The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
BY SAM STEIN
Secretary, Cleveland Dist, /. L. d.

SVNANbdils Clcfciduu Olst.y i. l.. ~.
In Jan, 1884, the Cleveland I.
L. D. could not record one func-
tioning branch of the I. L. D. in
Scovill, Cleveland's Harlem. where
$4,000 Negro workers live; this.
after the 1. L. D. for three years
had stayed the hand of the execu-
toner raised against the Scottsboro
boys and from its inception nearly
ten years ago, had waged a relent-
less war on all fronts against the
terror of the bosses which is sharp
est against the Negro people.
Why hasn't the LID. entrenched
itself organizationally among the
Negro masses of Cleveland?
Aside from organizational weak
ness, I believe the chief cause must
be attributed to the fairure of the
I. L. D. to put into life the above
quoted resolution of the World Con-
gress on Tasks of the 1. l.. d. in
Work Among the Negroes. 1t has
not waged a mercilesS campaign
against white chauvinism, open and
concealed, its most dangerous form.
Nor has the district leadership of
the past two years had proper
realization of the Importance of Ne
gro work For a correct under
standing of the situation, we must
look back to events of a few years
ago. Two years ago, one of the
most disgusting open expressions of
this poisonous boss class theology
occurred when the National Con-
vention of the I. L. D. convened in
Cleveland. The local committee in
charge of housing the delegates
plainly marked the sleeping accom-
modations cards, Negro and white,
showing in which houses Negroes
are not wanted as dodgers. The
Convention severely condemned the
district leadership at that time for
this and the district pledged to cor
rect itself and launch a powerful
educational campaign and struggle
against white ehauviniSm. This
never materialized.
A short time afterward, Negro
girl was raped by several white men.
Not only did the district leadership
fail to mobilize the I. L. D. to leap
to the defense of the girl on its
own initiative, but it did nothing
after receiving directiyes to start
a mass campaign to force the pros
ecution of the fiends who attacked
the girl.
At meeting of the present dis
trict bureau, after taking up various
angles of our work, we came to
the question of work in the Scovill
section. There was a discussion of
the Importance of Negro work. A
proposal was made that a small
headquarters be opened in the SEQ
will section and that one of the
leading comrades be assigned to this
territory.
What do you want to do, or
ganize only the Negroes?" was the
question of Comrade M, who has
been in the I. L. D. and Party for
many years. This despite the World
Congress I. r. A. resolution that,
"A special drive for a recruiting of
new members among the Negro
masses must be organized"
This at a time when the I. L. D.
did not have one single regular
dues paying member out of five
hundred who was a Negro.
When the question of fighting
white chauvinism was sharply raised
at functionaries meeting, Com
rade M. stated, GAS far as white
chauvinism goes, we know about it,,
it exists everywhere, in every dis
trict of the I. L. D." This comrade
did not say word about the work
ing class duty of every I. L. D.
member and all workers to fight
this boss class theory which is con-
sciously spread among the workers
to divide their ranks.
1t can readily be seen that the
district leadership of the I. L. D..
for the past two years has suffered
from lack of understanding of the
Negro question. Further, it is clear
that in the leadership there is a
rotten opportunist underestimation
of the Importance of work among
the Negro masses, and opportunist
capitulation before white chauvin-
ism, as the last incident shows.
Now with such condition in the
leadership, lit is not surprising to