Norman Thomas Spurs Striking Bronx Tenants
Double Page of Special Norman Thomas Spurs Striking Bronx Tenants AWEEK of intense activity during which Norman Thomas, Socialist candidate for President, addressed a mass meeting of 500 tenants,...
...339,020 1 17 Socialist...
...Enforcing the Law "Well, let us consider the prevailing wage law," Bill responded...
...66,880 1 8 614,813 As labor Is the common burden of our race, so the effort of some to shift their share of the harden on to the shoo Id era of others Is the great durable curse of the race.—Lincoln...
...He also made a speech on the silver question, but concerning the bonus he has continued his golden silence...
...It is not a matter of either this or that, but of correlating one with the other...
...If we abandon a woriiing class view In our working program we begin a mareh that will end in the camp of middle class, reform...
...It is true of alum dwellers, sweated trades like the doll workers, and even In some organized Industries like textiles and mining...
...The reform is a part of the law, but it Is dead...
...Thus far he has been very courageous in bis stand on the following questions: trees, vegetables and poison Ivy...
...9,662 0 1 622,827 1913—Democratic 247,170 33 29 Rep-Fusion 269,789 39 -32 Socialist...
...To endow It with life, to make It real, to insure Its rigid enforcement Is a matter of working class control of the legislative and administrative phases of governing power...
...One fellow told him it was just a trick by the Maine Republicans to make Roosevelt over-confident...
...Equitable Voting System Would Boost Socialist Party Vote THE matter of proportional representation of political parties is again being considered in New York City...
...The next day Levy announced that these eviction orders were illegal and that if they were carried out, he would institute suit for damages against Judge Morris, Engel Brothers, attorneys for the New York Title and Mortgage Company, Maurice Borowsky, attorney for Louis Kiosk, the landlord, City Marshal Florea and anybody elac i concerned...
...We Socialists support it, but it is one thing to have a law enacted and quite another thing to' have it enforced...
...This national effort to choose the lesser of two evils requires the use of o micrometer...
...No{e:~Two typographical errors in the sixth and seventh paragraphs last week reversed our meaning...
...Cast ed...
...Recent pronouncements have emphasized that representation in city councils, state legislatures and in Congress is by a system that is archaic...
...I'reaching the class struggle is not a substitute for a concrete program...
...I've heard something about impossiuilism and opportunism," said Joe...
...He urged the strikers to stand together until the end The eviction trials in the court of Judge William K. Morris who, as a candidate on the Democratic ticket, was called by the Bar Association "unfit" for the bench, was conducted with such unfairness to the tenants tnat Levy arose in the courtroom and told the judge that it was impossible to continue with the cases...
...The Socialist makes the class struggle an underlying concept of both the immediate program and the ultimate aim, and thus avoids a conflict between present and future, between impossibllism and opportunism, between middle class reform and working class power...
...I have seen it mentioned in quite- a number of books," Joe replied, "and where there ia srr.oke, there must be fiie " lacing lni|)ossibilisni "Fei haps you mistake vapor for smoke,'' said Bill...
...Faith implies trust in somebody else," Bill continued...
...Some one has suggested thai it's a good excuse for cutting the man in half...
...By Philip Hochstein Once YouVe Seen 'Em POLITICAL experts predict that the final stage of the campaign will be a neck-and-neck race between Roosevelt and Hoover...
...Party...
...P.B...
...Even In some organized Industries, the workers are not always able effectively to resist the historical tendency mentioned by Marx...
...on of the P» D. RoOflluted editing HUnea, Just • publication B campaign III now tour-¦Miaui what Hp' * curious rajwr* en the ing contribution to this problem is the hiring of a special train for his campaign party...
...Forcing Concessions "Certainly not," Bill continued, "but in proportion as we build a class conscious party and threaten the power of the ruling groups, reformers will probably make a few real concessions to the workers...
...Appearances are all against him...
...and a concrete program is not a substitute for preaching the class struggle...
...Meanwhile, Herbert Hoover stays home, trying to decide whether or not be should make any personal appearance* through the country...
...The class struggle concept shoots ex-rays through the shams and deceits of capitalist politics and middle class reform movements...
...His trip has also been useful in cheering up the depressed farmers...
