The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-05
AS WE SEE IT
By r. J. O'FLAHERTY.

By T. J. O'FLAHERIf.
1T was rather significant that the
L last act Of John L. Lewis at the
goth consecutive and 9Th biennial
convention of the United Mine
Workers of America was to break
his gavel. The convention did not
adjourn. 1t simply came to an end.
The broken gavel played such a
conspicuous if inglorious part dur
ing the convention that it did not
care to continue even a mute exist
ence, when it's masters action
brought riot instead of adjourn
ment.
1t seems that the more q person
knows about a constitution the easier
he finds violating it. There is not
a paragraph in the miners little
book of laws that John L. Lewis
cannot quote on the slightest provo
cation and woe unto the miner who
in his zeal in behalf of his fellow
workers hurts the boss's feelings
or steps on the corns of the sacred
contract" There is nothing in the
constitution that prohibits a presi-
dent from submitting to a majority
vote. Lewis announces the vote
when his tellers do not make any
miscalculation. But when they make
a mistake and tell the truth, John
remains dumb.
The Nation regrets the demise of
the Freeman, which is scheduled to
take place on March 5. One of the
most noteworthy contributions made
by the Freeman to the American
working class movement was its
tribute to The DAILY WORKER,
published in a recent issue. Liberals
are continually regretting that this
world is older than it is. A paper
that wastes its time in being merely
brilliant without having a construc-
tive policy to reshape this world
can expect no better fate than an
early grave.
Arthur Brisbane is disguised with
Ramsay Macdonald because the lat
ter announced that the British gov
eminent would call off its airplanes
that have hitherto been willing away
the weary hours dropping bombs on
villages somewhere in India. Bris-
bane thinks this shows lack of gov
erning ability on the part Of Mac
Donald. The Hearst scribbler, press
agent Of John D. Rockefeller, is Of
the opinion that the only way to
convince savages that law and order
was made for them is to make re-
bellion costly. They cannot be con-
WINGED by argument SO they must
be nassacred. Here we have an
example of a pen prostitute who
poses as a progressive but is actu-
ally one of the most dangerous
enemies of human freedom. He is
akin to the so-called progressives IN
the labor movement who mouth the
phrases of reform but are actually
tarred with the same brush as the
reactionaries.
The Nation finds soace in the
thought that Ramsay EIacDonald's
cabinet is a pacifst one. How a
government can hold down the re-
bellious subjects Of the British EN-
pire by moral suasi0n will test the
alleged pacifsm of Ramsay Mac
Donald. All governments-even that
of Ramsay MacDonald-ar main
tanned by force and whether they
like it or not, if they desire to exist
they must use force. So long as
society is based on the rule of one
class by another the ruling class
will hold its place in the saddle
with guns and bayonets and more
modern weapons of destruction. The
liberals are not angry over class
rule. What they kick against Is
the machinery that all governments
must use to a more or less degree
in order to prevent the oppressed
class from dropping them into the
nearest sewer. What concerns uA
is not exactly the size of the army
but who controls it. If the labor
party government now existing on
the sufferance of the liberal party
in England really represented the
workers it would not be finiclxy
about the use of force. 1t would be
more concerned with abolishing the
robber system of capitalism which
could not hold its power twenty
four hours without armies and ma
vies.