Investigation of Communist activities in Seattle, Wash., area. Hearings, Part 3United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities
History
Investigation of Communist activities in Seattle, Wash., area. Hearings, Part 3
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities
Communism -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
That is the attitude and that was not only true of them. We had heavy
Socialist following, the Socialist Party out there, Norman Thomas
had decidedly strong feeling, in fact strong support out there and
carried some of the counties in the State of Montana particularly in my
district in the 1932 election.
What I am trying to do is put you in the mind and in the spirit
that existed as far as I was concerned at that particular time. For
instance, today I wouldn’t write that kind of a letter to the Daily
Worker.
Mr. TAVENNER. Did the same condition exist in Seattle, Wash.,
which you have described?
Mr. O’CONNELL. In the State of Washington you had about the
same situation, in the history of the State there was----
Mr. TAVENNER. Let me ask you this question: Did members of the
Communist Party in Seattle come to you as secretary of the Progressive
Party to discuss Communist Party problems with you?
Mr. O’CONNELL. No; not to discuss Communist Party problems
as such, both while I was executive secretary of the Democratic Party
and executive secretary of the Progressive Party I can remember Mr.
Henry P. Huff and Mr. Van Lydegraf, I think there was a Mr. Remes, and
others who came to the Democratic Party office and to the Progressive
Party Office and made certain representations about support of the
legislation they were interested in, matters that they were taking a
position in, and so on. I talked with them.
Mr. TAVENNER. Did that also include Tom Rabbitt and William
Pennock?
Mr. O’CONNELL. Well, in my time out there Rabbitt and Pennock
had never been identified or identified themselves as members of the
Communist Party. As I told you, Rabbitt was Democratic State senator,
Pennock was Democratic State representative and their dealings with me,
they were delegates to the Democratic Central Committee in King County
and their dealings with me were, as far as I knew, and ostensibly they
dealt with me as members of the Democratic party.
Mr. TAVENNER. We have spoken of the Daily Worker. You say you
were not a subscriber. Were you a subscriber to the Daily People’s
World?
Mr. O’CONNELL. I don’t think I ever subscribed to the People’s
World. I got the New World. I was a subscriber to the New World and to
the Washington New Dealer.
Mr. TAVENNER. You were acquainted, were you not, with a paper
published in Chicago by the name of Midwest Daily Record?
Mr. O’CONNELL. I can’t remember the Midwest Daily Record. When
was that published?
Mr. TAVENNER. In the thirties. Do you recall having written a
letter to the Daily Worker or made a public pronouncement recommending
the publication of that paper?
Mr. O’CONNELL. No, I don’t. Was it a Communist newspaper?
Mr. TAVENNER. Yes, it was.
Mr. O’CONNELL. Did it exist any time? Did it last any time?
Mr. TAVENNER. Not for a long period. I don’t know the period
it existed. As I understand, you do not recall anything about that
paper?
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