davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02

in our district has encountered the
stiffened resistance and activities of
Negro reformism, not only of the
openly reactionsry brand but also
and especially, the subtle, elusive,
demagogic kind, which in the period
preceding the Eighth Convention of
the Party when the front of the
Party in the struggle against Negro
reformism was weak, made and
maintained its connections inside
the Party and developed more and
more openly in the petty bourgeois
Negro reformist activities of Joseph
Billups, who became the agent with
in the Communist Party for the
Negro reformists of Detroit.
The Case of BilIups
The District Committee of the
Communist Party of Detroit has
expelled Billups from its ranks for
his verified political and personal
association with and subservience to
Negro reformist politicians of De-
troit, acting as agent-advisor, sup
plying information about the Party
plan, tactics, organization and lead
ership; and for his well-known gen.
eral political and moral degenera-
ton.
Under the guise of personal
friend" and client of DR.. Ossian
H. Sweet, Billups served as agent
for Roxborough-Sweet during the
election campaign.
The history of the loose and ir-
responsible activities and moral de-
generate practices of Billups, and
the attempts OF the Party to check
his obvious trend is not new The
Negro and white comrades that
have worked with Billups during
the period he was in the Commu-
mist Party, constantly recognized in
him strong petty bourgeois reform
list political racketeering tendencies
as we'll as obviously loose practices
which the Party strove to help Bill
lups overcome by giving him the
possibility to get a. working class
education, and by placing him
among the Party leadership in our
district under the guidance and
with the help of the leading com
mittee of the district, in an attempt
to rid him of the influence Of his
past life, and to develop him into a
leader OF the Negro masses and the
working class.
The Party ran Billups for COVER
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02
WINNING YOUTH FOR REVOLUTIONARY WAY OUT OF CRISIS

THE Eighth Convention of our
Party placed before the MEM
oership as an immediate and de-
clsive task the problem of winning
the majority of the toiling and stu
dent youth for the revolutionary
way out of the crisis.
1t is now possible to estimate the
extent to which these decisions have
been carried out, in the period that
mas elapsed since the Convention.
A considerable change can be
noted in New York District, of the
attitude of Party membership to-
wards recruiting into the Y. C. L.
This was particularly so during the
period following the Eighth Con-
vention until National Youth Day
MAY 30thD; wherein the Party in
a real, concerted manner directed
its attention to the building of the
League.
This tempo was not maintained
following N. Y. D., however, it left
a DEFINITE impression in the minds
OF the Party membership towards
the political understanding OF this
problem.
Guidance of Party
This is evidenced in the closer
guidance and interest demonstrated
by the Party as whole towards
the problem Of the Y. c. L. AS a
result the situation of the Y. G. L.
has changed considerably.
AT the time of the Convention,
the League had a membership OF
1000. Today the N. Y. League has
grown to 5000 members.
There has been radical i'm
provement in the social composition
of the Y c. L., the large proportion
of the membership being workers,
many of whom are in trade unions.
While our League formerly
counted 10 shop units, they now
number so, many of which are sit
uated in important enterprises.
However, this does not as yet COM
pare with the strength of the Party
in the shops, and the need for help
ing the Y. C. l.. build a League
shop unit wherever one from the
Party exists, is as necessary as
ever.
The slight though important be-
ginning in developing youth work
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02

