The Connecticut labor news., 1922-04-28


 me American trade union move ment has had likewise to contend against those who would destroy the industrial character of our movement and build a new movement on the One Big Union" idea, and wherein all power is lodged in the hands of a few. The realization of this idea is now merely the shadow of a shat . tered dream. &D
 Now comes William Z. Foster, who, sufficiently keen to know that the "One Big Union" idea has died and is forever buried with no possible chance of resurrection, believes he has designed form of organization that will solve all of labor's difficult ties and like a patent medicine will cure all our ills. At least that IS what he would have trade unionists believe.
 He, too, alleges that the American trade union structure IS all wrong and proposes to build a new structure which shall have as it's foundation of organization the nature of the prod net manufactured instead of the proc esses of manufacture in which work men are engaged. In other words he would organize the workmen into a few industrial unions instead of the flexible trade and craft unions now constituting the American labor movement.
 Evidently the historical develop ment and the long experience of the trade union movement counts for naught. William Z. Foster has an idea, and not a new one by any means, and that idea must be pro- moted-if not for the advancement of the workers then at least for the personal gain of MT. Foster. The new and novel thing about this pro- motion scheme of Fosters IS the fact that he is the first one within the labor movement to attempt com mercializing his scheme.
 There are those who look upon Fosters recent visit to Moscow, bis conferences with Lenine and his re- turn to America for the purposes of "amalgamating the labor movement as an attempt to carry out the orders of the Russian regime that the Amer ican Federation of Labor must be annihilated At least ever since Eos ter returned from Russia he has been energetically at work attempting to poison the minds of workers against
 
 and seeking to undermine it's leader ship.
 To this end he has set out to se- lect 1000 secret agents in as many cities. These secret agents have re- ceived secret instructions to surround themselves with secret minorities in every local trade union and interna tional union. These secret agents Tn turn must spread the gospel of dis sension in the ranks of labor and every official of a trade union, no matter how high or low his position may be, must be removed from office and Fosters secret agents must be put into official power.
 How to secure these secret agents and secret "unionists" and how to as sure their constant loyalty to Foster has been the real problem of Foster He could not depend upon the altru- istic spirit of these agents because only a monetary consideration could buy that sore of human effort. Hence he organized a Trade Union Edu cation League" This is the cloak of piety with which these dissenters and disruptionists are to shield them selves. Members of this Ku Klux Klan are not to pay any dues-in- deed they hope to profit and not to pay.
 Consequently Foster has started monthly publication called "The La bor Herald" and the 1000 secret agents, and secret "unionists" are urged to go into the highways and byways and into every trade union meeting and secure subscriptions of trade union members; and for every copy sold these secret agents and
 
 per copy. Thus the printing press sup plemented by Fosters mind and the effort of these secret agents and "unionists" are the means for paying the freight and the burden is to be borne by the trade unions who them selves are slated for the slaughterng block
 Foster, not being content with get ting control of the offices of every local and international union, Is also bent upon securing the control of every labor and trade union journal. Indeed, these agencies of labor pub licity are the most dangerous agents to Fosters scheme and hence word has been sent out to Fosters secret agents that every editor and pub fisher of labor paper and trade union journal is to be annihilated and only men of Fosters approval are to be put into these positions. One of the immediate tasks of the Trade Union Educational League is to "educate" every labor editor and publisher out of office and the "La bor Herald" is to be heralded into their places He advocates and hopes not only to eliminate every present labor official and trade union and labor editor but he intends likewise to put every trade union publication and labor press out of business ex- cept the "Labor, Herald" Of course in that way the American labor movement is to pay tribute to Eos ter and his Ku Klux band of secret agents and disruptionists Because of his direct affliation in the Chicago Federation of Labor and |