The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 11, 1924, Page 2

ARISTOCRACY IN THE SADDLE AT PEORIA MEET No Spokesman for Rank and File Gets Floor By KARL REEVE. (Staff Writer, Daily Worker) PEORIA, Ill., Sept. 10.—The “forty-second convention of the Illinois Federation of Labor is dominated by “‘the aristocracy of labor” and directed by well- paid officials who have thrown off the mask of representing the working class and are open- ly Indorsing capitalist political | arties and favoring class col- jaboration. While Harriet Silberman, of the Teachers’ Union, was ap- pealing for “a strong militant organization of the working- class to fight occupational] dis- eases,” the DAILY WORKER reporter heard members of the Milk Wagon Drivers’ Union crossly condemning her for taking up their time. Run Out of Speakers. This delegation from Chicago is paid $25.00 a day each plus railroad tare, one of them admitted to me. Their elevating topic of conversation while Miss Silberman was talking on oc- gupational diseases, was as to how fate in the night each had stayed up the preceding day. “She hasn’t spoken for two years,” one of these delegates said, “and I guess she wants to get it all out of her system at once. She ought to wait until next year, and let us go home.” There was no afternoon session Tuesday. The labor officials haverun out of Catholic priests and Chamber of Commerce members, so they ad- journed. It didn’t cross their minds to make an exception and let a real worker have the floor. Miss Silberman, representing the Workers’ Health Bureau, declared that thirty-five thousand miners have been killed while working at their industry in the last ten years. France Leads United States. “It takes an overwhelming mining disaster or a big explosion to make the legislature act,” said Miss Silber- man. “The painters have made the first health agreement with the em- ‘\ployers in the history of the Américan trade union movement. The use of benzol in paints was abolished. In France the labor unions are far ahead of America in this respect. In 1914 that country did away with the use of white lead in paints by a national decree.” “The workers are being oppressed on all fronts in the mad scramble of the employers for profits. Demands that the employers pay compensation are all right, but this form of labor relief has been over-rated. The employers pay as little as they have to. It is far better to organize the working class into a strong militant organiza- tion, and use means of preventing oc- cupational diseases.” Promises Delegates Drinks. The speakers that were foisted on the delegates here were an insult to the rank and file workers. M. J. Finn, who spoke as a representative of the Chamber of Commerce, made a grandstand play to capture applause by promising the delegates a drink whenever they wanted it. He has since been flitting about the conven- tion, making good his boast that “The Peoria Chamber of Commerce at all times co-operates with the organized labor movement.” * The delegates were entertained at “Dreamland,” a dance hall here, re- calling Finn's statement that, “I think I'm paying 90 per cent of the ex- penses of the entertainment anyway.” Skips His Custodian. John Moran held by Illinois authori- ties for extradition to Minnesota; where he is wanted in South St. Paul in connection with a $35,000 mail rob- bery, escaped today from U. S. Mar- shal W. Lee Capps who was bringing him to Chicago for arraignment he- fore U. S. Commissioner Henry C, Beitler. | WALKER TALKS M (Continued from page 1) tation of what a college professor said about Abe Lincoln. Walker could not be expected to come out and declare*that he has sur- rendered the rights of the wage earn- ers of the state, that he has spent the money of the Federation and devoted his energies to boosting Len Small whose big achievement is that he hires scab labor to build rotten roads, and LaFollette who ‘completely ig- nores unemployment. He Dodges Responsibility. But Walker finds a way to dodge with the open shoppers... He blames it all on the Senate Resolution No. 863, introduced by Senator McCormick and he gives the farmers a nice little lecture on how to increase their profits. Due to this deflation drive against the farmers, Walker tells us, “The purchasing power of the farmers has been depreciated at least 50 per cent. This has wrought immeasurable in- jury on all the workers in our coun- try. The impaired purchasing capa- city of the farmer, along with in- creased freight rates, increased in- terest charges, and restricted