other. Had the Party in this sec
ton been paying more attention
to the Y. G. L., this situation would
not have developed.
Unemployed Youth
The work among the unemployed
youth is another Of the serious
shortcomings in the work of the
Y. c. L. Here, there has not been
firm line for the carrying through
of the tasks that the Party set for
the unemployed youth. The Party
in the respective sections has not
been a decisive factor in oriental
ing and in coordinating the strug-
giles of the adults with those of
the youth, and at the same time
has not assisted the Y. G. L. in the
development Of its Independent &C.
tiyity among the unemployed youth.
Instead the tendency has been to
withdraw active League members
away from youth work and into the
general activity. 1t is obvious that
if the line of the Party is to be
applied within the Y. C. L., the
Party must combat any such ten
denotes and actively assist the Y. C.
L. in developing the struggles of
the youth for immediate relief and
unemployment insurance,
Strengthen the Party Y. C. l..
The strengthening of the strug-
gle for the line OF the Party within
the Y. c. L, must be undertaken in
all seriousness by the entire Party
if the League is to be a broader
organization than the Party. This
must be accomplished in a two-fold
manner: % BY sending into youth
work more experienced Party COM
rsdes. The first step in that direc-
ton has already been taken by the
Party district with the assigning of
LOG Party members to the Y. c. L.
t2) By educating the Y. C. L. mem
bers in the spirit of the Party
teaching them the correct Party
line and instilling in them loyalty
and devotion to their Party. In
this way to increase the number of
Communist Party members within
the Y. c. L. who can really trans
form the Y, c. l.. into the best as
sistant of the Party in the struggle
for the majority of the working
class,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02

the Party and plenipotentiary, ac-
cepttng funds (bribes) in the name
of Communism in return for supply
ing information to and acting as
representative for DR.. Sweet and
consequently to RoXborough of the
First Congressional Republican or
ganization and the Republican
Party, Of which Roxborough is the
Jim-crow Negro reformist chief, and
Harry Toy, Wayne County prosecu-
tor, is chief in Wayne County.
The Sweet left" Negro REFORM
ist type is characteristic of the
more subtle reformist demagogues
of the capitalist class who mouth
radical phrases and pose as
friends" Of the Party, the reyolu-
tionary movement and the Negro
workers; while at the same time
their main object is to attempt to
utilize the movement for their own
ends, working through those po-
litically degenerate elements of the
type of Billups to accomplish their
aim.
It was on the basis of the pub
licity that DR.. Sweet received
through the workers press and or
CARNATIONS during the time of the
association with the Scottsboro
Committee of Detroit, the informa-
ton he received from Billups about
the working of the movement and
the radical phrases and front that
he was able to put up as a conse-
quence that he was run on the Re-
publican ticket for State Senator
in one of the biggest Negro dis
trictS by the RoXborough jim Crow
wing of the Republican Party, in
an attempt to check the leftward
swing of the Negro workers, while
the police of Harry Toy, prosecutor
and candidate for Attorney Cen
eral, beat, framed and jailed starry
ing Negro workers and barred the
G. P. and the L. S. N. r. from the
streets in the Negro section.
Sweets Position
DR.. Sweet has posed as a SYM
pathizer of the G. P. and the revo-
lutionary movement for some time.
Here is sample of his "sympa-
thies": When a white and a Negro
comrade known to DR.. Sweet at
tended a meeting of the First Con-
gressional organization, at which
sweet spoke, calling on the Negro
workers to war politically against
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02
Conservatives Enlist Police
In NAACP Election on Coast

LOS ANGELES, Calf, Feb. L.
Probably what was the hottest and,
too, the most irregular election Of
local president of the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, took place at the
First A. M. E. Zion Church, Picaco
and Paloma Streets, this city.
Advance preparations for the
election indicated that the use of
armed forces would be necessary
to insure winner from among the
ranks of the reactionary clique con-
trolling the local branch of the
N.A.A.C.P. Many determinations
and much mudslinging was in
dulged in by the opposing forces.
The young progressive forces led
by Elicit Johnson, who was seek
ing the presidency, were bitterly
opposed by the incumbent me, too,
boss" hat in hand" reactionary
clique.
Sensing PROBABLE rcut, the Old
Guard requested Chief of Police
Davis to send a squadron of his in
famous red squad" as an intimi-
dating curb on the militancy of the
young progressives. The church
auditorium was packed with people
and the atmosphere was tense. The
presence of the red squad had
its effect in intimidating some of
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02