...8,773 0 0 1,309,263 1921—Democratic 614,559 52 35 Republican...
...Class pressure on onr part Inspires the respect and fear of our enemies, but they' have little fear of a movement that fears frankly to rest Its claims on the Interests of the working class...
...Today, they are one odor...
...Here's the only Instance in this discussion of where there Is fire as well as smoke...
...They have pledged themselves to stand together if the strike takes all winter...
...Or the conflict can occur when the class struggle is ignored and immediate measures are emphasized to the exclusion of Socialist aims...
...The landlord Is expected to yield to the tenants eventually...
...113,451 0 7 Others...
...Where did you get this idea of a conflict between the concept of class struggle and a working program...
...Double Page of Special Norman Thomas Spurs Striking Bronx Tenants AWEEK of intense activity during which Norman Thomas, Socialist candidate for President, addressed a mass meeting of 500 tenants, and Matthew M. Levy, Socialist attorney, denounced the judge in court for bias against the workers, characterized the rent-strike situation at the Sholom Aleichem apartments, 3481 Giles place, Bronx...
...Signs Eviction Orders After Levy, with attorneys Sol Perrln and Alfred Belskin, withdrew from the courtroom, Samuel Laderman, president of the tenants' committee, asked for an adjournment so that the tenants could obtain another attorney...
...Nothing since the Sinking of the Maine has so shocked Washington as the Sinking of Maine...
...The prevailing wage law was tossed as a bone to workers by the legislative section of capitalist politics, and It is ignored by the administrative section of capitalist politics...
...One view considers only the present and the other considers only the future and it is inevitable that conflict should occur, but there Is something even more important back of this antagonism...
...They also announced that they were drawing up a "black-list" of rent striking tenants...
...By election day he should be kissing the cows...
...who does not counsel at the needful moment never counsels.—Gee the...
...An unenforced law of interest to the workers is of no value to them...
...In that case we have a sterile political opportunism that abandons the fundamental Socialist aim of winning power for the working class...
...11,627 1 0 1,137,142 1917—Democratic 293,097 44 32 Republican...
...1931—Democratic 851,218 64 42 Republican...
...He has said "Howdy" to them...
...Negotiations have been going on steadily between former Judge Jacob Panken and Matthew Levy and the attorneys for the owners...
...Another explanation held that Roosevelt had speech in MalW But no one Hoover that In cause he didn't j • The thing thi paign sad for the refusal of I become his 3* least an Assist * The Maine * lest In the natk Hoover In Sej have a chance velt In Noveml • The other 47 only one wallop to make it sirtn down Hoover a time...
...I know of no conflict between the concept of class struggle and a program of immediate action...
...On Monday night, the striking tenants waited for three hours until Thomas and Levy arrived from another meeting, and when they enteied the hall they were greeted with tremendous enthusiasm...
...Only a Thomas will 4 There Is no i rumor that MM evelt, who has her new magi Babies," will ! with her M speeches...
...Ready for Evictions In the meantime the spirit and solidarity of the 212 rent-strikers is greater than ever...
...Bill inquired...
...He made a U railroad situalk *» of telling ' defeated being* voles...
...Have you observed any protests by the professional reformers in New York City against the violation of the prevailing wage law, Joe...
...Who does not help as at the needful moment never helps...
...Our reforms then become our objective, and even the immediate interests of the working class are forgotten, to say nothing of the social revolution which is our fundamental aim...
...Such a conflict will arise when one repudiates the idea of platform measures dealing with current questions...
...Thomas told the tenants that their solidarity was an example of the awakening of working people throughout the country...
...You display such a pathetic faith in the class struggle, as though preaching it is a substitJte fir a concrete program...
...31,619 0 4 Others...
...This situation is general throughout the United States...
...Levy accused the judge of deciding against the tenants before they had a chance to testify and to present their evidence...
...He began with answering fan letters from the little kiddies...
...The two paragraphs should read as folloivs: "Y-e-s, I think so," said Joe hesitantly...
...It isn't a' pathetic faith in the class struggle that we urge...
...Thanks," said Bill as he lit a match...
...In that ease, we face Im-posHtblllsm In political action...
...Franklin Rot Ing the countrj the people wal person...
...Lack of such correlation means the appearance of either the middle class opportunist In Our ranks or the...
