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‘Dubuque and Clinton, Iowa Militants Heard First Communist Speech’ by David Coutts from the Daily Worker. Vol. 2 No. 37. February 24, 1925.

CLINTON, la., Feb. 22. Our meeting at the Labor Temple in Clinton was one of the best spirited we have had in the Iowa organization campaign which is now being carried on by J.E. Snyder, district organizer, assisted by David Coutts.

At this meeting the trade union members were in the majority and listened attentively to the speakers. Clinton has a trade union membership of about two thousand today. They went thru the railroad shopmen’s strike with their locals almost intact. There was, at one time, a good socialist local here and following that they elected a number of workers to city and county offices on a labor ticket. The experiences following from this, the trading and corruption growing out of it, disgusted the rank and file with politics.

Labor Unions’ Morale Shattered.

During the war the labor unions were active in Clinton and built their membership up until they were well organized. Following the armistice the spirit of the workers was at its height. They had just elected a labor ticket and sensed their power.

About this time an agitation was started for a soldiers’ and sailors’ monument for those who fell in the war. A shaft was to be erected in the park. But a few of the more far-seeing leaders in the unions urged that the money be spent upon a building that could bring some use and comfort.

The result was the present “Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Labor Temple” which is owned by the members of the unions, except for a small mortgage still unpaid.

Following the depression in 1920-21 the unions lost heavily in membership, some locals entirely disappeared. The spirit gradually but steadily went down until the morale reached almost zero.

The militants have once more stirred themselves and the Clinton labor movement is now on the upward trend. The rank and file are still unresponsive and the class collaboration schemes, such as the infamous “B. and O. plan,” will no doubt be put into effect in the Northwestern shops here where 1,000 workers are employed.

The speakers stressed the necessity of the militants organizing for leadership in the trade unions, and thru the unions, inspire and lead the mass of the workers once more to the offensive against the open shoppers.

Clinton Will Have Local Soon.

The inspiration of the workers’ and farmers’ government in Russia, as presented by Comrade Shyder in his explanation of the program, practices and achievements of the Soviets, was listened to with close attention. The structure of the Third International was explained, as was also the Red International of Labor Unions and the Agrarian International of the peasants and farmers.

Literature was given to all present, a number promised to circulate subscription lists for the Labor Defense and also assist in the organization of future meetings for our speakers. Names and addresses were taken and there is good prospects for a live local in Clinton within the next few months.

Successful Meeting at Dubuque.

Practically the same conditions prevailed at the Dubuque meeting. Comrade Coutts spoke before the Trades and Labor Assembly the night before, and the Painters’ Local just before the meeting on the child labor amendment, unemployment and the revival of the labor movement.

Good publicity was had in the daily papers for these meetings both at Clinton and Dubuque. A thousand cards were distributed at Dubuque and five hundred at Clinton. The low ebb to which the morale of the workers has fallen is shown by the response to such wide-spread publicity, here were less than fifty in attendance at each meeting.

To those who understand the program of the Workers Party this will cause no disappointment. Those who did attend were a part of the actual leadership of the workers, the militants who inspire, organize and direct the progress of the masses.

The local situation in Dubuque must be understood to appreciate the significance of such a gathering.

There are a number of large factories, employing from 500 to 2,000 workers, that are completely non-union and in which the workers are in an almost hopeless state of docility. This reacts on the unions and makes them extremely conservative. Under such conditions the Workers Party meeting was a healthful and hopeful sign of a rebirth of militancy as yet too weak and young to accomplish much.

Here also the workers gladly accepted our literature and promised to assist in arranging meetings for speakers. Dubuque has the spark that will kindle a live agitation and result in a good local of the Workers Party there also.

Making Friends for the Daily.

At all these meetings the DAILY WORKER is being distributed, most of the workers have heard of our party and seen our press for the first time. They already feel that our program is practical and inspiring and are interested in the courage and daring of our party tactics.

These meetings will be followed up with literature, and the circulation of the DAILY WORKER and the Workers Monthly will grow rapidly in this new territory, and with them the membership of our party. Iowa, which gave our party 4,037 votes last November, will soon become an effective unit in the Communist movement.

The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1925/1925-ny/v02b-n037-NYE-feb-24-1925-DW-LOC.pdf