within the 4. F. of L. unions, de-
spite the persistent resistance of
some Party members, are additional
indications of the results of the fight
for the carrying through of the
Party line in the Y. C. L,
Trade Union Work
The increased attention that the
Z. c. l.. has been paying to trade
union work is seen by the greater
number of League members joining
and becoming active in their re-
spective trade unions. This has re-
fiected itself in the sharpening of
the fight for the line of the Party
within the trade unions as in the
Radio and Shipping Clerks where as
a result we have built our League
and intrenched ourselves among
the organized youth.
The most serious weakness in the
work is that it is general in char
acter and insufficient even at that,
and the lack of persistent strug-
gle on the part of the Party for
developing youth demands and
youth forms in the trade unions
as in the Millinery and Needle
Trades of the I. l.. G.. w. U.
The wealth of experience that the
League has obtained during this last
period in the participation in and
leading Of economic struggles,
united front work, struggles against
war and fascism, unemployed strug-
giles, accompanied by greater politi-
cal guidance on the part of the
Party will, without doubt, assure
the rapid growth of the Y. C. L. into
a mass organization larger in COM
position than the Party.
Break for Sectarianism
The bare beginnings that the Y.
G. l.. has made to break with its
sectarian past necessitates greater
political and organizational guild
ance from the Party. While in a
number of fields of its work the
Y. C. L. in fighting for the line
of the Party has been able to OBJ
tain positive results, there still re-
main serious weaknesses.
The work among the Negro youth
remains one Of the most outstand-
ing of these. The Y. G. L. has not
really established itself in the eyes
OF the masses of Negro youth as
their champion, their defender:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02

more, it would have been able to
NIP in the bud any tendencies
pointing in this direction.
During the past period. the Har-
lem section of the League partici-
pated in numerous strike and I'M
employment struggles (spick g.
Span, Salvation Army, in which the
majority were Negro youth. Dur
ing that period, hundreds of Negro
youth joined the Y. G. L., but to-
day, in review of the situation, APP
proximately the same number of
Negro youth are in the Y. G. L. as
there were at the time of the
Eighth Convention. Obviously.
something is wrong with the work
of the Y. G. L. This tremendous
fluctuation among Negro youth
can be, in the main. explained by
the lack of experienced cadres
which would educate these youth
and remove them from the influ-
ence of the Negro reformists in
Harlem. Here, too, had the Party
more closely assisted the Y. C. L..
in the solution of its problems, as
surfing its line within the ranks of
the Y. G. L., the League would
have consolidated the influence
that it had obtained during the
course of these struggles, SO that
today the League would have
within its ranks many more Negro
youth.
This example is not isolated only
to this section, but can be applied
with minor exceptions to all other
sections in the District, and espe-
cially to those sections where the
Negro population is relatively small
in comparison with Harlem and
Crown Heights.
In Section l of the League a sit
uation developed in which the en-
tire section committee lost its main
orientation of work among the
youth in the shops and trade
unions. Here sharp decline took
place in the work among the en-
ploYed youth and the work in the
"Y" and Settlement Houses became
the main orientation OF the
League.
Certainly one cannot be counter
posed against the other, but even
more surely one cannot displaee the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02
Battle Must Be Fought
Along With Attack
on RefOrnists

