Speaking for the leadership of the Workers (Communist) Party, Ruthenberg announces the steps the party will take to combat the first wave of anti-immigrant laws and deportations since the Palmer Raids.

‘Workers Party Fights Bosses Attack on the Foreign-Born’ by Charles E. Ruthenberg from The Daily Worker. Vol. 1 No. 314. January 16, 1924.

The Central Executive Committee of the Workers Party today issued a statement calling upon all workers, native and foreign-born, in this country to unite to fight legislation for registration of foreign-born workers and “Selective Immigration.”

These proposed laws, the Workers Party declares, are part of a new attack on the labor movement of this country. Thru creating an army of foreign-born workers who will be afraid to organize or strike, because threatened with deportation, the employers hope to smash the unions, establish the open shop and cut down the wages of the workers of this country.

The statement calls upon native born and foreign-torn workers to unite to organize Councils for Protection of Foreign-Born Workers to fight the proposed laws. Mass meetings, literature distribution are proposed as means of arousing the workers.

The Councils for Protection of the Foreign-Born are to carry on campaigns for organization of all workers in unions and for a Farmer-Labor Party as part of the struggles against the employers.

The statement follows:

FIGHT THE REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS

Laws before Congress propose to enslave Foreign-Born Workers to aid employers in fighting unions and reducing wages.

The employers of this country are trying to forge a new weapon to aid them in destroying the unions, establishing the open shop and cutting down the standard of living of the workers.

There are pending in Congress, two laws which propose, through “selective immigration” and registration of foreign-born workers, to create for the capitalist employers an army of serfs who cannot organize or strike.

These laws are backed by the big employers of this country. Through them the employers hope to smash the unions and reduce the standard of living of native- and foreign-born workers alike.

The Registration of Foreign-Born Workers

President Coolidge, in his message to Congress, recommended that every foreign-born worker in this country be registered. Others have proposed photographing and fingerprinting of foreign-born workers, like criminals, as part of the registration. House Bill No. 691, by Representative Rosenbloom, now pending in Congress, is designed to carry out the President’s recommendation.

“Selective Immigration”

House Bills No. 2900, by Representative Kelly, also pending in Congress, goes further in endeavoring to provide the employers with a slave army of workers. Under this law workers desiring to come to this country are to be inspected by agents of the government in their home countries before being allowed to come.

This means that every worker who shows the slightest sign of readiness to fight against the employers for the right to organize in unions, for better wages and shorter hours, will be refused entry into this country. Only the meek and submissive slaves will be allowed-to enter.

To make sure that these meek and submissive slaves will remain so, they are to be registered and threatened with deportation should they show the slightest sign of rebellion.

Menace to Native Born and Foreign-Born Alike

The proposed laws are a menace to native and foreign-born workers alike. The carefully selected, registered, photographed, fingerprinted foreign-born workers are to be the club through which the big employers hope to beat down the standard of living of all the workers of this country.

If the big employers are permitted to create an army of workers, such as these laws will bring into existence, they will have the weapon through which they can smash the unions, establish the open shop, beat down wages and create worse conditions of work for every worker in this country.

The registered, finger printed, photographed foreign-born workers will be afraid to join the unions, the employers believe. They are certain these workers will be afraid to participate in strikes. Over their heads, if they dare organize, if they dare strike, the big employers will hold the club of deportation. Even the American Federation of Labor has recognized the menace of these laws to organized labor. The Portland Convention adopted resolutions denouncing them as measures in the interest of the bosses.

Fight Registration and “Selective Immigration”

But resolutions are not enough for the fight against these laws. The only way Congress can be prevented from enacting these laws for the bosses is through a mighty mass protest by native born and foreign-born workers alike. The whole working class of this country must raise its voice against this attempt to enslave it. The workers must send such a mighty protest to Washington, that even the tools of the bosses who sit in Congress will not dare pass these slave laws.

Organize Councils for Protection of Foreign-Born Workers

The way to unite the workers for through the organization of Councils the fight against these slave laws is for the Protection of Foreign-Born Workers in every city of the land. Native born and foreign-born workers should unite in these councils. A temporary committee should be created in each city to organize a conference through which the Council for Protection of the Foreign-Born can be set up. Every trade union, every labor political body, every fraternal organization of labor and every organization of foreign born workers should send delegates to these conferences.

How to Fight the Slave Laws

The Councils for Protection of Foreign-Born Workers must through mass meetings and distribution of literature arouse all the workers of this country to the danger which is menacing them in these proposed slave laws.

The slogan of the Council for Protection of the Foreign-Born Workers must be:

DOWN WITH THE REGISTRATION, PHOTOGRAPHING AND FINGER-PRINTING LAWS.

The Council for Protection of the Foreign-Born should demand FREE IMMIGRATION, so far as capitalist laws are concerned. The only limitation upon immigration should be through a LABOR CONTROL COMMITTEE which should be created by an International Conference of Labor Organizations. This committee should be empowered to control the flow of labor from one country to another in the interest of labor and not in the interest of the capitalists.

The Councils for Protection of Foreign-Born Workers should endeavor to rouse the unorganized workers to the need of joining the unions in order to fight against the capitalist bosses. They should carry on campaigns in favor of the Farmer-Labor Party, through which the workers, native and foreign, can fight their political battles against the capitalist bosses.

The Workers Party Calls Upon All Workers to Unite Against Slave Laws

The Workers Party of America, calls upon native and foreign-born workers to enter into the struggle against these slave laws. It pledges the support of its members and of its organization as a whole to fight, to prevent the further enslavement of the whole working class of this country through these laws.

DOWN WITH REGISTRATION, FINGER-PRINTING AND PHOTOGRAPHING! DOWN WITH “SELECTIVE IMMIGRATION!”

Central Executive Committee, Workers Party of America, C.E. RUTHENBERG, Executive Secretary.

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. National and City (New York and environs) editions exist.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1924/v01-n314-jan-16-1924-DW-LOC.pdf