indus- trial and agricultural credits, has re- sulted in thousands of industries be- ing closed entirely, causing millions of men and women to lose their means of livelihood, forcing them on the streets vainly seeking employment.” Passed Buck to Farmers. Walker, altho he offered the conven- tion no action whatever against un- employment, altho he did not call up- on the workers to rally against the employers, altho he did not mention one single thing he had acomplished in the past year to strengthen the IIl- inois unions, to organize unorganized workers or decrease unemployment, probably in an effort to obscure his (Continued from page 1.) as a trade unionist. It must be in- teresting to have such a dual per- sonality.” Could Not Make Profit. Mr. Stone, replying to the miners’ president, explained that he closed the mines because he did not want to operate them non-union. He wailed over the valuable contracts lost by the company because it could not operate its mines at a profit. “The members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En- gineers, who have invested ‘over $3,- 000,000 in these properties are entitled to some returns on their investment, but at the present price and the cost of mining under the Jacksonville agreement, it is impossible for the union mines to break even.” Now it is Mr. Stone’s turn to be de- fended against the charge of anti- union activities by the LaFollette press. Rivals Quarrel. The current issue of LABOR, of- ficial expression of the railroad broth- Bosses Call Police Months After Big Strike Has Passed Months after the Ladies’ Garment Workers’ strike, police are again seen in front of the Seiden Bros. shop, at Van Buren and Market Sts. Meyer Pearlstein, vice-president of the Inter- national Ladies’ Garment Workers’ union, and leader of the recent strike, when asked what he knew about the matter, denied any trouble at Seiden Bros., which is a settled shop. He did not know that the owners had called for police to keep union men on the outside from talking to the men inside .the shop. Further inquiry among the men and women employed in the Seiden Bros. shop brought the information that the owners are discriminating against the most active members of the union for their activities in the recent strike. These workers, who are deprived of a chance to work, have been picketing the Seiden shop to talk to the union workers and tell them about the condition that has developed as a re- sult of their efforts to help win the strike. The employers getting wind of the matter, phoned for the police. Subscribe for “Your Daily,” the DAILY WORKER. INDUSTRIAL REGISTRATION IN CHICAGO SPEEDING UP Five More Branches Send in Registration. the responsibility of his collaboration | RIVAL FAKERS FIGHT FOR MASTERS HE Italian Terra Cotta, Italian W. S. No, 2, Italian Grand Crossing, Scandinavian South Side and Douglas Park Jewish branches have sent in their Industria! Registration this weeks Twenty branches have thus far completed registration of their members. In the next few days, many more are expected to finish the classification and registration of the members. The industrial registra- tion will prove of incalculable value in every department of Party work. In the work of the Trade Union Educational League, the T. U. E. L. groups will benefit at once, since the registration shows that many who could be active in union and T. U. E. L. work have been neglectful. The Party can follow the individual members up till every comrade is on the Job, When the Party knows where every member works, a long step will have been taken toward beginning successfully the reorganiza- tion of the Party on the basis of Shop Nuclei. In registering, make sure the comrai fill in their place of work. Don't delay the registration, As fast as branches get the Informa- tion from the members, they are expected to send in the tabulated results to the Local Office, 166 W. Washington St. Room 303, UCH, SAYS LITTLE impotence, is loudly solitious for the farmers. Walker calls the farmer the ultimate consumer, ‘and he tells the farmers to “Bring about better prices, reduce interests and increase freight rates. Orgatiize on your own part.” Now comes Walker’s most laugh- able outburst—his pitiful effort to of- fer a solution to the problem. “With greater improvements that have taken place in methods of pro- duction there is no doubt that, with wise united action on the part of the trade unionists of the state, not only will relief be gotten from the evil con-. ditions that we are suffering from to- day, but improved