Timely Topics
Thomas, Norma
By Norman Thomas TIMELY TOPICS Every week Norman Thomas writes ia his pungent style his own comments upon the salient event, of the moment. The Battle Goes Ora * fit ERE are plenty of reasons...
...They rejected Msrxism, and fabricated a new theory in advance of Marxism, the theory of gradual evolution from capitalism to Socialism...
...If there comes any appreciable improvement of business conditions, it will bring a revival in the labor movement...
...In plain words, the vote in New York City which Col...
...They heard it with exceeding interest...
...This year 1 don't remember a single chairman who tried to make my speech for me...
...We have the next two year*' work cut out for us, vr* have an Increased force with which to do it, and 1 hope we shall have the wisdom to do it well...
...Our .labor movement, compared with that of European countries, is slow and backward...
...Racialists Are No Socialists TO this I must add that he is no Socialist who * put...
...Yet in no other country are the material conditions so rotten ripe for the building of a Socialist society...
...Ths fundamentals can be presented clearly and simply In popular language...
...When the actual vote falls far below what they have been led to expect, their enthusiasm is damped and they are often tempted to doubt whether their generous efforts have not been wasted, whether it is really worth while to go on making sacrifices in such a cause...
...The first fact that strikes us is that we were victims of the herd stampede inspired not by affection for, or confidence In, Franklin Roosevelt, but hate of Hoover...
...Lehman drew to himself, and to soma extent to hia supporters Gov...
...The decision of the American Federation of Labor to demand a federal system of unemployment insurance means a reorientation which everyone who understands the fundamental principle of Socialism must heed with delight...
...The editorial entitled, "The Right to Alms" was ths subject of widespread snd bitter criticism...
...Even as things are, a new spirit is stirring within the trade unions...
...It was a joy to be with them on some of our up-state New York engagements...
...Let us study the struggles of ths proletariat in England and In other countries...
...Roosevelt and Senator Wagner, is the kind of vote that is one of the hardest problems in education and organization that we have to face...
...I hope we are not going to do that...
...Thus our bluff and ballyhoo produce a result just the op-1 posits of what we intended, ths prestige if the party is lowered, whereas it might have been raised...
...There are two ways by which this middle-class ideology may be overcome...
...Promise, Performance, and Possibilities I AM wondering when, if ever, 1 we American Socialists will give up the infantile practice of bragging beforehand about the number of votes we are going to get...
...As President, he will have no such excuse...
...We who imagine ourselves" the vanguard of the proletariat—who pretend to think, try to teach, and attempt to lead—cannot be too thoroughly grounded In Marxism...
...It will not in the years that lie ahead without Socialist teaching in that school...
...Therefore we should study European history in order to understand ourselves...
...Even for them, it has its dangers, and they generally do it in moderation...
...We have to educate ourselves, moreover in the best way to get our message across and to organize our new comrades...
...That this practice makes us ridiculous is bad enough, for we ought to prize the dignity* of our movement and wish it to command respect even among its enemies...
...I have said this before concerning my ewa vote for Mayor and Borough President) Both ia New York snd...
...For class-struggle they substituted class conciliation, class collaboration...
...Roosevelt was just liberal enough to make it possible for the more progressive voters, by sticking rosy glasses over their eyes and cotton in their ears, to vote for him...
...The old terminology may be too technical, and ths longer words of Marx too heavy for the average reader...
...I wish I had time and space here and now to thank the comrades in the national and local offices and the Jimmy Higginses new and old who made the three and a half months of strenuous campaigning so much of a joy...
...For that fundamental principle is that the emancipation of the working class is to be achieved by the working class...
...If I were to write a new Decalogue, the first commandment would read: "Thou shalt not kid thyself...
...I hope we are going to remember that we are part of the working class...
...Oh, yes, they get over this in the course of a few weeks— not all, but most of them—and buckle down to work once more...
...So did a number of other places...
...Votes Thrown Away afjBVTOUSLY voters who so easily throw away " their votes on their hates and prejudices have little real confidence in political action...
...It does matter for the reasons we gave in the campaign...
...When the people learn that we have a good deal under a million, they compare this with the figures on which we have been feeding them and they not unreasonably conclude that we have lost ground...
...Many of us— intellectuals and thinking workers — can free our minds by studying Msrxism...
