The Delta independent., 1924-10-10
international Labor Unions
Excluded From LaFollette
Convention All Except
Own Followers.
RADICALS IN POWER
BAN SOIL TILLERS
Blacklist Includes Their De-
tenders in Congress.

uUnal and international labor unions.
The public, and particularly the farm
er, had no voice whatever in his So
called nomination. There has existed
for over three years an organization
known as the Conference for Progress
sive Political Action, composed of 16
or is national and International labor
unions. the majority Of them railway
labor organizations.
The officers of this Conference for
Progressive Political Action are on
the whole the national and information
al officers Of the labor organizations
composing the conference The chair
man or president Of this conference
Is William Johnston, president Of the
International Machinists' union, and
the director Of the railroad strike in
1872 Mr.. Johnston was recently can
didata for governor of Rhode Island
on tie Socialist ticket. The headquar-
tiers NJ this conference is in the Ma
chin.s-s building, Washington, D. c.,
a building owned by the international
MachLllsts.
This conference held its annual
meeting In ST. Louis in February, 1924,
adopted a platform, pledged itself TO
launch q third party, and adjourned
to meet In Cleveland July for that
purpose. The convention in Cleveland
on July ( was therefore nothing but
the adjourned meeting Of the Confer
ence for Progressive Political Action.
The delegates to the Cleveland conven-
ton were merely delegates from the
labor organizations comprising the
Conferauce for Progressive Political
Action. plus a few scattering dele
gate from the Socialist party and
few radical organizations such as the
League for Industrial Democracy. The
Couferaure for Progressive Political
Actin established Its own rules re-
garlu- whom It would admit as dele
gutes and these rules were SO framed
that no one not In hearty accord with
the views of the labor organizations
comprising the conference was admit
tel out of approximately 1,oOO del
gates less than - were farmers or
-euresentatives Of alleged farmer or
-lnIzations
The officers OF the Conference for
Political Action were the officers OF
-ne convention. William Johnston, So
.alist leader, was the temporary and
also the permanent chairman. After
.r-anlziug the convention, a resolution
was drawn up and sent to Senator La
Toilette asking him to lead in a fight
for a third party. Not a single farmer
.- representative Of q bona tide farm
to organization signed this petition.
The so-called platform adopted at
tl.s convention offers absolutely Moth
ing to the farmer. Il consisted prac-
Grllly altogether Of recital of the
uUeEed grievances Of organized labor
and n demand for the enactment OF
their legislative program. Not a farm
gr was member Of any Of the COM
uIttees of this convention, neither the
rummittee on resolutions nor Creden-
tails. nor organization. nor nomina-
runs. The chairman of each Of these
committees was an official Of some in
tornational labor organization, The
narsonnel OF theS committees were
ather officials high in international
rH.lway labor organizations or officials
Do IN in the Socialist party, and other
rH'icnl organizations
The convention went ON record in
behalf OF the candidacy Of LaFouette.
l. Toilette was officially notified Of his
ramination 10y n committee appointed
nv Samuel Gompers Of the American
liberation Of Labor and no member OF
Ills committee was farmer. LaFol-
Iu,te acknowledged his nomination in
the form of letter addressed not te
fHe people of the United States or
the farmers Of the United States, hut
fn the American Federation OF Labor,
The campaign committee handling
the LaFollette-Wheeler movement is
iHe National CommNeo OF the Con.
farence for Progressive Political Ac-
lion, plus n number ~ Socialists The
edition OF Socialists to this commit
Tee was demanded by the Socialist
ulrty MS the price OF their support of
the ticket This demand was made
uf meeting Of the committee held In
Washington July n, at which time
representatives OF the Socialist party
were present and insisted that they
hr given 10 per cent Of the commit.
Tee. Their demand was granted.
There Is an executive committee ot 10
handling the inside stun Of the la-
toilette Wheeler campaign. No farm.
rr is on this committee. The cam.
pnign headquarters OF the LnFollette-
Wheeler movement is IOS Machiuists'
nulldlng. Washington. n. c.
The Conference FOR Progressive pO-
litlCnl Action issues weekly puhlicu-
lion known as Labor The farmer
hus no part In II. 1t is managed and
edited wholly by representatives of
labor organizations. 1t is their oil
cial campaign publication.