The Challenge and Program of Socialism
THOMAS, NORMAN
The Challenge and Program of Socialism I Address of aeetptance at Socialist candidate for President over network of National Broadcasting Company May 21, 1932, delivered at Milwaukee, Wis...
...Now, whether the Ktphhger letter is or Is not a sure prophet there can be no doubt that the drift of the times is either to anarchic catastrophe or a dee* perato attempt of the ruling elaas by an assorted appeal to passion and prejudice to give us some sort of Fascist dictatorship, open or disguised, which can only kill what liberty we have left without solving any fundamental problems...
...we're coming back...
...It la like business...
...Henry Jager, Jack Ryan, Edward Neery, Jack Langworthy and Thomas Wilson...
...The corruption of govern* ment Is the creation of a sordid acquisitive society...
...Join in the Fight Bnt these an only stops «¦• the road...
...pointed out the total' lack of essential differences between the dominent parties,'arid ftlled upon the students, as ' workers' in the broad sense of the" wo'Vfl, to throw in their lot with the'workers of hand and brain generally in building stronger the Socialist party...
...The Greatest Backet Some of you will ny: How can you trust government to be our servant when government is so corrupt...
...great constructive, jocial-wealth* producing- public works, unemploy...
...The complete picture d/ the situation is the Democratic slogan adopted by three Senators as a committee...
...In the course of his remarks he Indicated the extent of concentration of ownership and control in American economic life and said the basic issue was the choice between private and public monopoly...
...Prof...
...cities who practice the most outrageous lawlessness under guise of law, compel public opinion and judicial authorities to do justice to Moosey and Billings and to the 'Negroes involved in the Scoitsboro cut, and in general make life immediately more tolerable...
...The Challenge and Program of Socialism I Address of aeetptance at Socialist candidate for President over network of National Broadcasting Company May 21, 1932, delivered at Milwaukee, Wis ] By Norman Thomas •""THIS is in a very real sense the opening of another and most significant campaign in the continuing crusade from which we cannot rest uniil the dark kingdoms of poverty have been conquered uv<] plenty, peace and frrdem reign on earth...
...It is capitalism In the last stages of its dissolution which Is doing that...
...C. M. Barr, Rural Education...
...Newark Jobless To Demonstrate on Saturday, June 4th Simon Smith, secretary of the Newark Unemployed League, announced today that the league had completed plana for a demonstration against unemployment in Military Park, Newark, on Saturday, June 4. The men meeting will begin at noon and will continue until 11:30 p. at...
...The list of speakers Includes well known figures in the Socialist and union labor movement ot New York and New Jeney, among them being Samuel Beardeley, James Oneal, W. H. Bonn, William Kar-lin...
...Neal Billings, Education...
...Not at all...
...The history...
...not profit...
...Students and teachers participated In the question and discussions which consumed about two hours and which was conducted by Solomon...
...Only Alternative Is the Social Reconstruction of Socialism the workers on farm, in factory, in mine, in school and in office, without regard to racial distinction or national origin, to form their own party and to insist that the things that none of us as an individual made and which -all of us together need to use, should be socially owned and managed for use...
...In an impotent sort at way be desires peace...
...We believe that If hope awakens again the masses who so long have slept, now, with no long delay, they can adopt a program such as we have outlined in our program and shall describe in our campaign for the five-day week...
...It is no wonder that two political parties, the machinery of which exists not to serve the people but a master class—the Mellons, the Raskobs and the rest—and to act as a broker between them and the masses, whose business it Is to find out with how rew bones we can be kept quiet, have no program for our times...
...I now hold In my hand new evidence of this drift—the Klp-ttnger Washington Letter of Saturday, May 14, IMS, begins: "It Is beginning to be apparent that some substitute for a coalition government will have to be formed to handle the situation after adjournment of Congress which probably will be on June 10...
...For instance, one of New York (Sty's or rather New York State's most influential delegates, at large at-the Chicago convention will be the Hon...
...This can be done while we lift the actual burden now imposed by our unscientific taxation on the home of the worker and the buildings of the farmer...
...RepeatedJyJn the last few months in a great inany cities In America I have discussed our rapid drift to an American Fascism...
...ment insurance, the lightening of the load of debt especially upon th j farmers and the orderly mar* keting of farm products from grain and cotton to dairy products through cooperative and public marketing agencies, Now we can reassert civil liberty, curb police ard public officials and ignorant mo'na whether in Kentucky or in our Northern industrial...
