OTS British Spurn Gandhi Proposed Deal Fails to SOCIALIST APPEAL FEBRUARY 10, 1940 ON THE WAR IN FINLAND LABOR WITH WHITE SKIN The CANNOT EMANCIPATE ITSELF WHERE LABOR WITH BLACK SKIN IS BRANDED KARL MARX by MAX SHACHTMAN Negro Question By JOHNSONE By ALBERT GOLDMAN defend democratic Finland. To This is the second question that the imperialist war, the civil war of foreign trade remain essenWhat attitude should a class the worker who is not misled by we must ask ourselves. For, ob and the throttling of the prole tially as they were established by conscious worker adopt towards phrases any revolution in which viously, if there is nothing left tarian revolution in Germany by the revolution.
An Appeal From Our Marxists have always insisted that lynching has nothing to do with the protection of the the Soviet Finnish war?
the masses take the industries of the revolution we need not con the Social Democratic leaders, OLITICAL REVOLUTTY The problem is in reality not away from the capitalists is a cern ourselves at all with the made impossible the attainment IN THE SOVIET UNION Polish Comrades purity of womanhood. The most cursory readquestion whether or not to defend of a really democratie state. The Following and analyzing events ing of the evidence collected about lynching 80 difficult as some people would proletarian revolution.
have us believe. The worker who It is true that the terrible con the Soviet Union. The revolution bureaucratic forces generated by in the Soviet Union, Trotsky has shows that the savagery with which the Negro Negroes but to the lynchers. Marxists insist furis usually charged appiles, not to the lynched does not permit himself to be ditions under which the revolu: ary worker can make up his mind these objective conditions finally proposed certs in changes in our confused by the propaganda of tion was consummated did not only on the basis of the answer gained control. The victory of attitude to the Stalinist bureauThrough one of those devious routes which ther that lynching is rooted in the social and the capitalist press, by the whin permit the workers state to put to the question: Is there any. Stalin over Trotsky expressed the cracy: For a long time it appear.
revolutionists in Europe are now forced to take economic conditions of the South. It is not enough ings of all the varieties of middle into practice the degree of de thing worth while saving in the victory of the bureaucratic over el possible to change the natare the democratic forces.
of the regime by methods of re to communicate with their comrades and friends class intellectuals, including those mocracy that Lenin dreamed of, Soviet Union. to say these things. They must be proved, directThe leaders of the revolution Step by step the bureaucracy form, but when that posibility abroad, a letter has just come which is at once ly and indirectly who call themselves socialists but in spite of everything the Some years ago Arthur Raper made a carean urgent appeal and a stirring clummonene action. It is written by a Polish Bolshevik Lenin ful study of lynching. The results were published cology, the worker who bases freedom and greater rights un fundamental aim the achieve dated its control. Soviet, party, itate to propose the iden, and the democracy were fourth Internationalists did not ist with whom am personally acquainted and in the Tragedy of Lynching (The University of himself on the fundamentals of der the early Soviet regime than ment of socialism, the establish trade union North Carolina Press, 1933. They are worth revolutionary Marxism and who any group of workers ever had in ment of a social system where crushed. Initiative and freedom hesitate in accept the proposal for whose standing in the revolutionary move ment am able to vouch; here is a translation approaches the whole problem the history of mankind. Their vic the means of production would of thought were suppressed. The that reform was no longer posof it: study from the standpoint of the histor torious struggle against the ar be owned by society as a whole process of degeneration set in sibie and trat a political revolu Today received my first information of the Black Belt Lynching ic interests of the working class, mies of the Russian, French, Eng where every human being would and the advanced Russian work tion was necessary to overthrow whereabouts of our friends, who escaped the Po will readily agree that the policy lish and American capitalists tes have a very high standard of livers were unable to stem the tide the Stalinist bureaucracy.
