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From The Militant, Vol. 12 No. 37, 13 September 1948, p. 4.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
Now and again, every speaker is startled by some questioner in the audience. Last week in Akron, I was especially surprised by one of the questions. It was a mild enough question. Immediately after the chairman announced that the question period was open, a worker stood up and asked, “Could you tell me what time it is?”
After ferreting out the time on the watch I had borrowed for the occasion, I told him that it was 9:45 p.m. Then he said, “I’ll have to get back to work. I just took off a couple of hours with this brother here. But I want to tell you that I’m going to join up. What I heard here tonight are the things I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I don’t always get a chance to say them that way, but I believe that you’re on the right, path, and I want to add my weight.”
That was certainly a very gratifying conclusion to what had been all around a lively meeting.
It was made doubly gratifying later when another rubber unionist came up and expressed his desire to join the Socialist Workers Party.
Yesterday I met these same workers at an old-fashioned political picnic held by the Ohio State Section of the Party. With the zeal of the new comrades, one of these workers had brought out a friend to meet our people and to learn about the Socialist Worker’s Party’s program.
It was a good introduction to Trotskyism, because this was a real working class gathering. Baseball rivalries engrossed the attention of a large part of the group. It was Akron against the rest of Ohio – 9 to 6! No one ever asks me my advice about baseball, but I don’t mind saying that what this game lacked in professional technique, was more than made up for by the vim, vigor and vitality of the players.
Games and contests for the children, an auction of a super-special smoked ham and a short speech by the vice-presidential candidate rounded out the day’s program. And a good time was had by the candidate – and I think by all.
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