...He has always been treated with deferential fear by Franklin Roosevelt—this although the general nature of his or rather Tammany's government, was well known long before the Seabury revelations gave specific evidence to back general suspicion...
...But it Is not I or any other leader but a great am mighty movement that must be the hope of men...
...That Is why in this campaign, as always, we Socialists must and shall talk fundamental Socialism...
...The provision of such a fund means definitely that the Y. P. S. L. is now in a position, to expand In every state of the Union, The National Secretary will not have to worry about raising funds for necessary organisation work...
...J. Cotton, Social Science...
...Its days are numbered—its doom is written in its own failures, failures which are not superficial but are inherent in the class division of society which it creates and the anarchistic waste which it fosters...
...The Socialist Plan What don this mean...
...We want economic plan in America even as in Russia...
...Each Socialist Party branch baa been Instructed by th* newly adopted constitution to appoint a committee on youth organization which shall assist hi the organization, development, and maintenance of the Y. P. S. L. AO of this will be done in conjunction with the National Office of the Socialist Party and the Young People's Socialist League...
...so that the intervening months between now and the Yips el Convention in denied next July, will result in even greater success than has characterized the phenomenal growth of the Yipsels since the beginning of the year...
...His only idea of restoring prosperity is to lend some more money to those who have already borrowed too much...
...Attention will be directed mainly toward effective, efficient and intensive activity...
...There Is not a man or woman within sound of my voice, be he Republican or Democrat, who in complete sincerity, can say that he expects from either old party a program adequate to these days of terrible economic depression when ten million men and women vainly look for work and other millions of farmers are being crowded down to the conditions of serfs to mortgage holders and land owners...
...look at the tax program of both old parties, written—so far as they dare—ont as the newspapers have sometimes cnarged to "soak the rich," but to protect to the uttermost the interest of an Income paying tax at no matter what cost to fanners and workers —yes, at no matter what cost to the resumption of prosperity itself...
...JULES UMANSKY For the first time in the history of the Young People's Socialist League, the Socialist Party decided to set aside a part of the dun of its members for the exclusive use of the league...
...It will be our own laziness if planned production and distribution in America cost as much in terms of liberty as It has cost in Russia...
...Look at Washington for illustration...
...Young Socialist Convention July 22nd The Parly Convention And The Yipsels By...
...When the world went in for machinery which could not be owned, like the tools of the artisan, by the Individual worker it went In for some sort of collectivism...
...last ditch against what he calls doles to unemployed workers...
...His record will be the real platform...
...Amplifiers will be provided to overcome traffic noises...
...American politics is not won* than business...
...But we are not Communists preaching a ruthless doctrine of inevitable bloodshed and dictatorship...
...but he has not dared to lead in genuine disarmament or to propose the elemental economy Of defending Mi* nation ' by providing decent housing for the workers and thereby creating work, instead of sinking millions, in military red, tape and useless armaments...
...In this hope, we come to yon...
...C. C. Jensen, Economics...
...M. Hart Walker and Andrew P. Wlttel, Socialist Congressional candidates, will also address the crowd which will be record breaking in sin, according to then In charge of the demonstration...
...Plan are under way for the organization of a Thomas-Maurer Club at the College and the establishment of a permanent students organization...
...An appeal for support for Thomas and Maurer In the national campaign was made...
...Solomon, Laidler Rally Milwaukee Students for Ticket TUESDAY morning, Dr...
...Tet Walker was first made Mayor by the intervention of Al Smith...
...of bonks in the last ton yean shows no moral superiority of hanking to Tammany pontics, and the best book on racketeering la America is not the story of Al Capons but the*1 "History of great American Fortunes...
...Not merely or chiefly the Republican and Democratic parties, but the capitalist system behind them stands exposed in all its brutal stupidity...
...This is an hour, at once, of great misery and greater opportunity, done is the gamblers' prosperity of 1928...
...A Fascist Threat In this situation even the big business interests which have heretofore used the old parties successfully are beginning to hunt about for new machinery...
...James J. Walker —unless indeed by that time the revelations which Judge Seabury is piling up of direct payments to Walker by interests seeking city contracts or favors should be so convincing and well substantiated that he should Instead have an engagement with the police court...
...the Far East he...