The Negroes in the South are most heavily ing, where there would be no of reaction. The bureaucracy No one denies that Stalin has lish disaster. At present they are at Wilno, the adopted by the Socialist Work tifies to that fact.
concentrated in the old Black Belt. In this area introduced some changes which classes and consequently where gained complete control.
temporary capital of Lithuania ers Party is not only clear and REACTIONARY frequently one half the population is colored.
there would be no state that is, Some overly hasty people who affect nationalized property In Primarily am writing on their behalt There the Negro is safer from lynching than simple to understand, but is the OF BOURGEOIS FINLAND through you to Max. am asking you to put anywhere else. Why? Says Raper, In the Black only policy that is in harmony Now let us take a look at the no Instruments of force for the either do not know or have for the Soviet Union. No one dentes forward this case vigorously. It cannot be deBelt race relations revolve about the plantation with the principles of revolution origin of Finland. The story is purpose of keeping any section gotten that for Marxists the ba the danger of a change in proplayed any longer. It is imperative to save them.
system, ander which Negro tenants and wage ary socialism and therefore one simple. Under the leadership of of society under control. The ad sic criterion is an economic one, erty relations by virtue of Stal Imagine journeying on foot from Warsaw hands are practically indispensable. Here the va hundred per cent correct.
through Lublin, Chelm, Kowel, Lwow to Wilno.
riant economic and cultural levels of the mass of REVOLUTIONARY ROOTS by the German imperialists and stood well enough that such a since the Russian workers lost all But a revolutionary worker has All the way facing the impending danger of then by the English imperialists, social system could not be their democratic rights, there was a different attitude to a company whites and the mass of Negroes are well defined, OF THE SOVIET UNION the Finnish white guards suc achieved unless the proletarian no longer any workers state. On union than he has to an indepen German bullets and bombs. But more gruesome and far removed. The December number of the The revolutionary worker, in than this, having Stalin barbarie hordes on their New International contains a long and well doc trying to arrive at a correct con ceeded in defeating the Finnish revolution was extended to the the other hand Trotsky and those dent union, no matter how reac trail all the time. These bands make the Czar umented article by Robert Birchman that an clusion ns to what Attitude he workers, exterminating tens of most advanced capitalist coun who accept his theories have been tionary the leadership of the lattireless in pointing out that soter union may be. Once a revolu Cossacks look like playboys in comparison. It 18 alyzes these conditions, and shows the Negros should take towards the struggle thousands of them physically and The more immediate aim, long as the basic achievement of tionary worker, by analyzing all still a mystery to me how, through all these status to be little removed from the slavery of between the Soviet Union and establishing on their blood and pre Civil War days. Tied hand and foot by the sian workers was to overthrow so long as nationalized property They have been there already two months, economic system, kept in his place by the laws the different roots of these two serve as one of the buffer states their own capitalists, establish a has not been destroyed by the is still a workers state, though and only now was able to establish contact with them. The winter Ts bitter and earning of capitalist production, the Negro is lynched least in these areas.
born as the result of the greatest course of some years a veneer of workers state to prevent a pos Stalinist bureaucracy. so long degenerated once a revolutionary living is out of the question. We must help them The lynchings that do occur, however, are of revolutionary upheaval in the his captialist democracy was smear sible restoration of capitalism, to does the Soviet Union remain worker clearly sees that nation to freedom. special type, corresponding to the economic tory of mankind.
Under the leaded over but hardly succeeded in organize production, and continue workers state. It is true, no long. alized property still exists and My friend, if you only knew these people.
set up and the political and social conditions cre ership of Lenin the Russian concealing the capitalist exploita revolution. The rule of the work we would like to see it is true, worth while saving he can easily They are all young and very militant, but have ated by it.
masses destroyed the capitalist tion which exists there. Essen: ers expresses itself fundamental that it is now a workers stato solve the problem of what his at The Black Belt lynching is something of a business transaction. 56) The whites there, mensely before and during the war. In spite of tive, executive and judicial or was created by virtue of the de ished Private property in the still a workers state and will re is being waged between the Sovi this, they are still able to prove their devotion to chiefly of the planter class and consciously dethe cause. But their situation is such that their pendent upon the Negro for labor, lynch him to (Continued next week)
state that protected the interests the same Mannerheim tablished nationalized property. ized property and the monopoly activities may be brought to a standstill forever, conserve traditional landlord tenant relations of the Russian capitalists and the head of this country.
