The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
WORKERS RIGHT TO VOTE
THREATENED In CHICAGO
Candidates Arbitrarily
Ruled OFF Ballot by
Election Board

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Of the Democratic machine Of Chi
cago in its efforts to abolish Alder
manic elections in Chicago by keep
ing opposing candidates off the bal
lot, is demonstrated clearly in the
hearings now being conducted in
the City Council chambers by the
Board of Election Commissioners.
Time and time again the Alder
manic candidate points out that the
complaints against his petition were
nimeographed, showing that even
the pretense Of making a case on
individual merit has been aban-
doned.
The election commissioners, a
part of the machine, keep up the
pretense Of impartiality, protected
as they are by the fact that no deci-
sions are rendered while the can
didates and DIRECTORS are in court.
All cases are taken under advise
ment.
For all practical purposes their
decision is final An appeal can
he taken to the courts, with little
chance, however. of getting a deci-
sion in time TO be in the race.
Must Intensity Protest
In the meantime the workers
must intensity their protest by
sending kilograms and letters to the
Board of Election Commissioners. A
good start was made by the RACE
demonstration in the council cham
bers Friday, but 1t must be followed
by loud protest in behalf Of the
Workers Aldermanic candidates.
The tricks of the election COM
missioners smell to high heaven.
The stencil has at last offended the
delicate nostrils of some Of the
best" citizens who have carried
tales to the state legislature, to the
committee set up to investigate cleo
tons frauds.
Democratic PretenSe Abandoned
No better evidence Of the demo-
ralization of Chicago's democratic
government" was needed than the
the meeting of the opposition" can
didates for Aldermen, called last
week by an Independent Aldermanic
candidate. There, rs bewildered AL
derrnanic candidates met in sole
conclave, accepting the premise that
heir petitions, signed by American
voters, were at the mercy of the
Democratic machine. The only con-
crete proposals made were those by
the workers candidates present, led
by A. Guss. Communist campaign
manager Following the meeting,
the Opposition" candidates gath
cred around Guss, offering to fight
with him on his proposals. They
have been trekking to Communist
headquarters ever since.
In the wards this complete demo-
ralizing is working to the advantage
of the workers candidates. Some
Of them have been invited to address
Republican meetings. Others have
received sincere offers of aid from
Democratic precinct committeeman
who declare their disgust with the
two old parties.
Socialists and Communists
In one ward, the Socialists. fail
ing to collect sufficient signatures
to put their own candidate on the
ballot, offered to re-solicit signers
for the workers candidates petition.
In the second ward, visit of a sig
nature collector led to an impromptu
meeting of the neighbors, after
which 40 signed for the city Com
munist candidates then and there.
At the top is the Hitler-like set
up, but there is tremendous unrest
and reshuffling of lines at the bot
tom, as the workers listen to and
are won by the Communist pro-
gram. Already 10000 citizens of
Chicago have signed to have the
Communist Party on the ballot, in
spite of the Hearst American Legion
campaign against it. Every other
candidate in the city, no matter
what his political affiliations. senses
this unrest and revolt, and tries to
get votes by declaring that he is
practically a Communist" These
other candidates study the platform
Of the Communist Party in order
to get good talking points
The Communist Party has set
aside the first two weeks of Febru-
airy for q mobilization of the Party
and all sympathetic workers, for
the collection Of signatures that will
place Karl Lockner, Herbert New
ton and Sam Hammersmark on the
ballot.