...stubbornly refuses tq recognise, Russia, so that by our one-sided recognition of only on* of the probable belligerents, Japan, we shall be tied to it and to its mad imperialism in a perilous and unwanted quasl-alliance...
...Soon the old parties which are the political tool of the owning class which finsntm them, will meet In their national convention...
...Anhalt, Speech, and Prof...
...The Democrats are no better...
...J. M. Klotsche, professor of Government and Politics, presided and other faculty members present were: Prof...
...The Old Party Record* A Socialist speaks of these mat-ten with the more pride in his own party -with the more confidence that In Socialist idealism is the antidote to the poison of the racketeering standards of an acquisitive society, here in Milwaukee where a Socialist Mayor Is beginning bis seventeenth year as the head of the best governed city in America...
...We mean to use taxation in city and country to wipe out private landlordism— to help destroy the misery of ten-nant farming and city slums...
...Today we have the collectivism of holding companies and mergers—such empires of business and finance as an Ivar Kreuger or a Samuel Insull have built at Immense cost to us and then bring to ruin about our heads...
...The party which dares to take the name of Thomas Jefferson is in the South the party with the most outrageous racial discrimination, and in the North the party of the snost flagrant corruption in the cities...
...You remember it—it is "Hee-haw...
...Hoover will be renominated...
...I am at once proud and humble for the leadership my party has given me...
...AU his predictions having been falsified by events, i he vainly waits for some Santa Claus to restore prosperity while he who has bestowed millions upon bankers and tariff beneficiaries fight* to the...
...We believe that our platform outlines a program for preventing particular wars while we change the system that la the mother of war...
...Prof...
...In this crisis not words but action counts, and the action Immediately most necessary is for the great man of common people, Capitalist Chaos Invites Dangerous Drift to Fascism...
...laidler discussed the student and the social challenge...
...Plan in a country like America with its engineers, Sin workers, its great equipment and its traditions of liberty can be made more consistent with freedom than the present tyranny "of fear and exploitation which our chaotic capitalism imposes...
...Hoover and the Democrats Look'at the old parties...
...Solomon, In the course of a general adorns on socialism, traced the history of American political parties from their origins to date...
...With no great funds end no great organization we appeal to you now, while still there Is time, to prove that the spirit of freedom still lives in America—the spirit of brotherhood and justice, and that yem with us can organize for victory...
...With real war all too likely in...
...Aran Allison, Sociology...
...It is a record of mistake piled upon mistake...
...The meeting began at ten o'clock, hi the college auditorium, and continued then until twelve, after which many of the students and several of the faculty members, adjourned to the dining hall and continued the discussion there...
...That we Socialists mean to take away his own home from the worker or his own farm from the working farmer...
...What Socialism means to destroy is absentee ownership by individuals...
...The National Executive Committee of the Y. P. a I* met between the ¦ anions of the convention, completing the plans for the Cleveland Convention on the 21st ad 23d of July...
...The letter goes on to assure Its bnlneas clientele that there are several phms wisr c—nlta-Uon, hot "one re reives," It says, "about the Idea of sawesebamg In Washington subject to quick call, a grows) el a denen or more men* who would virtually be the government After seme description of what might happen eeasne this eitraontinary sentence, "Dto-tetomato which Is being odve-eatoi mere from week to week would he avoided hat sense of the practical merits of dictator ship would he obtained...
...we must and shall seek1'above all to build the party, not merely get a snap vote of the discontented...
...It to expected to 'realize enough money from the proceeds to place twenty organizers in the field for the entire summer...
...The sales tax, which Al Smith and others have advocated by making purchasing more difficult, impedes still further even a partial return to prosperity which depends upon the resumption of purchasing power and not at all upon private investment in fixed capital at a time when our splendidly equipped factories sj^fnd idle...
...Harry W. Laidler and Charles Solomon addressed about 500 students and members of the faculty of the State Teachers College under the auspices of the Liberal Club...
...We shall take then better and quicker if we.an Inspired by an ever-shining beacon of hope, and If we know that the crusade can never end until machinery Is used to conquer poverty for all and to be our slave In supplying the material basis for a fellowship of free men, organised In federated cooperative commonwealth throughout the world...
...In addition to the establishment of a regular periodical, the Yipsels will have a Convention Journal with articles by prominent Socialists and leaders of the Youth movement from all over the world...
...We want the collectivism of democratic social ownership of mines, industrial trusts, public utilities and a national banking system...
Vol. 13 • May 1932 • No. 22
