Labor Leaders Greet New Leader On First Anniversary
THOMAS, NORMAN
Labor Leaders Greet New Leader On First Anniversary "A Matter of Life" By NORMAN THOMAS Executive Director, League for In dustriel Democracy 1CONGRATULATE Tho New Leader on...
...New Leader Birthday Party This Thursday The reservations committee in charge of The New Leader's birthday dinner reports that a roll call at the Yorkville Casino Thursday night would read like a roster of all the veterans, young and old, in the Socialist and Labor movement hereabouts...
...The Naw Loader, 7 East ISth Street, er call Stayveaant I SMS...
...articles satirizing and ridiculing—not too bitterly—things as they are, articles and paragraphs for which Oscar Ameringer, McAl-ister Coleman and Howard Bru-baker are justly famous...
...For the future, I hope that The New Leader will find it possible to attract as readers a much larger number of those not technically Socialists, who must be reached if we are ever going to convert the majority...
...The True Spirit Of Socialism" By J. BASKIN General Secretary of the Workmen's Circle IGREET you on this your first anniversary...
...By B. C. VLADECK...
...A great subscription campaign within all ranks must be pushed as vigorously as possible...
...It ia entitled to 1,000,000 readers in this country, where several times that number have broken old ties and are seeking for the light out of the wilderness...
...The New Leader has lived up to the finest tradi-tic na of the old New York Call, and thousands within our Labor movement are hoping to see The New Leader, now a weekly guest, become a daily companion of our movement...
...In the days whan the Russian revolution was in the making, Comrade Abramowitz ranked with Martov and Plechanof as one of the pillars of strength behind Russian Socialism...
...On to the ISO.OOO week...
...It has kept the attention of the workers on the heart of the social problem...
...There is Only one idea and one movement that is solid, that is rooted in the realities of life, and that is the Socialist idea and the Socialist movement...
...With such a record to start with, there ia goad reason to believe that tha second year wlH far outstrip the first and that tha weekly Leader of today will be-tome tha Daily Leader before tha celebration ef its third annlvereery...
...Neither tha Socialist Party nor the larger Labor party, of which we should like to be the most aggressive part, can live and thrive without its own publications...
...It is not always easy to combine the two functions...
...Hail The New Leader...
...Whst ran I suggest by way of improving still further The New Leader...
...Had we a few hundred New Leaders scattered over Ihe country to open the eyes of the people, we would soon put an end to these revolting barbarities in the name of law and order...
...Congratulations and best wishes to The New Leader...
...Another feature of great interest to the readers of Tha Naw Leader would ba special articles written by trade unionists, educators, coopers-tors, leading Socialists, on certain topics of tha day in tha field of Labor, Socialism, education and cooperation...
...Long live The Naw Leader...
...j Wrila now to tha Dianar Com...
...Professor Zimmern's address at The New Leader banquet will be the only one he will make, aside from his lectures at Columbia University...
...Every issue of the Kederationiet should be surveyed and the attitude of the Socialist Party towards all issues raised with, in the Labor movement clearly stated...
...It must go on...
...A Paper To Be Proud Of" By ALGERNON LEE Educational Director el the Rand School of Social Science THE editors and the managers of Tha Naw Leader, in my judgment, deserve hearty praise and thanks for their year's work...
...Therefore the Socialist Party is the Labor party of the United States, and to organize another is worse than a waste of time because of the confusion that would develop in the minds of people to whose interest it is to be Socialists...
...All of which is to the good...
...None so well as they can do the constructing...
...It must, in the language of religion, both "convert the sinners and strengthen the saints...
...The Rallying Point of Our Movement...
...Your editor has asked not only for words of commendation, but also for constructive criticism...
...It is too much on the alert to find fault with what needs repairing and remedying elsewhere to be above self-criticism...
...The importance of the typography of The Naw Leader cannot be over-emphasized...
...Acting as a keyboard for the transmission of news, domestic and foreign, of Labor importance, it functions well...
...There ought to be more than one of them, but The New Leader has already earned Hs right to be counted among the chief...
...May it continue to lead the forces of Labor and Socialism to the final emancipation of the working, class and the triumph of Socialism...