The rule of any class can asI am unable, for reasons obvious to all, to give rather than to wreak vengeance upon his race. landlords. Under the leadership Thus in the struggle between the accurate characteristics of each. Believe me, Black Belt white men demand that the Negroes of Lenin the Russian masses cre the Soviet Union and Finland we sume different forms. Under capitalism we have absolute or limhave one born under the leader. ited monarchies, democratic or they are the people with whom our future is stay out of their politics and dining rooms, the ated a new type state, the bound up. They must be rescued at all costs.
better to keep them in their fields and kitchens. Soviet state, based on the idea shi of Lenin in a victorious fascist governments. The rule of am not speaking of their struggle. Glance There is no widespread hysteria. The mob is that the workers should control struggle against the capitalists at the map of Europe and you will discover uttle usually small. In cases examined by Raper, the their own destinies both political and the other born under the the working class can also assume different forms depending Lithuania, hugging a spot on the Baltic. It ap mob proceeded in routine fashion with ally and economically. The workers leadership of Mannerheim in upon the particular conditions pears as a little dot on the brink of the angry most clock like precision. In these areas polstate proceeded to nationalize all Victorious struggle against the prevailing. But the aim of the Toposed seas of Hitlerism and Stalinism. How long will Itics is the white employer business. The Negro (Continued from Page 1)
she last? Only the miracles of the time threw must not interfere. The country officials are di country.
He who ignores this fact is advanced workers has always part of Poland to Lithuania. What has European rect agents of the plantation owners and are well likely to go far astray and land been and should always be history heard of her lately? Practically nothing.
paid. The sheriff of Bolivar County, for instance, There are some people, pre in company which, to put it mild achleve the greatest possible de war began. The cry for drastic The British, in the meanwhile, tending to be the super Marxists ly, is far from intereated in the gree of democracy in a workers mass action was heard on all have been conducting feverish negotiations with Gandhi and received in 1931 40, 000 year, ten times the My friends have found temporary shelter there.
of the century, who claim that Welfare of the Finnish of any state. That was the aim of Lenin sides: But the Gandhi crowd who hold Nehru. They brought Sir StafBut for how long?
salary of the Governor of Mississippi. In these and of the Russian workers.
Black Belt plantation areas, where modified slave revolution in Russia. We shall let other workers.
the reins of the Congress move ford Cripps to India for discusDEMOCRATIO SOVIETS ment tightly in their hands trem sions with Gandhi, Nehru and Word from the Survivors patterns still persist, any crime which occurs these people argue with the for IS ANYTHING LEFT OF TO BUREAUCRACY among the propertyless Negroes is considered bled before the prospects of revo Moslem leaders. But Sir Stafford write you a few quotations from their let labor matter to be handled by the white landlord mer Russian capitalists who are THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONS But circumstances prevente lution. Representing the native accomplished next to nothing and ters. We must flee before German bombers and now living in France, England Is there anything left of the the achievement of the ideal of a landowning class, merchants, has already left the country via tanks, and leave behind the mad fanatics who or his overseer.
and the United States and voci revoltuion, of the work of the democratic Soviet state. The ex money lenders and mill owners China and is on his way to Amers are not on our pursuit. We did not always have We see now why these fellows are so fiercely ferously proclaiming the need to Russian masses guided by Lenin? treme backwardness of Russia, who fear for their property at ica.
opposed to the anti lynching bill. It will be a the good fortune to dodge these frenzied maniacs, least as much as do the British powerful means of awakening the Negroes to the Many Arrests who at every opportunity would let their bloodrulers, the Gandhi Nehru reacfact that they have rights, which are recognized The authorities have begun a thirsty passions run away with them and strike tionaries deliberately set about campaign of arrests against nuin theory at any rate by the Federal Government.
terror into the hearts of their innocent victims.
quelling and dampening the spir merous trade union and peasant The bill will not stop lynching but it will strike Many of those dear to us fell as victims to one a blow at the whole system.
it of the masses.
leaders, with hundreds being sen or the other. We, the handful of survivors, trod Beheading the Movement tenced. The British well under our way to Wilno. The first days, with an unThe Mob Lynching How Democracy Works in the Sunny South For a time they were swept stand who their real enemy is.