...Waldman emphatically deserved a support from labor men and women snd from Socialist sympathizers that Col...
...Here is a tremendous educational job for us to do in fundamental Socialism...
...The other is active participation in the class struggle...
...American history is a #ontinuation of European history on a virgin continent...
...Thomas and I want to say to all of you who welcomed us so delightfully throughout the country and gave us so stirring a reception in New York, a very deep and sincere word of thanks...
...for as soon as they see the least chance to win, the workers will have to fight for the restoration of wages and shop conditions which have been battered down during the depression...
...Or in more serious language, that it is1 not a man or a party that has failed but a system...
...It Is a Marxist axiom that environment determines consciousness...
...A. L. We Need Marxism Today To Win a Free World (Continued from Page-Might) Donald simply turn traitor and go over to the other side...
...They cannot save it Reforms ars not saving Europe...
...We Need Marxism America needs Marxism...
...Their continuing life and vigor will make the campaign of '32 more worthwhile than twice as many votes without them...
...They will not ssvs America...
...but we, with the tendency of all imitators to overdo the fashions they ape, are not content to predict anything less than double the vote we might soberly hope to get...
...Most of our workers are soaked in this middleclass ideology...
...According to this theory, government—the state— stands above classes, and arbitrates between them for the common good...
...Our people and our institutions are European in their origins...
...Roosevelt has always had an excuse for not showing results—the Republicans controlled the legislature...
...We have a lot to learn from Europe...
...Must we follow the path of reformism, and wind up in defeat, discouragement, and apathy...
...Was it merely betrayal by a leader, an individual defection...
...Such organization must make our sympathizers understand that he is no Socialist who talks Socialism and votes for either old party, or who merely votes for one or two good men in local elections...
...But don't forget, every such disappointment leaves a scar...
...But that is not the worst Our young and inexperienced comrades naturally take at face value the forecasts made by our candidates, party officials, and propagandists...
...It is a pity that more suffering is needed to teach the workers that it is foolish because you have been stepped on by an elephant to ask the donkey to kick you...
...Middle-class environment, middle-class antecedents produce middle-class minds, Ideas, prejudices, sentiments...
...When the old parties do this, I can see some sense in it...
...The appearance of this editorial in ona of the outstanding capitalist papers la symptomatic of ths vicious attacks that will be mads upon ths workers, now thst they have given such a sweeping victory to ths Democratic Party, and has thus given a mandate to capitalist suppression of ths workers...
...And it is not a* difficult as some of us imagine...
...Progressives come cheap in America...
...Our Great Audience | TURN now to more cheerful things...
...it influences the sort of voters who wish above all to be on the winning &ide...
...The worst anyone did was to introduce me by what sounded like a premature obituary I Mrs...
...Indeed it la scarcely Socialism at all...
...Bourgeois reforms only lengthen the agony, and prolong the death pains of a dying social order...
...The Battle Goes Ora * fit ERE are plenty of reasons why oar Socialist * battle must go on and enough encouragements In the last campaign to make it ss superfluous ss It is foolish...
...That meant not only good driving by my comrades over hundreds of miles of roads, not only efficient, work by hundreds of underpaid railroad workers, but splendid planning...
...Wisconsin ws have a job to do to make real Socialists out of our municipal sympathisers...
...Of course organization is vitally important, the kind of organization that knows where people live and can get out the votes...
...Nol—it was the logical result of the whole economic and political theory on which the British Labor Party was based...
...TWO SOCIALISTS HELD FOR PICKETING 'W.G.N.' CHICAGO.—Roy Burt, esndidate for Governor on the Socialist ticket end Amicus Most were arrested when they participated in picketing the building of the Chicago "Tribune," the "World'* greatest newspaper," by a group of Socialist Party, Young Peoples' Socialist League members and members of the Chicago Workers' Committee on Unemployment, in protest against a vicious editorial thst appeared in that paper the day after election...
...Let us lesrn our lesson...
...The practical results of this theory...
...The Best Hope rT1HE best hope for Socialist teaching lies in the splendid young organizations I found springing up wherever I went...
...But the fundamentals of Marxism, properly presented, are not beyond the mentality of the average worker...
...Thanks * partly to the radio more people heard the Socialist message than ever before...
