The Connecticut labor news., 1923-08-04
NEW YORK STATE
 LABOR ORGANIZES
 TO FIGHT AT POLLS
Socialists Join In But I. w. w. and Communists Are Barred
 Out


 leaders announcing the abandonment of their policy of isolation and de- claring their readiness to unite with labor for common political ends, a New York state branch of the Nation |al Conference for Progressive Politi- cal Action was formed here Sunday at a meeting of representatives of scores of labor unions and similar or ganizations Predictions were freely made that this action was the begin ming of what would eventually result in great new labor party which would control affairs in New York state before many years.
 Hundreds of representatives de- scended upon Union Hall, where the conference assembled with credentials from every sort of an organization. Only the Industrial Workers of the World and the Communists were barred by the credentials committed Socialists, led by Morris Hillquit, were somewhat doubtful at first as to
 whether they would be permitted on the floor and they held meeting of | their own to consider what action to take if they were barred With them
 met representatives of the needle
 trades. Representa- of the I6
 standard railroad organizations and
 others met independently at the same l time.
 l While the Socialists were suggest ling to the needle trades representa- lives that they stick together in case the credentials committee decided not
 to admit the Socialists, word was
 brought to their conference that | every oneSwas to be recognized ex-
 cept the I. w. w and Communist
 party representatives.
 Then the conferegce began. Be
 fore the doors were opened, I. w. W's. were distributing pamphlets, de scriptive of the formation of the Fed
 erated Farmer-Labor party at Chica-
 go in July, when meeting called for l similar purposes was stampeded and captured by the l. w W. Benjamin l Gittlow, who served a term in Sing i Sing prison for violating the. Anti Sedition law, was among them, as was also Louis Engdahl, one of the men who captured the Chicago conference. Morris Hillquit in an address struck | the keynote of the Socialist position. "The Socialist party realizes" he declared, "that it has reached the end of it's rope, so far as. politics is con lcerned. We believe the best thing to
  organization, and we are willing to cast 1t with the labor people" When the amalgamation is com pleted, Mr. HillquiN declared, there IS no question that the combination will "control everything" You have not understood us," he declared, land we have not under stood you That IS all the trouble, for the cause of the laboring men is the cause of the Socialist" The laboring men too long have supported candidates, MT. Hillquit de- clared, only to have to go to them after eelction, hat in hand, to obtain any recognition. The time has come to elect their own men, he declared. He called attention to what has happened in England. Tn 25 years, he said, the Labor party has grown to include some I,25o,ooo voters and now elects IA members to parlia- ment
 The same thing can be done here, he declared, and an amalgamation such as that formed cannot fail to control the United States if 1t Is con tinued throughout all the states, he said.
 Several references in the course of the conference to the election of Mag nus Johnson as senator from Mime |sota resulted in a reception that fairly raised the roof" The demonstration was especially vociferous when the Johnson victory was mentioned by Arthur E. Holden, of Cleveland, sec retary of the national conference. The. conference claimed some of the cred 1t for the election, and MT. Holden said 1t was an indication of what their ideals could accomplish. He report ed that there are state organizations similar to the one formed in Y states. Organization work is going on in three other states
 H. E. B1aney, representing Warren s. Stone, head of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, declared the railroad men had been forced into politics for their own protection.
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