along and issued radical slog. They realize that Gandhi influ ourselves that we were allve and safe. But a few known feeling of joy and wonder, we proved to Frank Shay, in his Judge Lynch (Ives Washans and demands for demagogie ence is on the wane and that lit days later we were forced to come to an alarmiburn, 1938. gives us a picture of the other type purposes (immediate independ tle can be expected even if they ing decision that our freedom was only problemof lynching, where the mob grows wild and teara the living flesh from the burning Negro. This What does the Anti Lynching which secured Neal from the jail woman came out of the once a Constituent Assembly should sign an agreement with atical. What will happen if one of these days the mob, he says, is made up of young men between Bill, to go before the Senate Feb at Brewton evidently decided that Cannidy house and drove a butch etc. But not for long. period him. In the long run they must enraged hordes of Stalinists invade Lithuania. their teens and their middle twenties with a ruary 6, seek to prevent? What all of the niceties of a modern er knife into his heart. Then the of aimless, endless and demoral depend upon military and police If so, our friends will undoubtedly perish sprinkling of morons of all ages. It members is a lynching? It is a murder by Twentieth Century lynching were crowd came by and some kicked izing negotiations with the Vice force to remain in India. Dear friend, know that we, the Polish imare native whites, mostly the underprivileged, a mob, you will say. But in terms to be inflicted upon Neal it would him and some drove their cara roy began. No lead was given migrants abroad, cannot be of much aid. Leaving the country, except continuous Distrust of Stalinists the unemployed, the dispossessed, and the unat of human feelings, in more than be unwise for a larger mob to over him.
aside the fact that we are poor, it is impossible tached. They are grocery clerks, soda Jorkers, dictionary words, what is a lynch handle the victim. They preferred. The hody, which by this tion and violence.
exhortations to refrain from ac To summarize: the past three to send money out of this country. Even if the low paid employees in jobs that require neither ing?
that his last hours on earth be time was horribly mutilated, was months has seen the deliberate training nor intelligence; jobs that might often The lynching of Claude Neal in Alled with the greatest possible taken by the mob to Marianna. At the last meeting of the Ex. and wilful sabotage by Gandht of money should be raised, it is improbable that be filled more competently by Negroes and at 1934 was not in any important humillation and agony. However, where it was hung to a tree et compor insecember, 1989 the anti war sentiment of the ple must be saved. am appealing to you te pro lower wages. In rural communities this mob is respect exceptional. The crowd the word was passed all over on the northeast corner of the the Congress (December, 1989. masses.
The fighting spirit of Invide immediate aid for them.
made up of day workers and wage hands, the more shiftless type of tenants, those who through In a few days will send you their addresses Lynched man did not suffer more eastern Alabama that there was taken or the mutilaket vorm wena Dictator, with authority to make diens workers rand peasant has birth and former position bound to the lo than most victims. It was, we to be a lynching party to which hundreds of photographs were decisions, set aside previous de Indian people are justifiably hesiSend them at least money to keep warm and cality.
alive, and eventually get them out of Lithuania.
may say, a typical lynching. The all white people are invited, near sold for fifty cents each. Fin cislons and decide policy by him tant about falling for the pseudoThere we have it. Their own misery, defeat, NAACP has published a brochure the Cannidy home Friday night. gers and toes from Neal body self. He was authorized to make radical and demagogic slogans We understand that you have no money. Let Max and the fear for the scrape by which they live lay it out. By everything that is ours, sacredly Du some detail the It is also reported that the info have been exhibited as souve. His weekly paper, Harijan, has munist Party. The Indian On murder of this Negro, an 8c mation was broadcast from the nirs.
drive them periodically to terrorize and wreak and mutually, adjure you not to let these men die. will shoulder the responsibility for that their wrath against the social system on the Newas umat down short bulletin for Congress organizers International works solely in friends. If you have the slightest faith in our groes, whom they see as their greatest enemy of being carefully checked at ev bama.