benefits and con- ditions will come into our lives as a lresult of the greater productivity, thru improved machinery and more efficient processes, if we we can thru our united strength and influence ar- range to participate in the benefts of those improvements.” Urges Waiting Policy. Walker's logic is crystal clear. Un- employment will be greatly decreased as soon as labor saving machinery is perfected, which will afford jobs for less people.” As a solution to the un- employment problem Walker tells us to sit back and wait—but to increase productivity for our employers, Never fear, he tells us, it will be easier to get a job when there are fewer jobs to be had. Walker's “increased productivity” propaganda has a familiar ring. First we heard Farrington adyise, “cheapen production,” then we heard the coal operators at Herrin advise “produce more,” and now John Walker tells us, “increase productivity,” and welcome labor-saving machinery, even if you make no effort to control the exploita- tion of that machinery. The employ- ers class collaboration program has been taken seriously by Walker and friends, the labor fakers. erhoods, in which combination Warren S. Stone is a leading light, carries a front page story, attacking the char- acter of the labor delegation that lis- tened to Silent Cal piffle on Labor Day. The paper states that the ex- penses of the assembled labor fakers were paid by T. V. O’Conner, former Gompers lieutenant, ex-president of. the Longshoremen’s Union and now chairman of the United States Ship- ping board. The LaFollette organ tries to prove that the Coolidge labor ‘skates are lacking in “legitimacy,” a quality in the exclusive possesion of the labor fakers who support LaFollette. They are both legitimate traders in the economic lives of the working class of America. A broadside from Warren S. Stone, exposing his competitor for the favor of big business, is expected at any moment. The capitalists are having a jolly old time watching their enter- tainers do their stuff while the work- ers suffer. ‘HONEST’ JOHN WALKER IS AGAINST THE KU KLUX KLAN—SOMEWHAT (Special to the Daily Worker.) PEORIA, Sept. 10—John H. Waiker, president of the lillinois Federation of Labor, in a state- ment to the DAILY WORKER, declared himself in absolute op- position to the Ku Klux Klan. “1 think it wrong,” he sald. When asked what his attitude will be on the Klan resolutio coming before the convention, Mr. Walker said, “I do not know what the report of the resolu- tions committee will be. We can- not declare the Klan resolutions out of order, because the Ameri- can Federation of Labor is now acting on it and we are part of that body. If the delegates choose to, they can rule it un- wise to consider the Klan in this convention, but | do not know what action will be taken. | am however opposed to the Klan.” Flyers to Shed Bouquets. WASHINGTON, Sept. 10.—Secre- tary of War Weeks today announced that the world flyers would drop flow- ers over the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National ceme- tery while flying over the capital on Defense Day. This is supposed to soothe the workers who died so that Morgan might live and prosper. Subscribe for “Your Daily,” the DAILY WORKER. DETROIT WORKERS 10 HOLD MEET AGAINST MOBILIZATION DAY DETROIT, Sept. 10——Under the auspices of the Young Peoples’ Con- ference Against Militarism, an anti- Mobilization Day meeting will be held here on next Thursday eve-, ning, Sept. 11, in MceCollester Hall, Cass and Forést Avenues. The Speakers will be Ella Reeve Bloor, Dr. Atkinson and Reverend Moon. Members of the Young Workers’ "| League and the Workers Party are urged a) attend, « Constructive Proposals from Left Wing Only “Reaction is in full sway at the convention of the Illinois State Federation of Labor at Peoria now,” was the statement made to the DAILY WORKER by John W. Johnstone, assistant secretary of the Trade Union Educational League. “The opening of the conven- tion showed what it would be,” continued Johnstone, ‘There were addresses by the mayor of the town and by a representa- tive of the local chamber of commerce, who stated that it was paying for 90% of the entertainment being furnished the convention. Propose Nothing Constructive. “Nothing of constructive value is be- ing proposed by the officialdom of the union, Not a word is said about un- employment, working class independ- ent political action, the recognition of Soviet Russia, amalgamation of the craft unions ,or the organization of the unorganized. Their only interest is in their