the Negro misleaders of the Negro
masses as a part Of their reward
for misleadership Of the Negro
masses; reflected in Billups in the
over growth from moral to political
1 degeneration, in his Teverting 10,
reViving and developing hang-overs
Of petty bourgeois national reforms
list SUM proietarian political rack
eteering Of Billups past life; which
in petty bourgeois Negro reformist
politics has become one of the ma
jor means Of demoralizing, bribing
and forcing even large numbers Of
Negro workers into supporting the
capitalist political parties and the
programs and schemes of the Negro
reformist politicians.
Proved His Role
Billups has proved his role more
conclusively since his expulsion
from the Communist Party by
carrying on a campaign of ISLANDERS
against the Communist Party,
directly aiding the enemies OF the
Party and the workers in their
furious drive against Communism,
headed by the yellow chain Of
filthy sheets of William Randolph
Hearst
Therefore, under the present con-
ditionS in our district when the
Party is modifying and consolidate
ing its forces against the bitter at
tacks of the enemies Of the revolu-
tionary movement, against the fas-
cist attacks of American capitalism
against the Negro people and the
working class; the Hearsts. the
Father Coughlins and the whole
host Of fascist New Deal" reac-
ton; when the Negro reformist
misleaders and betrayers of the
rights of the Negro people stand
ready, with sweet words in their
mouths but with dagger in hand,
to stab and throw into the cauldron
of Democratic and Republican fas-
cist stew for the beasts of American
capitalism every young revolutions
airy attempt of the Negro masses
to struggle from under the yoke
of robbery, hunger, discrimination
and lynch rule, the activities of
Billups and all like him become the
main danger to the unity Of the
Party and the development of Joint
struggles of Negro and white work.
ers for the rights of the Negro peo-
pie and in the general interest Of
the working class, and must be
fought as such.
1t is, above ALL the task of the
Negro Communists to expose the
treacherous role OF Billups to the
Negro masses as the reason why it
becomes necessary in the interest
of the struggle for Negro rights and
the liberation of the Negro people
and the working class, to cut out
these roots OF race against race
theories and practices that have
wormed their way into the Party,
in order that the Party may con-
solidate itself for the accomplish
ment of one of its major tasks in
the struggle for the freedom of the
Scottsboro boys and Angelo Hern-
don, against discrimination, robbery
and lynching of the Negro masses:
for the unity of the Negro and
white workers in the struggle for
equal rights and elf-deterTnination
of the Negroes in the Black Belt Of
the South.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02
New Jersey Governor
Gets Earful on Taxes

PATERSON, N. j., Feb. 1.-Gov-
ernor Hoffman of New Jersey re-
ceived an unpleasant surprise here,
when after a speech, he was in
formed by John Lydig, business
agent of Local 1873 of the American
Federation of Dyers that his pro-
posed sales tax is against the in
terests Of the workers.
Il just want to let you know,
Governor Lydig said, that when
you get to Trenton Monday, you'll
find telegram from our local, with
its $4,000 members, protesting your
sales tax"
The governor muttered something
about just whom should he tax.
TAX the rich,'' replied Lydig. Wen
send you our suggestions for in
heritance and income taxes, and
taxes on corporations and public
utilities, too," Lydig concluded.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02

nor of the State of Michigan, the
first time in the history of the state
or of the United States since the
period Of reconstruction that any
political Party had run Negro for
governor; imposing in Billups the
trust and responsibility of the Party
towards the Negro masses and as a
representative of the struggle for
the rights and freedom of the Negro
people.
Went Backward
Instead of improving, Billups
went definitely backward, until the
Party, two years ago, found it nee
essa1y to remove him from all re-
sponsible activity for his general
political and moral looseness and
for conduct unbecoming a Commu-
mist, giving him the possibility to
correct himself in mass work.
Instead Of proving his capability
to be a Communist, and of repre-
senting the program Of the Party
and carrying out the struggle for
Negro rights and in the general in
terest of the working class, BillupS
betrayed the trust of the Party by
his open collaboration with DR..
Sweet and other Negro reformists
on the Scottsboro Committee. It
became clear to the Negro comrades
on the committee that it was the
activities Of Billups in supplying m
formation about the Party to these
reformists, and particularly his SLAM
ders against white comrades on the
committee that it aroused an obvious
antagonism and provoked an open
attack by one of the reformists
against a white comrade active in
Negro work, which made it neces-
sary for the Party to again attempt
to check Billups' surrender of the
principle of unity and class struggle
Of Negro and white, and his obvious
political association with Negro re-
formism.
Placed on Trial
In recent months the Party placed
Billups on trial again as Section
Organizer in the Negro section,
which post he abused by financial
hooliganism and responsibility, and
above all by forming closer ties with
DR.. Sweet and other Negro reform
list politicians, and then by deserving
the post without notifying the Party,
becoming a Communist" at large,
self appointed representative of
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02
Alabama Cops Launch
New Attack on Workers

