Problems and Prospects for Socialism in Illinois 28 Unemployed Councils Formed in Chicago Offer a Rich

...Each t r i p of our s p e a k e rs and o r g a n i s e r s results in ( n ew c o n n e c t i o n s . We receive l e t t e rs f r om all p a r t s of the s t a t e offer-, i n g to d i s t r i b u t e l i t e r a t u r e or to a r r a n g e meetings, or to join as m e m b e r s at large...

...Most of the locals assemble at community centers once a week for meetings at which action for relief, legislative problems, general propaganda and routine business are discussed...

...The N a t i o n a l Office is confronted w i t h the s a me p r o b l e m ; it also is u n a b l e t o comp l y w i t h m a n y l e g i t i m a t e r e q u e s ts b e c a u s e funds are l a c k i n g . T h i n gs a r e not remedied, though, by the N a t i o n a l Office t r y i n g to solicit mora funds from a l r e a d y whitebled members...

...Our c o m r a d e s a r e a l r e a d y p a y i n g till i t h u r t s . Where s h a l l m o s s m o n ey come from...

...The habit of h o l d i n g the p a r t y in power res p o n s i b l e for all ills, and t u r n i ng t o the other one, is too deeply rooted, but we are making progr e s s . Five new 'branches were o r g a n i z e d down s t a t e d u r i n g the l a s t s i x months, and they a r e in good condition...

...The income from the s t a t e is small...

...The unemployed succeeded in having advisory committees In the administration of relief In Cook County (how much that means remains to be seen, for before long the present relief funds will be exhausted...

...Six . m o n t h s ugo the Illinois Depart[Bient of...

...We had only one small English s p e a k i n g b r a n c h . Things were in a bad shape...

...When t h r e e workingmen meet In Chic a g o two of them will tell- you t h e y aro out of work...

...Any o t h e r p a r t y , a s p i r i n g t o become a " l e g a l l y e s t a b l i s h e d p a r t y " must first r e c e i v e a t l e a s t s i g n a t u r e s of v o t e r s t o t a l i n g S per cent of the v o t e c a s t a t the p r e c e d i n g s i m i l a r election in cities, counties, s e n a t o r i a l or congressional dist r i c t s , etc., or 25,000 s i g n a t u r es for the s t a t e t i c k e t . No person who voted at the p r i m a r i e s of an o l d p a r t y is eligible to s i g n a pet i t i o n of a n e w party...

...b a n k r u p t c i e s so n u m e r o u s t h a t they are not even n o t i c e d any more...

...Much more could be done if we had t h e funds, and here I come to a very sore spot...

...B e f o r e May 1, when the old a g r e e m e n t ran out, the Illinois mine workers n e g o t i a t e d a new w a g e s c a l e b u t the n e g o t l o n s w e re b r o k e n off, 'and...

...We must learn to make s y m p a t h i z e rs p a y for what they g e t . We m u st develop schemes of contribution l i s t s , of c o n t r i b u t i o n s t a m p s , of admission fees to c o n c e r t s and o t h e r e n t e r t a i n m e n t s to finance the p a r t y . We ought to develop cult u r a l features, d r a m a t i c clubs, a t h l e t i c clubs, all of which are n e c e s s i t i e s and could also be u t i l ized for fund-raising...

...I t p a s s e d a m e n d m e n t s to the election s t a t u te w h i c h g i v e only such p a r t i e s a legal s t a n d i n g In the s t a t e and i t s p o l i t i c a l s u b d i v i s i o n s t h a t received a t l e a s t 5 p e r c e n t of the t o t a l votes c a s t a t the p r e v i o us g e n e r a l election...

...The prevailing spirit In the locals of the Workers Committee on Unemployment can be judged by the fact that, as far as they could raise the money for carfare, they came to the parade and hall meeting of the Socialist Party oa May first, forming a conspicuous part of the demonstration...

...It could not be a t t e m p t e d a second t u n e w i t h o u t the l a w being first changed...

...Down s t a te i t is just as bad or worse...

...Forward to victory...

...I t h i n k It most n e c e s s a r y t h a t locally and n a t i o n a l ly we l e a r n to widen our field f r om which to d r a w funds...

...May It mark a milestone In our march to success...

...Election Law Difficulties Some time ago I r e p o r t e d , in T h e , N e w Leader, our election problems...

...These locals are spreading rapidly all over the city...

...b a n k s closed...

...When this article appears the convention In Milwaukee will have started its work...

...Problems and Prospects for Socialism in Illinois 28 Unemployed Councils Formed in Chicago Offer a Rich By A. Dreifuss Field for Propaganda—Election Law Difficulties ( S e c r e t a r y of the Socialist P a r ty of Cook County) [This is the seventh article in the ttries on economic, social and politital conditions i,n the States and the prospects for the Socialist party.] IL L I N O I S Is Suffering from the d e p r e s s i o n t a e same as tbe whole world...

...In t h e c i t y e l e c t i o n s of 1980 the t i c k e t of the S o c i a l i st P a r t y was eliminated from the b a l l o t by the B o a r d of E l e c t i on C o m m i s s i o n e r s . After our legal a c t i o n s i n t h e m a t t e r i t w a s clear t o everyone t h a t the b o a r d of E l e c t i o n commissioners h a d u s u r p ed a power a g a i n s t the v e r y int e n t i o n s of t h e law...

