The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 24, 1924, Page 5

—— Friday. October 24, 1924 PEABODY COAL BOSS PAID TO SLUG MINERS Farrington and Opera- tors Blacklist Rebels ; By T. J. O'FLAHERTY. (Article Eleven.) After the brutal slugging of the Collinsville delegation by the notorious “Jack” Brown, then boss for the Peabody Coal com- pany at Andrew, Illinois, and at the pes nt time a Peabody boss incaid, who was assisted by Edward Maher and William Wall, the latter two now run- ning for the jobs of legal inves- tigators, now elective, but until the last convention appointive, the movement to organize the miners for the purpose of call- ing a special convention and kill thé automatic fine clause, grew rapidly. The state policy committee issued a call for a state-widé strike to be effective until their, demands. were met by the operators. Farrington having refused to accede to the de mand of the rank and file for a con- vention, the policy committee issued @ call for a special district conven- tion to be held in Springfield, Illinois, Tuesday, August 19, 1919. Convention Call The call reads: “Belleville, Ill, Aug. 13th, 1919. “We the Policy Committee of the * various local unions in District 12, now on strike for a readjustment of the wage agreement having been ig- nored in a demand for a Special Con- vention by the District Executive Board request that all local unions elect delegates to a convention to be held in Springfield, Il, Tuesday, Aug. 19; 1919. “The purpose of the convention shall be'to devise ways and means to secure immediate adjustment of the wage scale and to transact such other ; business as may properly come be- fore theeConvention. “Delegates are requested to present OTE E COMMUNIST voTk Comeyyiss ‘A preliminary meeting on a lesser corner to announce the bigger Red Night Meeting more credentials from their local unions. “All local unions are to continue on strike and ask all others to join the strike, subject to the action of the convention.” Angered. Miners While the miners in all parts of the state had greviances which they wanted redressed it was the brutal treatment of the Belleville delegates by Farrington’s sluggers and the ac- tions of his paid gunmen thruout the mining regions that set fire to the discontent that was igrekaieriiind in the miners’ ranks. The folowing excerpt taken from a speech delivered by Delegate Kohler, at the state convention held in Peo- ria, from March 16 to March 20, 1920, gives a picture of the feeling among the miners over the outrageous con- duct of the district president. Hohler said. “. as a repre- sentative of Peoria I want to give you the true facts as far as I OUR DAILY > PATTERNS FOR MATURE FIGURES oxi, 4689. Velvet or satin, would be very attractive for this model. It is finished in slip on style. The plait portions afford becoming fulness at the sides. The facing and collar are new features. This pattern is cut in 7 sizes: 36, $8, 40, 4%, 44, 46 and 48 inches bust measure.. A 38-inch size requires 5% yards of 40-inch material. For collar facings of contrasting material -yard is required. The width at the oot is 8% yards, mailed to any address on of 120 in silver or stamps. 12¢ in silver or stamps for DATE oF PASIIOND. | w/ BOOK OF FASHIONS, our U! 1924-192 PITTSBURGH, PA. DR. DENTIST Rendering |Expert, Dental Service PARRA Sa 84-36; extra large, 46-48 inches bust mea- sure. A aa size requires 4% yards of 36 or 40- made with long sleeves. If with short sleeves 4% yards will be required. receipt of 12c in silver or stamps. our UP-TO-DATE FALL & A COMFORTABLE NIGHT GOWN centrally ‘located. can. .As you know, we have the Moon- ey headquarters in Peoria and we did all we possibly could to get Moon- ey free, because we were informed) by our own officers that Mooney was. innocent. We felt that man was in- nocent and that he had no business in jail; therefore we created a {Mooney Defense League in Peoria, It was called the headquarters of the Mooney Defense League “When we caine out on strike on July 4th the sentiment of the officers was against us, and as a consequence we were fined. We did not care!’so much about being fined, but we wanted it done in a legitimate way. Wewere under the impression that we had no agreement at that time.| The International Convention after- wards showed that we were right and that we had no agreement. When the’ Belleville’ fellows came up here there was discontent in the Peoria field and it was easy to get them in 4884. This style is good for cam- bric, longcloth, crepe, of outing flan- nel, also for crepe de chine, and silk. The sleeve may be short, or in’ wrist length. The is cut in 4 sizes: Small, edium, 38-40; large,» 42-44; inch material, it Pattern mailed to any address on Send 12c in silver or stamps for TER 1924-1925 BOOK OF FASHIONS, ce Sivas cnieagos te he thru the unfon delegates who went from town to town carrying the message to their fellow workers were met oh the high- ways by gunmen hired by Farrington. line. We were told in the Peoria meeting that was held on Sunday that the delegation from Belleville had gone to Springfield and tried to get an interview