...That the Socialist Party in the United States is weaker than it should be is very discouraging, but there cannot be any doubt that whatever was sown by the Socialist movement in the United States for the last two decades will give us a rich and beautiful harvest when conditions change...
...All af which means you've gat to make your rasarvatlans immediately if you hope to attaad...
...A Year of Achievement" By JOSEPH E. COHEN T T IS easy to feel good over the I year of splendid achievement of The New Leader Settled cosily in the midst of the Socialist and Labor movements, with the sure touch of the veteran and the freshness of the pioneer, its place is made...
...Morris Hillquit, Congressman Victor L.Berger, Abraham Cahan and Meye ondon will be some of the oilier speakers...
...Indications are that every Socialist this side of Philadelphia will ba trying to jam his way into York-ville Casino Thursday night, and the sad truth is that some people—the slow ones'—are going to be left in the cold...
...Labor Leaders Greet New Leader On First Anniversary "A Matter of Life" By NORMAN THOMAS Executive Director, League for In dustriel Democracy 1CONGRATULATE Tho New Leader on completing iU first year and celebrating its birthday ia so healthy a condition...
...It contains enough of propaganda matter to make it worth putting into the hands of those who are not with us hut are facing our way...
...It has proved to be a household necessity to those of us who want to keep pace with the advance of the Socialist movement at home and abroad and with the hopeful developments in the world of Labor...
...Socialist Party THE celebratioa by The New Leader af its first anniversary must be an occasion for rejoicing among its raadera who have watched it grow froas an infant ta mature poster in the field of Labor journalism ia Just one year...
...During the period of readjustments The New Leader has done valuable duty by the party and is gratefully recognized as a rallying post of our movement by all who cherish Socialism and what it stands for...
...It bringa us trustworthy news of the political and industrial movement at home and abroad...
...I urge that it is our duty, almost as a matter of life and death of the Party and cause we believe in, to help The New Leader live and grow...
...In this great work The New Leader has taken its place and is daily growing in influence and power, and if the working class and those who sympathize with the toilers and producers give it the loyal, energetic and substantial support it ought to have, within another year it will become the daily New Leader and fight with tenfold power for the triumph of Labor and the working-class republic...
...If every reader will help, we ought to reach it long before the next presidential campaign...
...Having in mind our financial limitations, however, I want to humbly suggest the following: That we have a separate and distinct trade union page, all of our unions being invited to report weekly in said page the most important events of the week of special interest to the Labor movement in general...
...The New Leader deserves the support of the entire Labor movement and will undoubtedly become the wide-spread organ of Socialism...
...It must be devoted essentially to propaganda, since radical dailies are few and of local circulation...
...Given to propaganda, as it needs must be for its first aim, it is meeting requirements...
...Required to reflect and interpret the doings of the times, it haa been pointed and brief...
...It has improved...
...It must be one of our chief bonds of unity, the chief medium for an exchange of ideas and in the highast and best sense educations...
...Another feature I would like to see in The New Leader is extracts and quotations from the weekly and monthly trade union publications, so as to give the readers of The New Leader some idea what the publications of the miners, railroad workers, leather workers, textile workers, clothing workers, and all other workers, writ* about tha movement ia general and their own crafts in particular...
...Most of our papers and periodicals were either forcibly suppressed or persecuted and bankrupted during the war when the profiteering criminals were stealing and hoarding the gold coined from tha blood of tha soldiers aid dared not allow tha people to know the truth about their monstrous crime as proclaimed by the Socialist press ef that period...
...Emphasize the fact that there'is, and can be, no difference between a Socialist Party and a Labor party—it can not be the one without being the, other...
...Does it pay to try to crowd too much information in one issue, if in so doing things are too greatly crowded...
...The arrangements committee, selfishly, is holding a lot of surprises to Itself, but they will be out on Thursday night...
...Within the last couple of days I have had the opportunity of studying the controversy between Trotsky and his opponents on the 1917 revolution in Russia, and the more I think into it the clearer 1 see into what wildernesses of contradiction and impotence one U liable to stray if he leaves the ground of Socialist philosophy...
...Having done so well in one year, what is next...
...Praise And Advice By EMIL HERMAN CONGRATULATIONS to The New Leader on the first anniversary of it* existence and to the comrades who have done aa much to make it the good paper it ia...