class collaborationist policy of putting over Len Small and LaFolette, as is asked in the reports of both John Walker and Vic Olander.” “Will the Ku Klux Klan be an issue at the convention?” Johnstone was asked. | Left Wing Fighté K. K. K. “Positively!” he replied emphatic- ally. “But it is an issue that is going to be raised by the left wing, you can be sure. The Walker-Olander-Quesse- Neer gang will try their best to keep it out of the range of discussion on the grounds that it is a purely religi- ous issue. They completely refuse to take note of the fact that the exist- ence of the Klan and its activities is a menace to the existence of the Unit- ed Mine Workers’ organization. “The left wing is small, it is true. The extreme poverty of the miners prevented numerous locals from send- ing their quota of delegates. On the other hand you can observe a solid voting bloc from the teamsters of Chicago, -for example. One hundred and eleven of them, bound by, the unit Tule and voting consistently ‘with the reactionary machine. No, this con- vention is far from being representa- tive of the rank and file sentiment of the organized workers in Illinois. “But it is this small left wing, led by such mén as Tom Parry of Diver- non, Henry Corbishly of Ziegler and E. B. Hewlett of West Frankfort, that will present constructive proposals on all the points I mentioned before. They are all miners and they repre- sent a good portion of the sentiment of the workers in Illinois.” “How do the miners feel about the convention?” Miners Disgusted. “They think it is rotten, to be mild. It is a difficult situation to cope with here. Take a man like John Walker, elected by the Illinois miners on a progressive ‘platform to the presi- dency of the State Federation of La- bor. And now the miners point to his renegade record and say, ‘What's the use?’ But the Trade Union Edu- cational League and the Workers Party are constantly agitating among the workers, especially among the miners where such sentiment finds its way quickly, to stay within the un- ion. Where there is talk of dropping affiliation to the federation, we are carrying on a fight in opposition to it. “The militants are the responsible factor im stopping all tendencies towards a split away from the bigger organization, a move that has always played and will continue to play into the hands of the reactionaries. Rank and File To Speak. “This convention is by no means decisive. The militants are going to continue their activity, more intensly than ever before, until the rank and file has had the opportunity to give full expression to its pace Wag de- mands and has taken away the con- trol of the whion from the Walker-Len Small-Olander machine and turned it back to where it belongs and will eventually find its place, the hands of the rank and file, “The Peoria convention,” he con- cluded, “is only a milestone in the road that leads there.” SECOND MEETING OF FOSTER AND GITLOW CONFERENCE SUNDAY The second meeting of the Foster and Gitlow conference will held Sunday, Sept. 14, at 10a. my at 3322 Douglas Park Boulevard. Comrade Kastrell of New York will report the progress of the campaign in that section and Comrade Murtz will report the activities of Chicago in the Fos- ter-Gitlow eleotion battle, All THE DAILY WORKER Hughes’ Conspiracy By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. TODAY, shortly after 9:30 o’clock, the girl ‘who works in the bindery of the DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. slipped into our editorial offices and began scanning the tape coming off the news ticker. She knew that at 9:30 o'clock, Judge John R. Caverly was to pronounce his verdict on Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, Jr., for the murder of young Robert Franks. That was the thing uppermost in her life. It was the thing put foremost in hér mind by the yellow press. And there she was, all eyes, waiting for this news to come over the wire. 3 * ° * * Our columnist, Thomas J. O'Flaherty comes in off the street with a copy of the first extfa. It has box car headlines, taking up almost half of the first page, proclaiming, “Life in Prison for Loeb and Leopold, Jr.” “They are selling like the proverbial hot cakes,” says O'Flaherty, meaning that the gullible public was eagerly gobbling up news of the most recent development in this luscious sensation. And that was to be expected. Today it is news of the Loeb-Leopold verdict that the kept press dishes out, in whole- sale quantities, to the multitudes. Thursday night it will be the Wills-Firpo prize