Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1943-10-15

am employing the tactics of
Hearst and Hoffman. So, let's
get this business of red-baiting
Strengthened out.
Communists in America are al
ways waging a fight to establish
their party as legal political
organization. They battle to get
their party on the ballot and
keep it there. They wage legal
warfare in the courts to maintain
their party as a bona fide politi-
cal force in American society.
NO CRITICISM
The basic argument of the
Communists is that democracy
ought to permit them to promote
their program freely, widely and
handsomely, without legal inter
ference from the state. Free
thinkers and democrats will gen
orally agree with the CP on this
point
No genuine democrat or NOR
ally honest person will deny that
the CP has the right to carry on
its political activities in a democ-
racy, without state Interference,
so long as the Communists COM
NIT no overt act Of insurrection
against the legally constituted
government.
But, by the same token, it
ought to be understood that OPP
ponents of Communism have the
same right to criticize and con-
denim the Communist party. This
ought to be especially true in the
labor movement within which the
CP carries on most of its politi-
cal activities.
But instead of agreeing with
this thesis, the Communists deny
their opponents the right of free
criticism. They brand all their
critics as red-baiters.
PROGRAM OF DEFEATISM
The program of defeatism pro-
NOTED by the CP within the
UAW-CIO, projects the theory
that the military defense of the
Soviet Union is the compelling
factor in determining American
labor war policy. 1t was this the
ory that inspired Earl Browder
to write in his book, VICTORY
AND AFTER" that "the work
ers must make the main sacri-
flee in order to win this war.
1t was this theory that mott
waited the Communists to go all
out for restoration and extension
of incentive pay (piece work. in
the automotive and allied indus
tries.
The substance of CP policy,
since the Nazi invasion of Rus
sia, has been to persuade Ameri-
can labor to surrender its rights
and standards in order to expe-
dite war production. In the
UAW-CIO convention, this policy
was promoted around incentive
pay, unqualified endorsement of
FDR for a fourth term, etc.
Fortunately for the union, the
delegates turned the CP policy
down by heavy majorities.
POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY
This criticism of the CP is
neither a witch hunt nor a ghost
chase. Roy Hudson, chief politi-
cal commissioner of the Ameri-
can Communist party, haunted
the lobbieS of the UAW-CIO con-
vention. He caucused continually
with his comrades inside the
union, keeping party lines tight
and true.
Pat Toohey, secretary of the
CP in Michigan, boasted that he
had 200 delegates on the floor of
the convention. The known Com
munists in the UAW- -CI0 labored
furiously to promote incentive
pay and other CP policies.
If it is okay to denounce Re-
publicans and Democrats for adj
vancing policies and projects in
furious to labor, the same holds
true for Communists. The CP
lacks political responsibility
when it meets honest criticism
with cries of "red-baiting".
The charge of red-baiting, as
yelled so loudly by the Commu-
nists, really means something
else. 1t means that the CP looks
upon itself as a holy party, inn
mune from criticism. and not re-
sponsible for logical retaliation
to critical opposition.
In essence, this is but devil
Gus manner of practicing dicta-
torship while preaching democ-
racy.