Leon Trotsky on American Marxism t h e See page 2 MILITANT PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE Vol. X X III — No. 33 222 NEW YORK, N.Y., MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 1959 Price 10c Two Parties Vie 5 Negro Students Brave In Pushing Bills Against Unions Little Rock Racist Mobs As the Strike Began By Tom Kerry Oil Workers The twin-pronged assault on the organized labor Faubus Tells Hate Gang movement reached a crescendo this past week as Wall Street and Washington ganged up to heighten the em­ ployer - government offensive. Fight to Save Not to Turn to Violence against the unions. drum-Griffin bill. A few more Abandoning all pretense of such "labor reforms" and the “impartiality,” Eisenhower unions w ill be reformed right Union Cains stepped forward as chief hat­ out of existence. Except as ‘Last Resort’ chet man for the corporations Although potentially the Steel workers aren't the only in demanding congressional en­ strongest power in this country, target of the employer cam­ AUG. 13—Five Negro students yesterday demon­ actment of additional repres­ the organized labor movement paign to destroy hard-won job strated the heroism that assures ultimate victory 6ver the sive labor legislation. is on the defensive and “run­ conditions. Some 2,600 oil re­ forces of race hatred. Two of them, Elizabeth Eckford, 17, Emboldened by the clamor ning scared.” The dismal record finery workers are currently and Jefferson Thomas, 16, calmly from the White House and of the union leaders in the engaged in three bitterly fought walked into Little Rock’s Cen Congress for more punitive field of legislative and political strikes to resist a similar drive tral High School after a mob of in plants operated by the no­ labor measures, the Wall Street action has disheartened the 250 racists, incited by Gov. Fau­ Louisiana Racists torious union-hating Standard boodlers pressed forward their ranks and left them bewilder­ bus, had tried to claw through Oil of Indiana. union-busting campaign of im- ed and confused. For years the police and firemen in front of Ban Mixed Fishing posing yellow-dog contracts on bureaucrats have preached re­ The strikers are members of the school. The night before, 20 workers forced on strike to liance on “friends of labor” in the Oil, Chemical and Atomic minutes after a TV speech by In Children’s Books preserve their union living stan­ Washington to defend the in­ Workers International Union, Faubus, a carload of white men Louisiana officials haven’t dards and working conditions. terests of the unions. In a AFL-CIO. The July 27 issue of pumped bullets at the home of yet doped out how they can showdown these “friends” al­ Union News, voice of the Negro leader Daisy Bates. FOUR B ILLS ways wind up advocating a segregate different colored OCAW, describes their strike The mob al Central High came policy of retreat in order to fish in the state’s streams. There are now four so-called as “a struggle, in which the ward off the blows of reaction. directly from a Negro-bailing But they have succeeded in “labor reform” bills before fabulously wealthy oil ‘ colos­ rally al the stale capitol where removing from library shel­ Congress. The Kennedy-Ervin As against the Landrum- sus seeks to destroy completely Griffin bill, the “friends” 'sup­ Faubus said he was with them ves a children’s book en­ bill has already been passed the effectiveness of the local "all the way." He urged that titled, “The First Book of by the Senate by a vote of 90 port the- lesser evil o f the E l­ unions. The company demands liott and Kennedy-Ervin mea­ they avoid violence except as "a Fishing.” to 1. The leaders of the AFL- would force the unions com­ sures. The AFL-CIO sponsored last resort." It contains illustrations CIO first supported this mea­ pletely out of existence.” . Taken six days after the strike began July 14, this picture shows striking Steelworkers in In the battle at Central High, showing white and Negro sure; then reconsidered after Shelley bill is given short shrift. Because of the unbridled The three locals involved are long queue at gate of South Works of United Stales Steel Co. in Chicago, waiting to gel last pay­ 21 hose-drenched demonstrators, children fishing and pic­ it was amended; then came out character of the employer-gov- at Texas City, Texas, Sugar some with heads bloodied from nicking together. A library in opposition after James Hoffa, check. Despite financial hardships since then, strikers have shown solid determination to hold ernment offensive against labor, Creek, Mo., and El Dorado, police clubs, were hauled off to official said the illustrations John L. Lewis and others at­ tough on the picket line against an attack that is aimed at entire labor movement. Union gains Ark.’ None of the striking ja il. “presents as typical that tacked the bill as repressive. some union circles are begin­ won in decades of hard struggle are at slake as American capitalists seek higher profits. ning to talk about going over locals have presented new A racist woman stood up to a which is not typical for the In the House, three bills are contract demands. Their fight area.” up for consideration. The El­ from defensive to offensive fire hose, screaming, “I’m not actions. This would require, is lim ite d to w in n in g renewal Several other children’s liott bill, which was reported going to school with niggers!” first of all, a complete reversal and enforcement of old agree­ books have been banned on out by the House Committee Another shrieked, “Communists, of policy on the legislative and ments. GOP Exploits Dip in Cold War Communists!” similar grounds in the South on Education and Labor with-, In El Dorado, the union of­ in recent weeks. Alabama out recommendation; the Lan- political front. As Elizabeth and Jefferson fered to extend the present walked toward the school en­ put an embargo on “The drum-Griffin bill, a bipartisan T-H EXPERIENCE agreement for another year Rabbits’ Wedding” and Flo­ Republican-Democrat measure trance, one demonstrator shout­ without change. The company rida followed suit with “The and the Shelley bill, which is When the Taft-Hartley law To Put New Heat in Glass War ed, “Use the hose on the nig­ replied with a tough "no," and Three Little Pigs.” supported by the AFL-CIO was . enacted - the .union leaders gers!” “Kick ’em,” cried a girl is demanding complete free­ As Eisenhower eases the ten­ propped up the sagging popular­ ward with doves on their shoul­ heads. Of the three, the Lan- broke ranks and permitted the to a nearby white student. dom to change job assignments sions in Soviei-American rela­ drum-Griffin bill is considered imposition and gradual exten­ ity of the Republicans who have ders and such Democrats as Tru­ Meanwhile, three other Negro and increase work loads as it tions, he is intensifying his in ­ day's New York Post that Eliz­ the most savagely anti-labor. sion of what they themselves been hunting for a dramatic man and Acheson wanting the students, Effie Jones, 17; Elsie sees fit. tervention on the side of the abeth told him, "I just can't let In his nation-wide television characterized as a “slave labor” vote-getting issue. They appear cold war heated up. Robinson, 16, and Estella Thomp­ corporations in their war against Jeff go back there alone. I know broadcast last Thursday Eisen­ b ill. In Texas City, the company to have struck gold in the peace I. F. Stone, for example, un­ son, 16, spent their first day at the unions. Softer on the Soviet how bad it was when there were hower demanded that Congress For the first period after its offered to extend the present initiative. restrainedly throws his cap in the previously all-white Horace nine of us. It would be ten limes adopt the union-busting Lan- adoption the policy of the un­ agreement because it has found Union — tougher on the A m eri­ The Republican strategists the air for Eisenhower, .Nixon Mann High without trouble. enough loopholes in it to strip can unions: that's the current as bad if no one was with him ." drum-Griffin bill as “a good ion heads was to demand Taft-Hartley have turned their bipartisan and Khrushchev •— the peace- Elizabeth and Jefferson were guiding line of administration start1 toward a real labor re­ repeal. Truman was the workers of virtually all foreign policy with the Demo­ mongers. .“Mr. Nixon' . spoke among the original nine who at­ Her decision to join Jefferson form bill.” elected in 1948 with labor sup­ protection. The union is asking policy. crats to good account. They are in Moscow in one world tones tended Central High last year in braving the racists came the for a new contract that will The president is a hard man port on the basis of his slogan The Chief Executive went on succeeding in covering their top that recalled Wilkie and Wal­ under protection of federal same night as the attack on the adhere to “the spirit” of the to please.. In addition to Taft-Hartley to repeal the Taft-Hartley the air Aug. 6 to urge passage figures with the shining mantle lace,” he wrote in the Aug. 10 troops. The nine were tormented home of Daisy Bates which has old one, with some of the loop­ he now wants the Lan- (Continued on Page 3) of the Griffin-Landrum bill “as of peace-lovers while making issue of his Weekly.