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The Great Defender

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a HAVE given freely of my

time and what ability I pos- sess to the great working class movement - during the past twenty-five years. I am in the front line yet. I will be there for a while longer. And then I will not be there. It has been a grand struggle and the final victory in Canada seems to be much nearer.”

So wrote A. E.. Smith, the “erand old man” of Canadian labor, on reaching his seventy- fifth year. And it is fitting to recall his prophetic words this October 20, which marks the S8ist milestone since the birth of this great Canadian, who died in 1947. but whose work lives on in all that is best and truly Can- adian. This period of 81 yéars represents an epoch of the most far reaching change history has ever witnessed!

He was so near death, yet

even five years ago he saw and »

felt vividly what was happen- ing throughout the world and in the Canada he loved so well.

“As I cast my thoughts back over the years,’ he said, ‘‘the marvel is the mighty stride of progress mankind has made... the old capitalism is fast dying, giving place to the new order in ever widening areas of. the earth. .... I shall not live to see socialism established in my own native land, but I have lived to see the world-balance turn de- finitely to the socialist side. There is not the shadow of a doubt about the future final tri- umph of socialism over “the whole earth’ (All My Life, Chapter 20).

This great working class leader “(born significantly in the year of the great Paris Commune of 1871), who grew up with, and built Canada, was one of its out- standing pioneers. in every sense, Starting from a working class career, he went into the church as a preacher, found it wanting, and through the fire of the Winnipeg strike and his closeness to the common peo- ple found his way’ to the dabor movement from the reformist wing finally to the Communist party. By his life and work he helped to write rich illuminating chapters in,Canadian labor his- tory, truly earning the title by which be became known, ‘The Great Defender.”” It was a tribute to the mighty leadership he gave in defense of Canadian democracy. for his great warm heart that beat in unison with all the oppressed, with all pro- gressive mankind.

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It is fitting in marking the 8ist milestone since AE’s birth. that we bring home forcibly to Canadians the . dangers that face democracy and peace today through the whole series of fascist practices and legislation the St. Laurent government, at the behest of U.S. imperialism, is forcing upon us. The com- plete revision of the Criminal \Code,, which actually codifies fascist law and practise, stands before us in Bill H-8, which has been under study by the Senate’s Standing Committee on Trade and Commerce and may be en- acted into law in this next ses- sion of parliament unless the people flood the government with protests.

Just before A.E. died, he warned against the possibilities of new pro-fascist legislation, re- sembling the notorious. Section

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98 which he fought and helped to defeat, being smuggled into law. He said:

“T regret to see North Am- erica become the last stand of the old order. Our. present cap- italist leaders do not serve Canada... . They allowed our Canadian economy to come un- der almost complete control of the big monopoly corporations of ‘Wall Street. Indeed they are deliberately and eagerly aiding Wall Street’s conspiracy. I regard them as national trait- ‘ors we Canadians must not be misled. The future is not with the violence of the atom bomb, nor the greed of the almighty dollar. . . . They (the Canadian ruling class) are really afraid of the Canadian working class and common people. . . first of all a pretext for violent repression at home.”

A.E., in the late twenties. found his place in the leader- ship of. the Canadian Commun- ist movement, and became greatly loved and esteemed by thousands, His was an _ ll- round versatile career. He de- liberately chose a life of strug- gle on behalf of the common people — against the rapacious millionaire clique that grabbed Canada and led her into hunger and war.

Besides his outstanding role as defender of the persecuted, he stood ace high in the fight against war and fascism,. and inspired with his work and his own presence there, the heroic Canadians of the Mackenzie- Papineau Battalion who fought for democracy on the soil of Spain. He did all he could to unite the people for peace and democracy. i /

Even in 1946, when the ful implications of the developing “cold war’? were not yet so Ob- vious, A. E. Smith understood the character of today’s strug- gle for peace and Canadian in- dependence. “Now for the first time, since I was born,’ he maintained, “‘the peace forces in the .world are stronger than the imperialist warmongers.’’

His courage and faith in his fellow Canadians made it pos- sible for him to lead hundreds _of thousands of them under the banner of the Canadian Labor Defense League to defeat Sec- tion 98, and to tear out from “Tron Heel” Bennett’s jails, Tim Buck and other Communist lead- ers and the thousands of work-

ing class and farmer fighters _

whom “that mighty Caesar,’ as A.E. called Bennett, imprisoned when they fought for work and wages. e

That epic struggle. against Section 98 and for the release

You can compel parliament to safeguard your democratic rights by raising in your organiza-— tion the demand for elimination of proposed amendments to the Criminal Code which infringe on your traditional liberties as a citizen. Make your protest to your MP against Bill H-8 now.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — OCTOBER 24, 1952 — PAGE 1°

. Their war plan is .

of the Communist leaders, which by the end of 1933 had gained such momentum that 983,000 Canadians had signed petitions to the government with these demands, provides excel- lent experience for today.

