The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 30, 1926, Page 13

| i same boat. And what historic memo- ‘ - ary labor EPORTERS are waiting in Judgé Wilkerson’s courtroom the sixth floor of the Federal building for the appearance of Senator James A. Reed to open the investigation into the alleged corruption in the last’ pri- maries. Soon even the libel suit-fear- ing capitalist press will drop the “al- leged.” 5 In the meantime the supoenaed poli- ticlans and utility magnates are ar- riving. They take their seats. Talk animatedly to friend and give a gen- eral appearance of sang-froid. Thsy pose as if they had nothing to worry about, Neither have they, outside of a little bit of disagreeable publicity. But perhaps itis better to be men- tioned in scorn than not to be noticed at all! Utility magnates, capitalist poli- ticlans, the bribere and the bribed, feel more or less at home in this court. They may be grilled by jeal- ous rivals, but they are all in the ries this courtroom awakens! While waiting for the Missouri dreadnought to appear two conscious labor reporters (conscious is right.— T. J. O’F.) recalled the infamous anti- _labor injunction issued in this very -room by Federal Judge Wilkerson in 1922 at the behest of Attorney Gen- eral Harry Daugherty. The injunc- tion gave legal sanction to the em- ployment of thousands of United States marshals and deputy marshals as strike breakers and the reaction- hands and surrendered. The result was demoralization of the strike and the reduction of the shop craft unions to so many shadows, “But,” said one reporter to the other, “the railroad unions will come back, Daugherty will not.,..T. notice -thathe is still fighting, an. indictment for alleged complicity in a conspiracy to defraud the government thru his connection with alien properties taken over by the alien property cus- todian during the war.” “Yes,” replied the other. “Daugh- erty is on the pan, but the old game goes on just the same, Daugherty’s successors are just as bad. Look at those two lads over there.” The first reporter looked, and saw John H. Walker, of cherubic counten- ance and rotund figure, seated beside Victor Olander. Walker is president of the Illinois State Federation of La- bor, with a salary of $104.17 a week. Olander ig secretary of the federation Labor 'Fakers and talist Politicians SECOND ARTICLE ON SENATORIAL SLUSH FUNDS By T. J. O'FLAHERTY leaders threw up thein}’ Capi- at the same salary. The following is po of the conversation that devel- oped: ‘The two labor jeaders are here, os- tensibly for the»purpose of clearing their names of the charge of having placed the official seal of approval of organized labor in this state on the candidacy of Frank L, Smith, bene- ficiary of approximately $150,000 of. Samuel Insull’s money, in return for material considerations. Walker and Olander are highly indignant that the public should be given the impression that they could be guilty of political turpitude, Sure, their reasons for supporting Smith are altruistic, What of it if Samuel Insull saw. fit to finance Smith’s campaign? That of it if Insull and other utility magnates dumped $250,000 into Smith's cam- paign chest?. Can’t people do what they please with their own money? Bah! e We will leave the labor leaders, utility magnates and other celebrities alone for a moment and take a bird’s- eye view of the political situation In the sovereign state of Illinois. Reed has not arrived yet and there is noth- ing else to do, Illinois is normally a “republican ; state,” that is, it usually sends repub- lican senators to Washington and elects a republican governor. But Cook county, the most precious jewel in the state crown, is parcelled out between the democrats and republi- cans. We will get that later. The present governor, Len Small, ‘is at swords points with the! national G. 0. P. machine in [linois. Small is supported in Cook county by a sec- tion of the old Lunden-Thompson- Harding group and in the state at large by his own-machine; which, like all similar machines, is built on the foundation laid by state patronage. He has the support of the official trade. union leaders, Thru Frank Farrington, president of the Illinois miners, Small’s influence 4s strong in the coal mining areas. The labor leaders are permitted to dispense some of the Small patronage among their friends and useful (to the lead- ers) members of the union. In this way a powerful machine is built up which can laugh the “power of the ballot” to scorn, Chicago labor leaders who indulge in the pleasant diversion of adding to their bankrolls by following certain lines, such as bootlegging, high-jack- ing, fury-framing, etc., find a tractable governor in Springfield a necessity. Were THE FUNNIEST Fae Youve ever seen——— WE Go BATHING IN FILTH oO KEEP ‘. ef, ) SEM. —Drawing by Bales Sometimes a gangster with political pull and influence goes to Joliet. But he seldom stays there very long. He igs useful, back home, between elec- tiens, but a luxury on election day. Strike pickets have a much harder task getting “sprung” than gangsters. Big business has tried its darndest turned into the treasury only the miserable 2 per cent Bo generously paid by the bankers on state funds. The difference between 2 per cent and what Small got from the bankers made a lot of difference to Small. It is reported to be in the vicinity of a cool million, What a number of poli- ticiams can be purchased for one mil lion dollars! Ask Small, He knows. Naturally the big boys in the bust- ness world do not like this kind of conduct. Why should they care for a man who is willing to expropriate anybody who happens to have the coin? Small is the Kind ofa Robin Hood who robs the rich, but does not give it to the poor. He keeps it for himself, minus the sum necessary to enough republican and democratic solons to keep him out of jail. The courts demanded that Small cough up. But Small just sneezed at them atid collected a million dollars from the state apparatus to protect him- self from the fury of his enemies. There ‘he stands, Small fg able to pose before the masses as a “man of the people” who is being punished because of his devo- tion to the people’s interests, and he points to the fact that the Chicago Tribune and the Daily News, two SELVES CLEAN mouthpleces of big business, are kis sworn foes. This gag works, Frank L, Smith, the Insull pet, is chairman of the Illinois commerce commission. He was appointed by Small.’ The labor leaders have an excuse for endorsing him in the claim that he saved the public $360,000,000 im utility rates while he has occupicd his present position. But why those. utility magnates should give Smith $250,000 for his campaign is rather dificult. of explanation. The organizations of Senator Mc- Kinley amd Deneen supported McKin- ley ‘inthe primaries. McKinley de- sired to succeed himself. He anly succeeded in spending $500,000. It was his own money, tho. McKinley is also a utility king. He purchased politiciams right and left, some of those who were already bought by Smith. The McKinley-Deneen groups co-operated fm the elections. McKin- ley had the support of the official G. 0. P. machine. Roy West, secre- tary of the national republican com- mittee,. was McKiniey’s campaign manager. Sammuel Insuli, who poured a fortune into Smith’s campaign , kitty, decided to be nice to McKinley. He gave ‘his campaign manager $10,000, a small sum, but then Mc- Kinley, being a muiti-millionaire, did not need the money. The gift was merely to show Sam’s impartiality. The other senatorial candidate, nan is wet. Smith is dry—for the record. McKinley is as dry as &@ blacksmith’s apron. Samuel Insull was nice to them ail He gave Bren- nan $125,000. Brennan has almost wished he hadn’t accepted it by now. GREEN PRETENDS TO BE OFFENDED (Continued from page 1) struct the delegates.from this depart- ment to the A. F. of L. convention to introduce a resolution calling atten- tion to the necessity of inaugurating of labor,” had shined his shoes and combed his hair but the butler had slammed the door in his face, It was e parlor question. President William Green, leader of “the hosts a campaign of organiation in the auto- mobile industry of the country.” Below this paragraph on the cover and in black type a-half-inch high the editor of the Detroiter asked the lowing question: Fe “WILL IT BE ANOTHER HERRIN?” To Green and the other delegates this conduct on the part of the bosses was very boorish and-inhospitable. Perhaps the cut that hurt the most was the withdrawal of the invitation to Green to speak in the Y. M. C. A. When this ungentlemanly slur to the president of the federation became known at the convention the tongues buzzed. John P. Frey, editor of the Molders’ Journal and president of the Ohio State Federation of Labor, in- dignantly asked Green to tell the whole story of this almost unprece- dented insult. Green rose from his chair on the platform to do so solemn- “ .,, However, I did not feel hurt about the matter personally,” Green eaid, after telling how the invitation was withdrawn. “But I felt that our great movement here in this elty had deen somewhat humiliated,” Maj. George L. Berry, legionnafre, head of the International Printing not rise as a champion of the work- ing class against the open shop em- ployers of Detroit. He stormed as Maj. Berry, soldier and patriot. The open shop propaganda had cast re flection on the patriotism of the dele- gates to the A, F. of L. convention. “There 4s a Tine in this statement which Delegate Frey has read that causes me to offer resentment, in that the patriotism of the men ‘whose names appear in this list has been questioned,” Maj. Berry shouted. He ing them to close their pulpits to a list of delegates to the A, F. of L. con- vention who had been announced as available, for pulpit engagements in Detroit on Labor Sunday. Maj. Ber- "s name on the list, incidentally, in aR language of the poet, led all the “M the ministers of Detroit open their pulpits to men who are admit- tedly attacking our government and our American Plan of employment, it is certain that they will submit to our request to furnish speakers on the fol- lowing Sunday—Detroit speakers who will be happy to show that our city has out-stripped all of her rivals simply because she has been unfet- tered by labor Organizations,” the open letter from the open shop said in part, “We ask you; as the sup- porters of these churches, to weigh the matter carefully and fairly and ad- vise your minister as Jo whether or not you wish to have your church de- viate from the program for which it is maintained,” the lettep said in con- clusion, ° “I haven’t heard of any of these gentlemen acknowledging that they were attacking the Republic of the United States,” Maj. Berry continued, referring to himself and his fellow delegates. “Quite to the contrary, they Have demonstrated many’ times their love and affection for the gov- ernment of the United States. And when this crowd of slackers and prof- teers responsible for this agitation at- tempts to question the'r patriotism 1 shall, for one, resent it... My in- formation is that one of those respon- sible dor this outrageous un-American action was the chief outstanding slacker of the republic, Edsel Ford, who, by chanee, too, I gather, fs one of the chief contributors to this pro- posed building that the Y. M. C. A. is erecting to the tune of a mililop and a half dollars. « ... No, Mr. Manufacturers,” be }continued, “we saved America, we love America, we fought for America that it might be made secure. We jhave mot attacked America but we have attacked and will continue to at- tack without reservation that hypo- critical plan of yours called the Amex ican Plan. , * |. As an ex-service man, having served in two wars of this republic, I want to voice my resentment in sup- port of the dignified attitude taken by | the president of the American Federa- tion of Labor upon this occasion (the delegates rose and applauded Maj. Berry.) A few days later a resolution tn- troduced by O’Connell im behalf of the Metal Trades Department, calling for the organization of the automobile in- dustry, was emasculated by the com- mittee on organization, tossed out to the convention in a form devoid of | substance and yanked back Mke an April Foo!l’s Day pocket book into the safe, keeping of the executive“ com- mittee, (To be concluded next issue.)