The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-08-20
EDITORIAL PAGE OF THE 7OlLER !

irrespective of creed, color, or craft,
they will divide US as they have
divided US in the past, as they are
dividing us now, and they will rule us,
under the American Plan, a return to
the days of pre-union slavery"
The other members Of the commit |
tee spoke. The chairman of the rank
and file conference, delegate Curry,
told them of his experiences with the
American plan fight in Salt ; Lake
City. Wattles reminded the delegates
that if they did not understand it
was their fight now, they would learn
it later on, when they were attacked.
"We'll be licked by them, but if you
need our aid, such as it will be, We'll
give it to you" And the rest spoke,
consuming in all nearly two hours.
II move we adjourn for half hour
until the executive committee can re-
port back" cried Sorenson, Of the
cooks.
"Out of order" nonchalantly an
nounced the chairman, and then as an
afterthought, "the executive commit
tee is a deliberative body, and if dir
ected to investigate this matter, can.
not be ordered to know all about il
in half hour"
Faulty Tactics of Delegates.
| The proper tactic was to appeal
from the chair, but the delegate from
the Cooks didn't see it, and after
hesitation, commenced to speak on
the motion on the floor. He made q
fiery appeal. The spectators were
with him. A few of the inert delegates
were awakened from the lethargy intt
which too many speeches had pu+
| them, and applauded. "This is YOU
! fight" he urged. "If the Chamber
of Commerce puts across the oper
shop in the building trades, six months
| from now there may be no centra
labor council in San Francisco-ther'
may be no unions in San Francisco.
"Ycu're damn right" muttered
I bystander in an audible whisper. H,
might be damn right, but that didn'
put another motion on the floor. Ant
the president never leaned forwart
in his chair. Delegate Zant of car
penter's union affiliated with th'
council, got up and timidly urged tn
proposition. Another, announcing him
! self as conservative, and not a.
= alarmist, rose to declare that tn
open shop was an attack on all or
ganizations of labor.
! And President Bonsor waited wit
: bored courtesy till each of the ad
vocates had gotten it all off his chest
Then he leaned forward slightly, pul
led an invisible lever and the steam
roller began to rumble. Secretar,
O'Connell took the floor. He sym
pathized with the building trades. Blu
when the council wanted to mediate
the dispute few months before, tn
officers of the building trades toll
him to mind his own business. (Neve
mind that these were not the officer
who were appealing now. And neve
mind the fact that in the second hal
of his speech, he was to demand VIII
the officers, the leaders, the men VIII
had served the building trades so lon
and so well, were not present to urg
the strike
And he thought it was impertiner
harsh word-to try to stampede tn
k council into acting tonight. To den
= it the right to investigate. And tn
]. butchers had been slandered-he
e himself a teamster that no yout
e under voting age has ever seen driy
a truck-the butchers would nevs
n consent to the American plan.
nj And so he played on craft prejudice
S and machine prejudices, and sneere
t and jeered, and sat down.
Scabherder Casey Appears.