...Preaching Class Struggle, Pushing Concrete Program: Party of Workers Does Both By ALTOLVCUS " jrT'S a pity the way some or your Marxists act," said M. Joe as he met Bill in the cigar store...
...He's getting chummier with the people every day in his quest for votes...
...He's in favor of planting the first two and placing a protective tariff on the third...
...It used to be said that the two old political parties were like two peas lp a pod...
...An Underlying Concept "Certainly not," Bill responded...
...Theoretically, that appears sound," said Joe, "but it would be more clear If you would give a concrete example of what you mean...
...To date, not a single eviction order has been executed on these cases...
...Impossible Imposslblllst," concluded Joe...
...I begin to see light," said Joe...
...The League defended the right of tenants to strike for decent and safe conditions In their apartments and for the reduction of exorbitant rent...
...397,505 12 33 Socialist...
...No, I can't say that I have, now that you mention it," said Joe...
...This Is a contest to defeat a candidate for the Presidency...
...In part, yes," Bill replied...
...Hoover called in many of his aides and demanded to know why the Republican ticket was so badly beaten...
...So you would not substitute preaching of class struggle for-a concrete program," said Joe...
...The demands of the tenants are: reinstatement of four evicted families...
...The strike hegan five weeks ago when the landlord evicted four tenants in violation of his agreement to permit them to remain if the tenants paid half their rent...
...110,254 0 • Others...
...kea this cam-It Hoover is Americans to i »hort of at •cretaryship, W the link Mttf trounced *, they still fcnee Roosek tan get in mithty'U have Hah to knock Mtvelt at one I'for Norman MprA...
...Mure," BUI replied...
...Have a smoke," Bald Joe, as he handed BUI a cigar...
...Half his cabinet wants him to tour the country, and the other half Mint* him to stay home...
...116,293 7 12 Others...
...the landlord to carry five per cent of the unemployed if the tenants pay for the rest...
...But the peas and the pod have become more and more rotten with each passing year...
...Is that your explanation of these ideas...
...The word "unorganised'' appeared for the ivord "organised...
...203,775 16 22 Socialist...
...They base this prediction on the theory that Roosevelt is now way ahead of Hoover in popular sentiment, but plans to make more speeches than Hoover...
...Next he was stroking the babies...
...The unfair representation in New York City is evident from the following table, which shows the party representation in the Board of Aldermen since 1913: Al-No.of der- Seats men Unvotes Elect- der Year...
...They are ready for evictions with a tent colony and community kitchens for older people and all tenants have promised to share their apartments with the children and aged of evicted families...
...Sure," said Bill...
...These threats were immediately answered by the Bronx 'Tenants' Emergency League of the Socialist Party, 9 West 170th street...
...The voter mnst decide whether to defeat Hoover or defeat Roosevelt...
...In New York City, it is pointed out, in the election of 1931 Tammany polled 66 per cent of the vote, but it has 98.5 per cent of the members of the Board of Aldermen, while all other parties, polling a total of 35 per cent of the vote, have only 1.5 per cent of the aldermen...
...Samuel Orr, Socialist candidate against Morris, received the endorsement of the Bar Association...
...a month's concession...
...equalization of the rents with similar apartments in the neighborhood, and painting and repairing of the social rooms...
...What we insist upon is knowledge of the class antagonism Inherent In capitalist society and relytng on that knowledge as a guide to our political action...
...It promised to send representatives to Albany to fight the landlords' legislation and to rally workers all over the Bronx against it...
...In the face of such obvious bias, Levy declared, it was useless to hold the trials...
...To Ask Law Against Strikes Another development in the situation was the decision of the Bronx Landlords' Protective Association to go to Democratic and Republican legislators in Albany to get them to pass a law making rent-strike agitation a misdemeanor carrying with it imprisonment...
...He said that the judge had announced that he would not believe the testimony of the tenants but would believe the landlord's witnesses, even before the tenants had taken the witness stand...
...Judge Morris refused, and instead granted the request of the landlord's lawyer and signed 26 eviction orders, assessing many of the tenants $10 for cost besides...
...Most modern nations have discarded this system, as it practically disfranchises minority groups...
Vol. 14 • September 1932 • No. 13