with the district officers. Farrington’s Statement + “We were told that they were slug- ged, beaten up, and that the state- ment was made by the president that Belleville was too small to dictate to the state of Illinois. We take it that if Belleville had enough members td call for a special meeting they had that right. At least they had a right to interview the president, and if they could not get satisfaction from him |, they had a right to call a special con- vention. “We contended that we’ had no con- tract, and on that account the Peoria fellows were in favor of having a con- vention. . .” Thus Farrington’s brutal tactics as much as the resentment against the automatic fine clause was responsible for the strike involving 75,000 men in defiance of the threats from Far- rington’s office. The reactionary offi- cials were not able to handle the rank and file even with the aid of their gunmen, so the ocal operators and the every part of the state to rally to our, support and defeat 1 aims of | the Farrington machine that is now using the treastry of the Illinois} Mine Workers to hire every crook and thug to defeat our efforts in the cause | of humanity.” The Farrington strikebreakers ves offered $6.50 per day and expenses.’ The manner in which Farrington paid | his strikebreakers and the conditions under which they worked is shown | from the following testimony given | by Martin Bolen: The Way It Was Done. “I, Martin Bolen, president of local Union 1807, Kincaid, Tlinois, depose and say: On or about August 14th 1919, Ed. Bowen notified me in front of the Kincaid, Miners’ Hall to go up; to the Sub-District office in Taylor- ville, Ill. When I appeared there, the sub-district board was in session, the Sub-district President, Allen Haywood asked me if I wanted to be put on the payroll for the purpose of putting the striking miners back to work. “T agreed and my name was put on the payroll. President Haywood stated to me that he had been in- sttucted by District President Frank | Farrington “to pit all the men he| could get on the payroll to crush the rebellion. .I further seen a list of the| names of men in the sub-district office who were then on the payroll, among them appeared the name of Bert Savage and Mark Mason, of L.| U. 517, Tovey, Ill, and John Bru-| towski, of L. U, 721, of Pana. “The first check I received for this| Kind of work was in the Winton Hotel in Cleveland, O., the check was is- sued by Walter Nesbit, State Sec- retary Treasurer, was O. K.’ed by Allin Haywood ‘and the amount was $26.00 and stated ‘Advance to delegate to National Convention.’ I later re- ceived a second check which came thru Henry Houser, Sub-District Sec- retary-Treasurer, the. amount was $29.15 and I receipted for same as ‘doing fleld work for the miners.’ When I turned in the time worked by me to the Sup-District President, he gave me a leter referring me to the government,.was called in to save them. Gunmen Turned Loose Deputy’. sheriffs were appointed from the ranks of the miners who re- mained loyal to Farrington. Gunmen and criminals of all descriptions were organize to terrorize the strikers, charters were revoked and the coal operators on Farrington’s suggestion issued orders to the strikers that un- they returned to work their jobs would be forfeited. Here were the State office, From Post To Pillar “«T went to Springfield and pre- sented the letter to Vice-President | Fishwick, as President Farrington was not in at the time. Fishwick re- ferred me back to the Sub-District office, stating that the money for field workers would be sent there in bulk, and advised me to tear up the letter in my possession so as not to cause Henry Houser to suspect any- bosses and the government working hand in hand with strikebreaker Far- rington. Farrington henchmen were -ordered to hire “union strikebreakers” to work in the. struck, These gang- sters went around ¥ guns in their hip pockets, broke into meetings and subjected the wives of the insurgents to a continual stream of abuse. The Beaten on Highw: A statement was issued by these re. |delegates, which sets forth the object of their mission and its peaceable char- acted, telling of the treatment they received at the hands of Farrington up with: “We, thing. I tore up, the letter, but told Houser what Fishwick had said to UNCLE WIGGILY’S TR TBE DAILY aoe sentative, lette in the present election, the open shop drive resulting in low |wages and long hours, Weinstone showed that for the two old parties and their representatives that spoke |before him these issues did not at all exist, and that LaFollette’s platform |was entirely futile and impotent and | would not solve a single one of these |pressing problems of the working jelass. “LaFollette,” he dclared, “like | jthe two old parties, is a staunch sup-| |porter of the present system of priv- jate property.” Referring to the for- mer platforms of the’ socialist party jand the declaration of their chief |spokesman, Morris Hilquit, Weinstone| challenged Solomon who was to fol-| low him, to explain on the basis of socialist docrines, why LaFollette should get the support of the labor