fight in “Boyle’s Acres,” in Jersey City, across the river from New York itself, . The so-called reformers, defenders of the nation’s mo- rality, have even carried their fight for the deportation of Luis Angel Firpo to President Coolidge himself. But “Cau- tious Cal” knows there are more votes among the millions of sporting page followers, than there are among dwindling church congregations, and word comes from Cal’s retreat in the White House that, ‘‘the prevention of the battle is not within his right.” * * J * Next week there will be new extras about the arrival of the world fliers in Chicago, if some new murder sensation does not intervene and outclass this event. * * * * This is the reading matter that the “Brass Check” press places before its readers, each day bringing its latest sensa- tion. In all this news hash of sex, murder, sports for profit, there isn't even the remotest approach to the development of an idea that might educate the workers in the struggle for something better. In fact, it has exactly the opposite effect. * * * * The girl in the bindery, the masses upon the streets, for- get to learn the meaning of the $200,000,000.00 loan that Morgan is today planning to float under the Dawes Plan, approved by the imperialisms of both Great Britain and France. They completely lose sight of the increasingly vital demand for the development of working class power in the United States. Labor's aggressiveness against capitalism is soothed and dissipated by the games and’ the side-shows provided by the blished social order, just as the Roma: Caesars, in the days of their decline, offered the orgies o the arena to a discontented populace. 4 * * * * . And just at that moment the Business Manager of our DAILY WORKER brings in copy for “The Power Column,” that is to go into Friday morning's issue. “The Power Col- umn,” will appear again tomorrow. Its first sentence declares that, “Twice every week—this column will uncover to your view the motive power behind the DAILY WORKER.” The big motive canioagd behind the DAILY WORKER is the desire of the workers of this country to join labor thru- out the world in struggling for the abolition of capitalism and the Building of a new social order-—Communism. The desire is clearly crystallized in the minds of the Communist vanguard organized into the Workers Party. It is rather-hazy in the minds of hundreds of thousands of party sympathizers, of many nationalities, especially in the nation’s big industries, where exploitation of labor prevails in its most brutal forms. *The desire is also dormant in the minds of the millions. It is as yet unconscious. It needs to be stirred into life; educated, organized, directed into action. * * * * That is the job of the DAILY WORKER—to rouse labor to intelligent action on its own side in the class struggle. ‘ainst it is the whole yellow press, with its endless streams of poison gas, seeking to chloroform the workers into in- action; which is just as good, for the purposes of the bosses, as if the workers were fighting actually on the side of the enemy capitalist class. * “The Power Column,” in the DAILY WORKER'S drive for new readers, for an increasing number of subscriptions, starts again in these columns, TOMORROW. If your mind rebels at the poison of the yes press, get out and work for the only daily in the land that furnishes the antidote for that poison—the DAILY WORKER. Thru increasing the power of the DAILY WORKER, the great masses of humanity will gradually come to think of themselves, of their own problems, and of the struggle that leads to their own emancipation. Lift the minds of the ‘millions so that the DAILY WORKER will sell like “hot cakes” among the masses. The masses can and must be won from their present ro nen slavery to the dope sheets of the capitalist social order. That Japan will not look on uncon- 4 e . cernedly while her most powerful in China Causing enemy in the Far East hatches plots Anxiety in Japan in China was manifested today. The Mobilization. Day exercises in the REACTION RULES The Bindery Girl Was AT PEORIA MEET! Worried About Verdict PEKING, Sept. 10.