The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-27
C.P. Workers
Hold Office
mus. Towns
Party Candidates Have
Won in a Dozen
Communities

Dig into the minds of many ac-
tive supporters of the Communist
election campaign and you will find
. doubt-not about the value Of the
campaign as an opportunity for
bringing forth the Communist posi-
ton; not about the possibility OF
recruiting Party members and build
ing mass organizations by election
activitv-but a doubt about the ac-
tual ability of the Communist Party
to get its candidates elected.
Until this doubt is blasted, the
Party's participation in the elections
cannot reach its maximum effec-
tiveness. Close inspection of the
recent experiences of the Commu-
mist Party shows that this lack OF
confidence. does not have a basis
in fact, and that election struggles
must be carried on not only for
the sake of agitation and propa-
ganda, but with the actual objec-
tive Of putting candidates into Of
flee.
Communists Elected
In the past two years Communist
officials have been elected in almost
dozen communities in various
parts Of the country. The actual
number of these election victories
is not impressive, but it serves as
an excellent index of future pos
sibiHties. especially with energetic
efforts in industrial centers.
The most widely known and spec
: tacular was the election of Emil Ny
gard as Mayor of Crosby, Minnesota,
an important iron mining town of
5000 population. He carried into
office with him Frank Plut as town
trustee, and Fred Richards as as
SCISSOR.
Less widely known. perhaps, is the
election of William Young as Mayor
Of Plat, Michigan, village of 800
population between Ann Arbor and
Ypsilanti. A complete workers slate
went into Office with him. The slate
consisted of Milford Loder, an cleo
trician and member of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor electri-
clans local, as village treasurer;
Peter Savage, garage mechanic;
Thomas McFadden, brickIayer, and
Carman Coleman, an auto worker,
as members Of the Village Council.
In Yorkville, Ohio, an important
mining town, John Buksa, a young
miner well known as a leader OF
the Young Communist League, was
elected as a Councilman in 1881.
Three Communists were elected to
the school board Of Nevisdale, KY.
in July 1882 and one to the school
board of Carpenter, a neighboring
community.
Seven in Minnesota
When Peter Smilovich was elected
to the Village Council of Tromald
a mining town on the Guyana iron
range, late in 1882, the total of Com
munist officials in Minnesota COM
munities was brought to seven. In
the neighboring Mesaba range, five
townships had put Communists in
office the previous spring.
In May of the current year. three
working class candidates for town
offices were elected on a ticket
backed by the Communist Party
Two of these we're Party members
In Taylor Springs, ILL.,, larger town
than any of the others cited, there
are two Communist Councilmen
Helper, Utah, important mining city
came within 30 votes Of having a
Communist Mayor during its last
municipal election, according to Of
fetal records Of the vote. Actually
he was elected but counted out.
The prospects for the coming cleo
ton are even brighter. The Com
munist vote in the 1882 elections
was officially reported in the United
Press to be at least 100000. Since
then the masses have continued
their sharp leftward swing. Local
and State campaign committees in
all sections of the country report
that they expect to double, triple
quadruple the Communist vote in
their respective localities.
The Party Can Win the Masses
The victories won in these small
communities are not insignificant
They are conspicuous markers OF
the areas where the Communist
Party is taking deep and permanent
root. They are the living proof that
the Party can win the masses where
1t has developed and taken leader
ship in their struggles.
These isolated victories are part
of the factual corroboration fol-
Conlrade Earl Browder's declara-
ton at the Eighth Convention of
the Party that:
I'VE still underestimate the
value Of revolutionary parlia-
mentarism. We are at a moment
when it is quite possible for
large masses to swing over very
quickly to the support of the
Communist Party, especially in
the Congressional elections.
There Is no utopianism In
suggesting the possibility of
many successful Communist can
didates if we work correctly and
make a serious campaign"
The election of working class can
didates to office raises serious prob
lens for the Communist Party.
Once they are in office, the Party
becomes responsible for giving them
guidance in their efforts to carry
through working class program.
How for instance, can a Commu-
mist Register of Deeds play his part
in giving revolutionary leadership
to the workers of his community
-