...all the preparatory work close ••operation existed and the best •Pint prevails throughout Out •» IS candidates on the Farmer-J*hor county ticket 8 happen to ** members of the Socialist Party- The speakers always urge «*otere to vote the straight FarjjJjr-Ubor and Socialist Party i *8 Jobless Councils Ibhave a great field for po-¦jbropaganda in the locals of the Workers Committee on Unemployment...

...Both parties will •"PPM* each other actively and «rculste the petitions collectively...

...At this writing there are 38 of them with approximately 10,000 members...

...Not only are our speakers welcome but many members of these locals offer their services for active party work...

...We In Chicago and Illinois awaited this National Convention with great hopes...

...L a b o r R e s e a r c h e s t i m a t - fod J,000,000 a s the number of une m p l o y e d in Illinois...

...Then a few devoted c o m r a d e s got t o g e t h e r and decided to call on t h e p a r t y members for a c h a n g e . They reorganized the county, Instilled new hopes and e n t h u s i a sm and found a way to g e t funds...

...More are to come...

...Old tales are often twisted into lies of the darker sort, and listened to by people of the better sort...

...Their meetings are very well attended, their program very progressive (it la the Socialist program, prepared by the N. E. C...

...1,500,000 t o - d a y is a very c o n s e r v a t i v e figure...

...unemp l o y e d evicted, even from places n o t fit to live in...

...Und e r the old scale the average wage was well above $5.00 per d a y ; under the new It would be f a r below $2.00...

...The educational classes are usually attended to full capacity and it Is a pleasure to listen to the able instructors...

...The Socialist Party homlnated a state wide ticket (governor, lieutenant - governor, wcretary of state, state treasurer, congressman at large, U. S. sen-etc), Including the preslden-U*1 ticket, and the Farmer-Labor **rty nominated a county ticket (states attorney, clerk of appellate court, recorder of deeds, sah-!'»ry district trustees, coroner, J*1...

...the miners are n o w walking the s t r e e t . Some c a l l it a lockout and o t h e r s a s t r i k e . The fact is t h a t the ope r a t o r s had the nerve to offer a r i d i c u l o u s l y low wage scale...

...G e n e r a l l y the number of unemp l o y e d in the U n i t e d S t a t e s is est i m a t e d from 6 to 8 millions...

...S o the s t a t e l e g i s l a t u r e quietly c h a n g e d t h e law...

...T h e s e p r o v i s i o n s m e a n . t h a t a n / sew party—and the Socialist Party, old as it Is, is considered a atw party under this law—must file a petition of 26,000 qualified sad registered voters, who did not vote at the primaries, for state aide elections, and one of about •0,000 of such voters for Cook County with Chicago, and of about M,000 for the City of Chicago alone at mayoralty or aldermanic elections...

...Their names r e a l ly d e s e r v e to be w r i t t e n down on a' roll of honor, and I refrain f r om m e n t i o n i n g them only because I did not a s c e r t a i n whether i t would m e e t with t h e i r approval...

...Considering t h at a l l m i n e r s a r e p r a c t i c a l l y always on p a r t time, t h i s would give t h em a s t a r v a t i o n wage...

...0 Many Calls On the P a r ty U n d e r such c i r c u m s t a n c e s the S o c i a l i s t party finds open ears t h r o u g h o u t the s t a t e . Not that people flock to us...

...W i t h the o p p o r t u n i t y at hand now, more funds a r e needed for l i t e r a t u r e , for organizers, for s p e a k e r s , for circularizing, and for g e n e r a l correspondence...

...J u d g e d by the unemployment in I l l i n o i s one could j u s t as well est i m a t e th> n u m b e r of t o t a l l y unemployed in the whole c o u n t r y to toe well nigh 1 5 millions or onet h i r d of what is n o r m a l l y conside r e d "gainfully employed...

...taxes unpaid a n d homes sold for .taxes...

...These amendm e n t s o u t l a w e d the Socialist P a r t y . There a r e now only t w o l e g al p a r t i e s in the s t a t e — t h e Democ r a t s and the Republicans...

...b u s i n e s s at a .stands t i l l ; m o r t g a g e s on homes and f a r m s foreclosed...

...Until about t h r e e y e a r s ago Chicago Itself was very loosely organized...

...On with the fight...

...Factories shut d o w n or working part time...

...At p r e s e n t we have 19 Soc i a l i s t branches In Chicago and Cook C o u n t y and a ?ood c e n t r a l ized o r g a n i z a t i o n . That It was possible to do as well a s we did In Chicago and the s t a t e is only (in • t o t h e f a c t t h a t we have quite A g r o u p of S o c i a l i s t s a l w a y s willing to sacrifice financial);;, ind a n o t h e r g r o u p , s m a l l a s i t Is, w i th t h e courage to get out and get t h e money...

...The b u r d e n for Cook County and s t a t e has to be borne by t h e c o m r a d e s of Chicago...

...Te overcome these obstacles the Socialist Party of Illinois and the Varmer Labor Party of Cook County entered Into an agreement that has so far worked out sat-bfactorlly...