—The Japanese government is beginning to look on the Chinese war with considerable anxiety. A Tokyo dispatch declares that Secretary Hughes of the United States. government sent four secert telegrams to Wellington Koo, Chinese minister for foreign affairs, and the telegram charges Hughes with plot- ting to take advantage of ‘the trouble in China. It is reported here on what seems to be good authority, that back of the conflict is a well-planned effort to get rid of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the radical head of the Canton govern- ment. The credit for this plot is shar- ed between the British and United States governments, who are expend- ing millions in fixing the rival tuchuns Peking.tendont McAndrew. United States are given considerable significance here, and looked upon as a threat to the Tokyo government. School Board Stands Back of McAndrew in - His War on Teachers Chicago's school board lined up back of school teacher-baiting Superin- tendent McAndrew, yesterday, when they voted to table a resolution eall- ing upon the secretary of the board to send out notices for the teachers’ council meetings. The next school board meeting will not be held until after the date set for the next teach- ers’ council meeting, leaving the mat- ter entirely in the hands of Superin: MEETING IN N.Y. HEARS GITLOW Central Opera House Is Packed to Doors (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, September 10.— Despite unfavorable weather, Central Opera House was jam- med to the doors with a cheer- ing mass of workers when the New York campaign of the Workers hy was formal: opened here last night wit Benjamin Gitlow, candidate for vice-president on the Com- munist ticket and C, E. Ruthen- berg, national executive secre- tary of the Workers Party, as principal speakers. When Gitlow was introduced he was given an ovation that lasted 15 minutes. Hats were thrown in the air, the “Inter- national” was sung, cheers were given for the Workers Party, Soviet Russia and Sovie' America—that is to be. , For Soviet America. Ruthenberg drew heavy applause, earlier in the evening when he said that the workers would take over the government to smash capitalism. He declared the workers were quitting the two old parties for LaFollette, but they would be disillusioned thru the failure of LaFollette and his program to solve their problems. The workers would then be demanding Soviet America, declared Comrade Ruthen- berg. Continuing, he said, that Coolidge, Davis and LaFollette could not give any jobs to the unemployed miners, or to the slaves of the textile, steel and clothing trusts. The Workers’ Re- public is the only solution. L. E. Katterfeld, who was recently released from Joliet prison, Illinois, spoke for the DAILY WORKER sub- scription drive. Comrade Hi Win, itsky acted as chairman. HOLD BIG CROWD © IN OPEN AIR AT 2 - CICERO MEETING. Altho the threat made by Capt. Svoboda, chief of Cicero’s police, that he would have a brass band to coun- teract the oratory of the Workers Party speakers there, was not made good last night, there were other annoyances which did not, however, prevent the Communist message from being delivered to a few hundred workers who gathered on the corner of 14th St. and 49th Ave. The speakers, comrades Clarence Miller and George Maurer, spoke to the crowd which stayed and listened attentatively despite the fact that opposite them was a Lithuanian mis- sionary yelping for a little more at- tention by the slaves of Jesus, riding around the meeting were ‘three auto- mobiles constantly honking their horns, and in front of the stand an organized group of urchins who con- tined to make noises all thru the meeting. . Every single copy of the Young Worker and the DAILY WORKER that was thefe was sold. The com- rades spoke on the elction campaign and the menace of Mobilization Day. se @ STREET MEETINGS IN CHICAGO. Thursday, Sept. 11. + 62nd and Halsted Sts., auspices Eni wood W. P. and Y. W. L.; speakers: Kline and others. lith St. and Sist Ave., auspices Cleero branches; speakers: Earley, Lithuanian coirth and Ashland. (and Gro pA ‘an 38), aus; Polish branch: speakers: Meera and Polish comrad Friday, Sept. 12. Lawrence and Sawyer, auspices Lyn | Park branches; speakers: Peter Herd ant Subscribe for “Your Daily,” the DAILY WORKER. NEW YORK T. U, E. L. PLANS BIG SUPPORT TO COMMUNIST CAMPAIGN NEW YORK CITY, Sept. 10— A local conference of the Trade Union Educational League has been called for Friday evening, Sept. 12, © to organize the campaign in sup- port of William Z. Foster and Ben Gitlow.. This conference will be be held at 208 East 12th St. The most prominent militants in the lo- cal trade unions will be present, It is expected that a whirlwind campaign will be arranged here in support of the only class conscious ticket in the field—that of the Workers Pa This conference of militant: \l be a striking con- trast to the P. A. conference of middle class merchants, bankers, and trade union bureaucrats,