...Wa lost the daily we once had in New York largely aa one ef the caaualtiaa of the war and we must now have another and a better one to take its place, for we shall not be able te claim national power and prestige as a Socialist movement as long as we are without a daily paper in the financial and industrial capital of the nation...
...It must ever reach out for new worlds to conquer...
...In addition to tha list of Socialist notables announced in Tha New Leader last week, who will address the diners, the committee has added Comrade Rafael Abramovitz, a member of the Socialist and Labor International, and one of the real leaders of the Russian revolutionary movement...
...Comrade Abramowitz is about to embark on a tour of the country, which will take him to tha Pacific Coaat, and The New Leader banquet will afford New York Socialists the last opportunity to hear him speak...
...More attention should ba paid to the activities and progress of our Labor banks throughout tha country...
...It should make its special appeal te the children of the family, with essay contests such as those conducted by the Illinois Miner—and conducted so successfully—and stories and pictures...
...As McAlister Coleman, who incidentally has been coaxed into telling a Bourgeoisie **ed-Time Story as a night-cap at the dinner, would say, "Not to attend The Now Leader Dinner is to write yourself down a social pariah...
...How much space should be given to portraits, to cartoons...
...They have given us a paper we may be proud of, and have laid solid foundations for its continued existence and its future growth...
...And unless you can be satisfied with picking up the stray gossip around the clubhouse after the affair is over, after having written yourself down a social pariah, you'd better let the arrangements committee hear from you at once...
...If The New Leader continues to shed light and analyze the economic and political phenomena of domestic and world affairs, and if it will not deviate from its principles, it will further the best interests of the Labor movement and will show the masses the v/ay to better conditions...
...Yet being a weekly it must partake also of the character of a review...
...Its editorial policy has been sane and sound...
...But in my observation the majority of the comrades look for it eagerly and read it with pleasure and profit...
...League for laduatrial Democracy HAIL to The New Leader...
...The Leader of Labor" By OSSIP WALINSKY Maaager...
...Manager, Jewish Daily Forward PLEASE let me congratulate The New Leader upon the completion of Its first year's existence...
...Hay its editors improve it all they can...
...That might mean having a bigger paper...
...International Pochetboek Workers' Union ON January 24, 1828, The New Leader will have completed a year of struggle and strife, a year of battle and sacrifice in the interest of the working.clasa and the Socialist movement...
...And, that their work may bear the most abundant fruit, may all its readers give the management hearty support in ensuring its circulation...
...But from the very beginning its appeal to the workers, ao earnestly and effectively mada, had favorable and encouraging response from all parts of the country, and today, after but a short year, Tha Naw Leader has a nation-wide circulation as a militant Labor paper and is exercising a powerful influence in educating the working class in the vital economic and political issues which involve their immediate welfare and their future emancipation...
...More light should ba given on the activities of the American Federation of Labor...
...For the growing army of builders of the new civilization must have straw with which to make brick for the structure...
...The New Leader must become the leader of the Labor movement...
...It Has Made Good" By HARRY W. LA1DLER Director...
...Its editorials and special articles give us many a "talking point" which we can use in the shop or tha union hall or on the soapbox...
...mittre...
...Teach Socialism only...
...Its circle of influence could be increased immeasurably...
...In these days wheat we are dis-euasing a Labor party The New Leader has an especially important role to play...
...Another added attraction, to borrow a phrase from tha theatre ad writers, will ba an unusually fine musical program which will be aup-plied by the S. Hurok Musical Bureau, whose artists include such luminaries of the concert and operatic stage as Chaliapio, Mischa Elman and Pavlowa Comrade and Professor Alfred Zimmern, with R. H. Tawney, the founders of the present workers' education movement of Great Britain, will be anothor of the distinguished guests who will speak...
...It must not only lead the chosen few, but the masses...
...Do other Labor papers of a large circulation, Labor, for tn-atanee, owe such greater circulation partly to a more pleasing appearance, to less heavy headlines, to larger type in the editorial columns, etc...
...The time haa now come to reorganize, rebuild and renew our press and give it greater power than it ever had before to fight the battles of the workers against the crushing and corrupting powers of capitalist imperialism which now rulea with ruthless away and strides in iron-shod boots over the prostrate liberties ef the people...