the name of our and whom they are traditionally taught to des ery point. What follows is a sum member of the lynching October 27. Toward noon a and workers. Any effort to insti the interests of the Moscow buplae. Here again lynching is rooted in the cele maron October 19, 1931, Claude scribed the lynching in all of its sought to defend himself party with whom talked de white nian struck Negro who cute a Civil Disobedience cam reaucracy and in the interests of future, nomic system and even who paign was frowned upon and op its alliance with German imperd: 200 which am signing below. Send them at least are conditioned by the specific class relations of Neal, 23, of Greenwood, Florida ghastliness, down to the minutest the struggle with the white man, posed. Gandhi, stated. We canalism. The radical wlogans of the two races.
was arrested by Deputy Sheriff detail: hurled a pop bottle at him. not be unfair to the British.
the Indian Stalinists are aimed at have hope that you will do all in your powRaper illustrates this principle in many ways. Coullette for the murder of After taking the nigger to The Negro finally tore himself Left Wing Purged At the same time a Gerce drive Russo German military war allifurthering the successes of the Take the situation in North Texas and Central Lola Cannidy. 20, white girl the woods about four miles from away from the mob (that gath launched against the Congress ance and not at really freeing Iner and more. Clasping your palms firmly and waiting for your prompt reply and the reply of Oklahoma. This is not a Black Belt area, and in also of Greenwood, Florida. Greenwood, they cut off his penis. ered) and ran across the street Max and his associates, remain, the urban communities of these counties many It is alleged that a confession was He was made to eat it. Then they and into the courthouse, where he radical wing made up of left wing dia from imperialism.
able homes and other property. considerable business and professional Negroes own comfortsumed entire responsibility for eat them and say he liked it. ly group of white men. The mob and Stalinists. They, who were will support each and every ac Naturally, Indian revolutionists demanding action, were considticipate in local and national elections. The prop bliss. ordered Neal to be taken consumed considerable time and and began systematic attempt ni traitors. Subhas Bose, leading by the Stalinists, while at the proportion of the colored people regularly par the crime. Sheriff Cham gathered that this barbarous act clamored for another victim. ered the real enemy by the Gendation directed against British imIt is true that we have no money, but we are perialism no matter if it is led not so poor that such an appeal will go unheeded.
ertied whites, not dependent upon Negro labor as to Chipley, Florida, for safekeep. that other means of torture were to drive all Negroes from the Our only fear is that the material aid that we are the whites in the Black Belt area, do not ing, a distance of about 20 used from time to time on Neal. town. Saturday was a day of ter left wing Nationalist, neatly same time pitilessly exposing the must and will collect for our Polish comrades circumscribe the Negro activity to the same miles.
ror and madness, never to be for summed up the whole struggle motives of the Stalinists, which may come too late. Fortunately, there is not yet degree. But the poorer whites in the rural areas From the moment that Neal FINALLY THEY DECIDED gotten by anyone.
any reason why we should believe this to be the are hostile. By violence and threats they drive was arrested a blood thirsty mob JUST TO KILL HIM a traitor to India, he wrote, The are clear to all.
the Negroes from the rural neighborhoods. The relentlessly pursued him.
essence of Gandhism is to lick the case, and that is why not a minute is to be lost. Then they sliced his sides and ECONOMIC BACKGROUND Country Stripped for War lynch mobs number over one thousand.
The American Labor Aid, to which a similar The angry mood of the crowd stomach with knives and every OF THAT LYNCHING foot which has kicked it in the As the war progesses British Raper makes one truly astonishing observaappeal was addressed, has already acted in exat Chipley caused the sherife now and then somebody would. It is claimed that a large num face!
tion. While the propertied whites here allow the there to remove Neal to Panama cut off a finger or toe. Red hot ber of those who participated in But the country has not been the country is being drained of exploitation in India helghtens. emplary fashion. It has forwarded, we are in Negroes a certain freedom, they do not need them City. From Panama City he was rons were used on the nigger to the rioting in Marianna on Sat silent during this period. It is its food products, its silver and formed, half of the extremely modest sum requested by the Polish revolutionists. In turn, our for labor and are therefore indifferent to Negro taken by boat to Pensacola. From burn him from top to bottom. urday, October 27, had been on still absolutely correct to say that gold, its mineral res, its Jute and party has warmly subscribed to the campaign persecution by the launched by the American Labor Aid.