party. He particularly called upon Solomon to state whether he believed in the platform of LaFollette which was a movement back to 1776—a re- turn to the old individualistic com- petitive system of production with its miserable wage for the workers, long hours and sweat shop conditions a |period in which labor was weak and poorly organized. | MacDonald Serves Capitalist Class | Discussing the MacDonald govern- j|ment whom the socialists support, | Weinstone pointed out that MacDon- jald was continuing the policy of the | capitalist politicians in enslaving the \colonial workers, in using airplanes and bombs against the natives of ° | Egypt and Irak, in bringing into ex- ”listence the Dawes plan which was a |policy of continuing the war against Germany with economic means, and which would lead to another world war in which America would play a leading part. Wisconsin A Model of Capitalist Rule Taking up Wisconsin, the speaker showed that as far as the working class was concerned this state which has been bossed by LaFollette, was run in the interests of the capitalist |class in the same manner as in every other state of the union and that there the big trusts rule the workers as they do generally in the United | States. He ended his speech with an appeal for the support of William Z. | Foster as the candidate on the only ticket which stands upon the platform exclusively devoted to the interest of the toiling masses of this country. Admitted Futility of LaFoilette Plat- form Charles Solomon, who spoke after WEINSTONE GETS EXCELLENT MESSAGE ACROSS TO WORKERS | IN DEBATE WITH SOCIALIST NEW YORK CITY, Oct, 28.—William W. Weinstone, representing the Communist, position in the four-cornered political symposium which turned into a debate between the Communist and socialist speakers, | munity Church on Sunday afternoon, flayed the socialist party and its repre- | Charles Solomon, candidate for lieutenant-governor, | completely given up every shred of socialist principles in. supporting LaFol- LaFollette Supporter of Capitalism. Outlining the main issues in the present campaign, the menace of new} wars, the growing unemployment, the use of the government against the workers, the capitalist offensive and +—— j answer the questions put to him. | and that it should have taken | pointed out again that’movements, no | | ahalyzed from the point of view where Page Five in the Com- as having | Weinstone, evaded the issues raised by the Communist speaker and failed to | Ad-| mitting the futility of the platform of | LaFollette, he pleaded that “we must | give this movement a chance.” Hej} said: “The socialist party had at last applied common sense to its politics | the | present stand years ago and gone jalohg with the reform movements.” In_his concluding remarks Wein- stone replying to Solomon’s argument | matter. who supports them, must be | they are going and whether they are in the interest of the working class, | and he further declared that the La-| Follette movement was taking the, working class off the path of inde- pendent working class political action onto the path which leads into the wilderniss of capitalist politics. “The socialist party, in adopting the so-called policy of common sense was acting the same as the old reactionary parties in following any policy which would bring votes,” declared Wein- stone. In answering questions from the audience, Solomon resorted to the cheap debater’s tricks of evading ques- tions where he could not answer them and in one instance denying that the movement of LaFollette was suppor- ted by millionaires. The question was turned over to be answered by the Communist speaker who pointed out that not only did millionaires back him, but that the directing committee of the LaFollette campaign had as its leading members the drug millionaire Rawleigh, the sugar king Spreckles, and among other such representatives as John M. Nelson who voted for the war, the espionage act and the ex- clusion of Victor Berger from con- ‘|gress; and that the millionaire bank- er Vanderlip was the one. whom Wheeler declared had “had conscrip- ted him for candidacy to run along with LaFollette.” “Such leaders,” de- clared Weinstone, “showed that this was @ movement of a section’ of the capitalist class who are using the la- bor movement as a cats-paw for their boss’ interests.” The audience consisted chiefly of students’ of the colleges of the city which in a straw ballot, gave LaFol- lette 291 votes, Foster 34, Coolidge 15, Davis 13 and Eugene V. Debs 5. | the sheriff's THE BEAUTY AND THE BOLSHEVIK PAYS VISIT TO BUFFALO, NEW YORK BUFFALO, N. Y., Oct. 23.—The Beauty and the Bolshevik will be shown in the Broadway Theatre, Broadway near Jefferson street, Saturday, Oct. 25. Matinee at 2:30 and evening at 7:30. Every worker in Buffalo should see this great comedy-drama of love in the Red Army. It is the first great feature film. made in Soviet Russia. An added attraction of “Russia in Overalls,” a three-reel survey of economic life in Soviet land, will also be shown. Tickets are 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children. Tickets are on sale at the Work- ers Party office, Room 3, 36 West Huron St. Bass Barber Shop, 299 William St., and at the Broadway Theatre. Another Mystery Cleared. DIXON, IL, Oct. 23.