...The whole country would have gained and the whole prospect for peaceful revolution have been brightened had we received the million to two million votes we had a right to expect...
...Instead, we filled the general press as well as our own papers with assurances that we were going to get two million, two and a half million, three million—our national secretary even said eight million, but most of the daily papers were kind enough not to print his statement By our efforts, two million wits fixed in the public mind as the minimum expectation...
...And how about the general public...
...The more reason then to examine the situation...
...Milwaukee's municipal victories and the great vote for Morris Hillquit in New York City are encouraging, but in these days the Socialism that stops at the city limits and thinks only in terms of the City Hall wont get far...
...The masses will learn most from their own experience...
...To help them live and grow is our main task...
...Before we attempt to educate ths workers we must first educate ourselves...
...One is the study of Marxism...
...It is my guess that by 1931 Democratic stocks will b* much below par...
...Obviously, however they applaud, they vote for the tiniest of imaginary gains from one of the old parties and call this "practical" without understanding how much more good a big Socialist vote would do them whoever won...
...Are we so blind we can not profit by the mistakes and failures of our British coulins...
...The speed with which the masses learn will depend, to some extent, on the quslity of the leadership furnished by the conscious Marxist vanguard...
...Let us study ths history of the Europesn labor movement, learn to avoid their mistakes and failures, and profit by their long and varied experience...
...If, in our relations with the uions through these critical years that now lie before us, our party behaves like a pious old maiden aim;, the working class will pass us by and find its own way— groping and blundering, perhaps, but it will find its own way, and we fhall figure as a querulous and impotent sect...
...Ths blind lead the blind...
...Not a meeting did I miss nor was I once late in my schedule...
...A. Governor, Mr...
...It is our first duty...
...Despite this csrdinal blunder, we have made progress...
...They must live and grow...
...One thing is required...
...the glory of his race first in a gubernatorial campaign and a mighty poor labor man who prefers to reward the philanthropy of a Wall Street banker rather than build a lighting working class party...
...Reading mad* a splendid showing...
...Four years ago we had something under 300,000 votes for our national ticket...
...Evidently the school of hard knocks hasn't yet graduated a very intelligent class...
...1 now learn from letters and conversations that Hoover's desperate spurt scared thousands into voting for Roosevelt for fear Hoover would win, and stranger still, in some places persuaded voters who had been talking of voting Socialist to vote for Hoover because they distrusted Roosevelt 1 We lost both ways...
...Here in New York we have not much cause for self-reproach and no reason for gloom...
...Wishful thinking is the root of most of our follies...
...We should have had a prestige and power greater than we Can now claim until we win in the Congressional elections of 1934...
...Lehman got instead...
...In this connection I want to say a word of high praise for the energetic and intelligent campaigns of Louis Waldmsn and Charles Solomon...
...Intelligent and hard work on our part plus a little experience of the sure follies of a divided and stupid Democracy" will rapidly persuade an electorate that has at least broken loose in the elections of '28 and '32 from old style party regularity that there is no hope in either capitalist party...
...unrealistic to claim either that our national vote was satisfactory or that its sise doesn't matter...
...Had we refrained from idle boasting, the public would now know that we have made a substantial gain...
...Wo are challenged to clarify our minds, to think critically and scientifically, to analyse our situation, and to give special attention to ths most important question before the working class of the world, the question of tactics: ths role of fores, evolution and revolution, democracy and dictatorship...
...I knew that Roosevelt would win in this way, but thought, from the size and enthusiasm of our audiences and the indications of straw votes that more men and women, intellectuals, farmers and city workers, would have etood out against this herd protest vote lor the Democrats...
...The British Labor Party In office, with the support of the Liberals, but without power to carry out Its own program—a working-class party responsible for the administration of British capitalism and supporting British imperialism in India and elsewhere —then on their knees before the international bankers to aave the pound—cuts in the dole, and further hardships for the working class—and MacDonald openly gone over to the capitalist side...
...Wc have more than doubled that, possibly trebled it...
...Our Americsn intellectuals are confused and bewildered...
...The meetings were well run...
...Must this experience be repeated in America...
...In such a time, if we behave like comrades' we shall i be welcomed as comrades...
Vol. 14 • January 1932 • No. 21
