The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-05
MilitaIlts at Yale
Score Victory
By . Worker CORRESPONDENT

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NEW HAVEN, COMMIT is ebvi-
Gus that the class conscious stu
dents in our American universities
who realize that their place is in
the ranks of the workers, fighting
side by side with them, are in a
strategic position to be of assistance
in the class struggle. This letter
comes from ultra conseryatiYe Yale,
with its endowment of 100000, 600,
where fascist students from Italy
have been royalty welcomed, and
where class distinctions are empha-
sized both among the faculty and
student body.
Here last night the Yale Politi-
cal Union, made up of 100 students,
held its first meeting. Blessings
we're sent in the form of a long
telegram by President Roosevelt;
the president of the University, d.
Angel, was present to add his wish
that the students reach a higher
level of political development
(meaning, of course, something quite
different from what we have in
mind; and dinner jaeketed youths
we're sprinkled throughout the
membership.
The proposition to be debated
was, Resolved, that the United
States Should Balance Its Budget"
For an hour and a half four speak
ers gave conventional arguments for
and against the proposition; the
millions of unemployed were treated
as an abstraction, simply a group
to be considered. AS soon as the
formal arguments came to a close.
the Conservative wing of the Union
(Which is divided into ConserVa-
tiyes, Liberals and Radicals pro-
posed in a motion that the Federal
| budget be balanced without any
increase in taxation" No discus
sion was permitted, and the amend
ment was voted down.
Then the radical wing went into
action, as inspiring sight as have
seen in many years. Led by David
A. Hedley, a graduate student, they
pointed out that not less, but more
must be spent on relief and unem-
ployment insurance; wages, they
said, must rise, and not fall. Funds
must be obtained, not by borrowing
but by increased taxation of the
rich. Capitalism is not the fairy
godmother of the working class
they said, and if it cannot provide
for the workers, it must be replaced
with a system of planned produc-
ton for use. The success of the
Soviet Union was pointed to as ar
example of what workers car
achieve. Hedley pointed out that
the conservatives and liberals were
one and the same to the working
class, unless the liberals were will
ing to throw their strength behind
the workers.
He then moved an amendment
to the subject of debate as follows:
Resolved. that the budget of the
United States should be balanced
by slashing expenditures for wal
and by imposing graded system OF
income tax on the upper brackets
and in no circumstances by meas
ures which will depress the living
standards of the broad masses OF
people by sales tax or by cutting
relief" In this he was supported
by George H. Soule, editor of the
New Republic, who was present as
guest speaker. The amendment
was lost by vote of II to 43. The
radicals were not through, however,
They made q strong plea to the
liberals, again showing that by their
very inertia they we're danger to
the proletariat, and called upon the
liberals to abstain with them from
voting. The formal vote was taken,
and here are the results: For the
proposition that the budget be bal
anced, 43: against 46; abstaining
from voting, 81.