...It is the business of the union leaders to bring T'ic New Leader to the rank and file...
...All Labor banks may be asked by The New Leader to furnish it with all data and necessary information pertaining to their daily doings...
...I believe that a careful study sheuld also be made by experts of the typographical appearance of The New Leader and a report rendered...
...Are we in a position to do it...
...But as a Socialist expression, it could not if it would be smug with satisfaction...
...Nor should the special interest of the housewife and mother be neglected...
...Nothing is more certain than our need of an interesting and reliable publication...
...The Mooneye and Billingses, the Saccos and Vanzetties, peering through their steel cagea, tell in mute and mournful numbers the tragedy of Labor's brutal suppression and relentless torture when it haa the manhood to stand erect and dares assert lis constitutional rights in tha United States...
...And when our weekly has 50,000 steady subscribers, it will ba time to talk of again launching a Socialist and Labor daily in New York...
...If there is one thing the working class in the United States needs today in its daily struggle with its exploiters it is a press that shall not only champion its interest and fight its battles, but that shall serve as a truly educational medium in developing the capacity of the workers to think for themselves and in impressing upon them, day in and day out, with relentless persistence and emphasis, that they, the workers themselves, have the power within themselves to emancipate their class from wage-slavery, to outlaw war as a crime and ensure the perpetual peace of all nations,- to humanize the race, to banish poverty, ignorance and superstition, to put an end to exploitation and parasitism, and to make this a really civilized world...
...I think that a number of prominent men active in those fields of endeavor will respond...
...You will appreciate that all my suggestions are designed solely with the intent and purpose of making The New Leader the leader of the Labor movement...
...none so much as they need the material...
...Well, I know the financial means of the Leader and 1 know how meagre they are...
...k "Cause for Congratulations" By THEODORE DEBS THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY of The New Leader should be cause for congratulation on the part of its staff as well as its readers, for it has certainly established itself on a firm basis, with a most promising future, in so short a time...
...The New Leader began its career in a sadly disorganized socialistic field and under anything but encouraging circumstances...
...It has made good...
...Since criticism is asked, I submit as an improvement the following change in the editorial policy...
...If this be denied, we have but to point to our jails and penitentiaries in which hundreds of victims are chained like dogs in steel kennels for the mere expression of an opinion offensive to the ruling dynasty...
...One of the tragedies of the radical movement has been the drift of the children of tha radicals away from the progressive viewpoint because nothing effective has bean done to attract their interest' in the social movement...
...What is the verdict of those who know in regard to further improvement...
...No paper will succeed which does not keep them both in mind...
...Certainly the paper is not perfect...
...I know that if we ar« to improve the Leader it is necessary first of all to increase the number of pages, place additional writers on the staff, and introduce new features...
...Again, a successful year, and all sorts of hopes for an ever more effective organ in the great cause of human freedom to which The New Leader is so ardently committed...
...Norman Thomas will be chairman and toastmaster, which is enough of a magnet in itself to attract an overflow audience...
...Quit flirting with and boosting Labor leaders and others who* either do not know enough or refuse to accept, endorse and support the Socialist Party...
...The seed of a clear-cut Socialist daily ia New York te cover the vaat field surrounding that great center of industry and commerce ia tee obvious te require argument in its support, and it would certainly be a matter of great importance te tha Socialist movement in general, aa It would be te that immediate locality, te have suck a paper established...
...Increase of readers should see to that...
...The Daily of Tomorrow" By EUGENE V. DEBS National (hairman...
...In many directions it fills open wants...
...During the first year of its existence, The New Leader has been permeated by the true spirit of Socialism, and has carried on Its work, bearing the standard of Socialist ideals...
...To its international and home Labor and Socialist news, and comment on stage, music and books, it could have a compact digest of the outstanding events in trades union affairs and in scientific, intellectual and Social activities...
...1 hope that the first year will prove to have been the hardest...
...But it is not in New York alone that we lark the influence of a militant Labor press...
...Those whose temperament inclines them to see faults more clearly than merits can find real and serious defects in every issue...
...Well, it could be a bigger paper...
...It has rarely descended to personal attacks...
...It should include in its pages, if it is to influence the larger group, one or more articles every week of lighter vein...
Vol. 2 • January 1925 • No. 4
