Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1923-10-12
CONVENTION GUSTS
MONTANA DELEGATE
AvOWEDCOMMUNIST
Continued from Page ~

the delegation favoring Dunno shows
the weakness of those opposed to the
policy pursued by the American Fed
Grafton of Labor.
Reason for Expulsion.
Much Of the fire of the convention
against Dunno was provoked by his
Sunday night address at the Women's
club building, although his record as a
champion OF the communist program
has been known for several years.
81 doubt If you can find a lower
standard of knowledge of the history
OF the working classes and economic
struggle of the workers anywhere
than among the international officers
Of this convention" Dunno told his
accusers, whom he charged with
seeking to preserve the fragments Of
the A. F. of L. in order to keep their
positions paying $1,000 to $4,000 a
year."
President Gompers, himself head
and shoulders intellectually above the
To-
sponsible," said Dunno. HE does not
want intellectual leadership and he
has succeeded in depriVing you of it. +"
Roars of derisive laughter from the
delegates greeted this remark
"He knows you ALL" Dunno con-
tinued. HE plays upon you like a
violinist plays upon the strings of his
violin; and IL my judgment is cor
rect, he despises you all He de-
spises you as these newspaper men
in the press box despise you. You,
who live upon publicity and whose
doings and plans for this convention
have been published weeks in ad-
vance,"
The motion to unseat Dunno was
made by Murray of the United Mine
Workers after Secretary Green had
read articles from the Butte Bulletin
and reports from the coal mining re-
gions of Pennsylvania, intended to
show that Dunno had opposed the
work of the mine workers in organic
ing coal miners during the strike of
1922.
Remarks Follow Report.
Green's remarks followed the re-
port of the education committee which
dealt with the Federated Press, a Ia
Dor newspaper service accused of
flirting with Moscow propaganda, and
condemned by the convention because
of its relations with the Communist
party.
Green spoke at length and was fol-
lowewd by Murray, whose motion to
unseat Dunno was later declared out
of order because the educa COM
mittee's report had not been acted
upon. The report was adopted and
the Dunno motion renewed just be-
fore adjournment at noon.
Efforts of other delegates to gain
the floor failed when Gompers recog-
nized Dunno.
Dunno Opens Defense.
81 realize fully the underlying mo-
tives back of this move" said Dunno,
but when | said and wrote that Of
ficials of this organization were more
interested in their positions than in
the spread of the union labor move
ment, | told the truth and you know
it, and you cannot deny it. You strut
and swank about the convention hall
as if you had the capitalist class by
| the throats, yet | have heard only re-
ports of union charters being revoked
and nothing of new bodies or groups
being brought into the organization. .
The sharpest clash conferred around
the charge of Dunno that John L.
Lewis, president of the United Mine
Workers had delivered members of
his organization Into the hands of
the hangmen."
Asked by Green to reaffirm or deny
this charge, Dunno cited the publica-
ton in publicity matter sponsored by
the United Mine Workers." after a
recent mine shooting, the statement
that $50 communists, now working in
the mines, were responsible for the
murder"
Speaks as Communist.
CAS- a communist" Dunno told the
delegates with a dramatic pause, 81
believe that trade unionst must strive
for political power. If you say to me
am against constitutional measures,
l ask you, if after you have ex-
hausted all constitutional means and
the workers still starve by millions in
the streets, what them?
1T will not help the labor move
ment to expel me. No matter what
you do l will continue to fight the
battle along my lines. have always
felt that a distinction should be made
between the high salaried officials of
labor and the workers"
ut has been, and still is, my opin-
ion that progress in the labor move
ment is made in spite Of the Off
cials rather than because of them"
Even during the discussion of the
report of the education committee,
Dunno was made the object of at
tack. when Matthew Vol, vice presi-
dent Of the A. f. of l. spoke on the