BESSEMER, Ala, Feb. with
the arrest of Saul Williams Sunday
night, Bessemer launched a renewed
terror drive against the mine work.
ers and their organizations.
Williams, a militant Negro worker,
was pulled from his bed and taken
to police headquarters ION sus-
picion." No charges have been made
against him. Every attempt to con-
tact him has been blocked by the
police who are holding him incom-
municado.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02
BY William Novel;

The 9th Convention of the Com
lunist Party marked another his
orical advance in the Qualification
nd execution of the revolutionary
Garxist-Leninist policy and pro-
ram, and in the all-round consoli-
alton and preparation of the Party
or leadership in the big impending
nd developing struggles of the
american workers, farmers and Ne
TO People against the program of
lunger, fascism, and war of the
american imperialist Roosevelt New
DEAL" and towards Soviet power.
The convention marked not only
n historic conquest for the Party
n the Qualification and consolida-
ion of the Party and the revolu-
ionary movement on questions and
iroblems of general policy but also
nd especially, in clarifying the pro-
ram and policy Of national liberia
ion for the Negro People.
The analyses in the reports, and
he characterization by the &C. OF
he Party of the rapid spread of
White chauvinism among the white
workers by the white ruling class
md the simultaneous spread of Ne
;ro national reformism and utopian
eformist schemes and receptions
lmong the Negro workers by the
Negro reformist agents of the CAPT.
alist class; their intenSification
mutual connection and common
purpose as counter measures de-
dgned to divide the struggle of the
Negro and white workers into a
,truggle between races, following
Upon the increased activity of the
Party among the masses; and hence
he necessity of conducting con-
iStent struggle against both these
IDEAS and practices, both within and
outside the Party, found their veri-
ication in varying degrees of deVia-
ions from the Party line on the
Negro question, against which the
;. G. levelled a scathing criticism,
warning of the danger of lowering
he theological and political barriers
If the Party to these poisonous in
luences and practices of the ruling
flass.
The Renegade Padmore
In this connection the convention
1ealt concretely with two outstand-
ng deviations from the line of the
Party: one being my own deviation
towards petty bourgeois Negro ma
tionalism, and factionalism, which.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02
By JOHN LITTLE

struggling for Negro rights, and
working for the development of
broad liberation movement among
the Negro youth. While it has taken
up numerous struggles such as at
the Empire Cafeteria, in Harlem,
and at the Kresge Store in Crown
Heights and began the building of
the Young Liherators throughout the
city, this work has not received
full cooperation and guidance from
the Party in the respective sec
tions. How else can it be explained
that in the Crown Heights Section
mo. 16) weeks passed before the
Party began to assist the Y. c. L.
in the struggle for jobs for Negro
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02

youth and against discrimination
at the Kresge store?
While this occurred the Party, be-
cause Of lack of vigilance over the
Y. G. L., permitted a development
in the Y. G. L. of white chauvinism
expressing itself against Negro
leadership to proceed unhampered,
A serious lack of understanding of
the Negro problem expressed itself
within the Section and Units of the
Y. c. L. without the Party being
aware of it. Had the Party in
Crown Heights seen to it that the
Party line within the Y. c. L. was
being carried out there would not
be such occurrences. And what is
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02
Pharmacists Establish
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

One hundred unemployed phar-
macists met at the headquarters Of
the Pharmacists Union Friday aft
ernoon and formed the Unemployed
Pharmacists Association. A commit
tee was formed to formulate projects
for unemployed pharmacists, and
another COMMITTEES elected to pre-
sent relief cases at the Home Re-
lief Bureaus.
The next meeting of the Unem-
ployed Pharmacists Association will
be held at the headquarters of the
Film and Photo League, 81 East 71st
Street, Wednesday, Feb. 6 at / pm.