvinism and the lynch spirit
permeated the very atmosphere.
He learned of socialism from a
driver of a six-mule team in his
boyhood days. He began to think
then how this great scheme of
Negro oppression could be blotted
out in the United States.
ut wasn't Robert Minor who
found the correct solution to the
Negro question" Minor said. ut
was the Communist Party"
A Good Sign Painter"
st am a good sign painter" Minor
said, in answer to the many appeals
Of the speakers that he return once
more to his easel and draw. I'm
a carpenter, too. I've always been a
trade union member. There was nc
other course for me to take than to
put down the crayon and go out
where the events which I was at
tempting to depict on cardboard
were taking place. I had to go out
where the clubs were, 60 out and
become part of strong muscles that
we were trying to draw"
A telegram greeting the beloved
leader Of the working class
William 2. Foster, who is recovering
from his long illness and will soon
be back on the fighting front, was
proposed by Minor and sent by
the one thousand workers gathered
in the hall.
The fiftieth anniversary celebra-
ton of Robert Minor ended. Minor
in his shirt sleeves. vigorous and
strong. walked toward the door sur
rounded by COM des-ready for
rrea tet. alag hattles uthich lie ohnad