As the movement was as- suming more and, more a united front character and. actually was creating serious splits in the CCF, the reactionaries in 1934 tried to behead it by arresting the ‘‘Grand Old Man’”’ on charges of sedition. A.E. had directly charged the government with being responsible for the at- tempt on Tim Buck’s life in the Kingston Penitentiary riots in 1932.

The Smith trial that followed was truly momentous. As Tim Buck has stated in his book, Thirty Years: The Story of. the Communist Movement in Can- ada, ‘A, E. Smith himself was a worthy counterpart of Georgi Dimitroff in the witness box.’ His dramatic vindication in the “not guilty’? verdict in no small measure contributed to the final release of the Communist lead- ers, the defeat of the Bennett government and the subsequent repeal of Section 98.

It is important today to note both the similarities and the dif- ferences in today’s struggle for democracy to that of the past. A.E. sharply pointed out in his time that when the oCmmunists are attacked, the attack on oth- ers soon follows; as soon as Sec-

tion 98. was used against Tim .

Buck and the other Communist leaders, there was unleashed during 1931-35 a veritable reign of terror, with over 10,- 000 people arrested and perse-

cuted for progressive activities.

That is an equally valuable les- son -today.

What is equally true today as

in the past is that capitalism in .

political crisis always leans to fascism, and that promotion of an imperialist war program must inevitably be accompanied with attempts to strengthen fascist reaction. Similarly, the thirties and early forties proved that .under Communist ' leader- ship the people could successful- ly fight back and defeat fascist attempts. Fad

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But there are important dif- ferences in today’s struggle that arise from the whole changed world situation. The ground is slipping from under the feet of world capitalism. Eight hun- dred million people have broken away and are marching to com-

“munism, The remaining North

American bastion of capitalism stands on very shaky foutfda- tions. And its leaders are des- perate.

A dying predatory class in panic will go to any lengths — if not stopped. Thus the U:S. witch-hunts, savage attacks on the Communist movement, mass genocide, and shameful persecu- tion of great artists like Charlie Chaplin and iPaul Robeson. Thus all the serious tendencies along like lines in Canada.

One more important differ- ence today in Canada to the thirties: The stamp of U.S. domination covers almost every sphere of action in Canada, and reactionary laws are ‘‘demand- ed’’ by, the U.S. State Depart- ment. Thus the ‘Made-in-USA Garson Amendments defining treason which are now embodied in Bill H-8. Thus the firing of six Toronto Symphony artists because US authorities refused to allow them to enter that country.

Actually Section 98, fascist- type law that it was (with its main tenet that a man charged under its provisions was guilty unless he could prove his in- nocence), seems pallid before the main legislation: under the revised Criminal Code in Bill H-8, in which all main tradition- al bourgeois democratic pro- cesses. are thrown overboard. The LPP in its submission to the Senate Committee studying this bill points out the sweeping character of the treason and sedition sections, that the defini- tions are new and unprecedent- ed, “implying prosecution and

even death penalty for citizens~

who disagree with the foreign policy of the party temporarily in office,” foreshadowing a reign of political reaction. It shows how sections of the Criminal Code under the bill are anti- right to strike, and above all, it shows that ‘these new sec- tions- accord the government arbitrary powers for use against the sovereign interests of Can- ada and the civil rights of Can- adian citizens.” :

Truly this represents a new stage in attempted subversion of Canadian democracy. As _ the

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By BECKIE BUHAY

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LPP program, “Canadian Inde pendence and People’s Dem cracy,”’ states:

“To serve the monopolies, parliamentary democracy is b& ing steadily undermined through the rule of order-iD- council, secret commitments to the U.S. government, the trea son amendments, the padlock Law, refusal to permit Com munists to take offices 1 which they have been elected.

’ Fascization of the state in Ut

der way as part of the prepara tions for war.”

Even “Iron Heel” Bennett’ blatant proclaimed reaction di not dare as St. Laurent ha® openly to challenge the supre™” acy of parliament, ' ® :

Bill H-8 must not be allowed to become law. The tradition® of struggle led by A. B. Smith against Section 98 can stand US in good stead today.

The LPP with its 100 candi dates in the coming federal elec- tions must place the question 0 the fight for democracy VerY much to the fore.

The democratic rights mov™

‘ment of today needs to carly

the fight forward much more in the militant experiences ® A.E.’s day, uniting the proades sections of the people on thes issues. ; :

Let us heed A.E.’s words whe? he cried out, ‘“‘The Canadia® spirit born of the pioneer cour” age that made Canada will ae fuse to cringe.” Let this aoe landmark since the birth of th — great Canadian, be the occasio? to reaffirm our faith in the ee, adian people’s will to struge for peace and democracy; t® re : dedicate ourselves to the @ d for which A. B. Smith, sto? * and worked, and so wholehe@! edly lived, and laid dow? to other, younger stronger hands | take up.