—Mystery sur rounding the finding of two human heads on the Lincoln highway near here Sunday was solved today when office learned they had been used in research work by a local doctor, Your Union Meeting FOURTH FRIDAY. Oct. 24, 1924, Name of Local and Place No. of Meeting 122 Blacksmiths, 64th and S, Ashiane Avenue. 429 male Makers, 105th and Avenue Boller Make: 55th and signee jakers, 62nd and ited ns, 19 W. Adams St. Engineers (Locomotive), and Sacramento. Engineers, 180 W. W. Firemen ‘and &n Wentworth Avenu Fur Workers. Hod Carriers, 1850 Sherman Ave., Evanston. ners, 699 §: Ashland Blvd. 3420 W Trades Council, 180 W. Ww: gton Street. : Carpenters’ District Council, 505 8. State St. Carpenters, 175 W. Washington St. Carpenters, 4339 S. Halsted St. Conductors (Sleeping Car), 912 Capito! Bidg., 10 a bes amie 175 we ‘Washington re bay Cutters, 180 W. Washing- 113_S. Ashland Ave. , 55th and Hal 1 2200 18 3 199 492 Machini Machin: ea ‘ S.° &. cor. “Lexington ern. 58rd Pl. and Halsted 118 $. Throop gt. vi PI Railway Railway Carmen, 52nd Railway Clerks, 9 8. Watchmen (Stock “vards), 3748 & Halsted St., 9 a. m. Electricians, 2901 W. Monroe St. Glass Workers, Emily and Marsh- ve. Garment Workers, rd W. Van Buren Machinists, 113°S. Ashi vd. Schoo! i and Shetfield Ave. Workers, 6 w. ; 11406 Michigan Avenue. Railway Clerks, Atlantic Hotel. ged me, as I wanted to keep Houser post-| ed. I did not receive the money then, | but was paid thru the Subdistrict} | office: Fishwick told me to deny get- | ting any of this money if ever asked about it. | “Signed: Martin Bolen. | “Subscribed and sworn to before} |me by the said Martin Bolen, this | 7th day of November A. D. 1919. “Signed BE. D. Henry, Notary Pub- lic.” Seal (State of Illinois) ‘ (Sangamon County) | In the Selling Business It is not surprising that Farrington would consistently sell the miners) votes to the government of the state; of Illinois. During the stormy daye of 1919, hundreds of special deputy sheriffs similar to those appointed at the request of Gary in the steel strike were appointed ‘by the state and county deputies were union strikebreakers and not paid by the county which | appointed them. These deputies were paid out of the $27,000 fund of which Farrington refused to give an item- | part in officials at Farrington's request. These |* ized report until compelled to do so by the International convention. Here was the edifying spectacle of Farrington, president of a great labor organization paying officers of a eap- italist government to put the mem- bers of his own union in jail. Wives of ICKS miners were thrown in jail, some of them with babies at their breasts. The coaboperators got busy and hun- dreds were indicted and held on heavy bail. ’ Then John L, Lewis came to the! assistance of Farrington. According | to the International Constitution of the United Mine Workers of America the International President only has the right to revoke the charters of districts, sub-districts and locals, but Lewis delegated this right to Far- rington in the state of Illinois with the result that the latter revoked the charters of 24 locals and made an agreement with the coal operators that none of these who took leading the insurgent movement should be employed in the mines. To| use Farrington’s own words: “It is our understanding that the operators will not pick the ringleaders in the} strike, which has crippled the mines | + If any do get positions and are | admitted to a local we intend to file| charges against them and oust them| from the union.” The Final Blow Thus the faker Farrington was using the operators to deliver the final crushirig blow to the men who dared to stand up for their rights and who were proved to be justified in their position by the International Convention, machine to crush the strike accord- ing to a report made by Secretary- Treasurer Nesbit at the Peoria State Convention in 1920, was $27,299.59. Why should the coal operators beth. er about hiring gunmen when the president of the miners’ union spends jthe money paid into the treasury by the members of the union, to put these very men in jail or beat them up or both? The forthcoming articles of this series will cover other high spots in Farrington’s career, but his part in crushing the 1919 strike is enough to damn him forever in the eyes of all honest workers. Pioneer Organizer Dies. WASHINGTON, Oct. -23.— Edward J. Cantwell, secretary of the Natl Assn. of Letter Carriers for the past 26 years, and editor of the Postal Rec- ord, is dead at his home here. He was |a pioneer im the organizing of postal {employes and bringing them into trade union affiliation. Secretary Wanted ‘Woman stenographer, competent to prepare manuscript for publication. Must have extensive ‘knowledge of labor movement. Position open in December. Age between 35 and 50. Single. J. R. SWARTS, The sum used by the Farrington “T'H rest here while Tin waiting.” A LAUGH FOR THE CHILDREN 349 E. Ohio St. Chicago, IM, iy