Belt, however, the plantan. whites. In the Black Pensacola Neal was taken across From time to time during the the county relief rolls for some India is solidly against support of cotton all for Brtain war owners protect their the Florida line to Brewton, Ala torture a rope would be tied time. Relief had been cut off the war and is proving this in ac needs. The determination of the Negro serfs from the hostility of the poor whites. bama a distance of 61 miles. around Neal neck and he was about two weeks before the tion. The organized opposition is workers and peasants to resist Through this column, earnestly beg all our They are not going to have their labor force in. An armed mob of approxi pulled up over a limb and held lynching occurred. An organ led by the Congress left wing: the this super colonial exploitation readers and friends to send generous contributions by air mail to the LA. Its address is 125 terfered with by a rival labor force. When there mately 100 men stormed the there until he almost choked to Ization known as is any lynching to be done, they themselves will county jail at Brewton on the beach, when he would be let down county FERA Purification League the Socialists, the Stalinista, and Congress left wing is assured.
West 33rd Street, New York, Contributions do it, in a systematic and organized manner. morning of October 26. Neal was and the torture begun all over headed by Pooser led a dem the supporters of Subhas Bose. not loans, for the note which my good comOne last point. Going on data compiled by Today India struggle centers rade sent along with his moving letter is enseized after Mike Shanholster, the again. After several hours of this onstration through the streets of Stirrings of Revolt Woofter, Raper shows that between 1900 and jailer, unlocked his cell door, and unspeakable torture, they de Marianna on the Saturday pre To cite but a few instances: On within the Congress the strugtirely superfluous.
1930, whenever the price of cotton is above the was brought screaming and cry cided just to kill him.
the lynching.
October there was a one day gle against Gandhist sell out.
Our Polish comrades, fearless partisans of the usual trend, the number of lynchings is below ing and placed in the front car Neal body was tied to a rope This lynching was a surface political strike against the war Fourth International, have long ago redeemed a the average. Whenever the price of cotton ts in front of the county jail. The en the rear of an automobile and eruption. The basic cause was by 90, 000 textile workers of BomDutch Queen Ready thousand such notes by their spotless record depressed, the number of lynchings increases. mob had triumphed. dragged over the highway to the economic. The lynching had bay. In Madras, Bose addressed of revolutionary proletarian activity. know The Fourth International struggles wherever Cannidy home. Here a moo est two objects, first, to intimidate an anti war demonstration of For Rainy Day something of their work; feel some of the pride RADIO BROADCAST CALLS a battle in the class war is being waged. We utilmated to number somewhere be and threaten the white employers 100, 000 people. At Nagpur on Ocwe share at being comrades in arms in a moveize the capitalist parliament for our own purLYNCHING PARTY tween 3, 000 and 7, 000 people from of Negro labor and secondly to tober an anti imperialist con WASHINGTON, DC. ment which has these fighters in its ranks.
poses, and that is why we do all we can to de According to a member of the eleven southern states was excit scare and terrorize the Negroes ference under the presidency of Queen Wilhelmina of Holland is For the sake of the great cause of labor, for feat the attempt of the Senators to block the mob with whom talked, Claude edly waiting his arrival. When so that they would leave the Bose was attended by 30, 000 del the owner of the Westchester, bill. But we never lose sight of the fact that the Neal was lynched in a lonely spot the car which was dragging county and their jobs could be agates. Strikes of jute workers in the big and very costly apartthe sake of that spirit of international revolutionary solidarity which stands above all else, for greatest enemy of all is the capitalist system. It about four miles from Greenwood. Neal body came in front of the taken over by white men.
Calcutta are still going on, and ment house block here.
the sake of the new Poland that will surely arise cannot exist in the South without mob law. The. Due to the great number of Cannidy home, a man who was There are too many niggers rapid growth of the peasant un workers, white and black, must steadily prepare people who wanted to participate riding the rear bumper cut the and too many white people look lons in Madras, Punjab and Benover the dirty whes of Hitlerism and Stalinism She purchased it through. the Poland of the workers and peasants Sovito destroy capitalism, the root source of lynching. in the lynching, the original mob rope.
ing for the same job.
gal provinces is reported. dummy corporation just in case! ets help our stranded, imperilled comrades!
The Lynching of Claude Neal