The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-07-28
CONTINUED from page u

suffered a little, continuing, THAT
is, mean until 1912, when Taft was
nominated Then l went along with
Roosevelt"
At the mention of the leader of
the break in the republican party, IL
years ago, a startling burst Of APP
plause broke forth, that surprised it.
self, as the burst Of enthusiasm that
had greeted mention of LaFollette
had shown no greater proportions.
But this outburst helped. character.
lie, as nothing else possibly could,
the nature of the gathering. Altho
representatives of labor dominate the
conference, principally the delegates
Of the standard railroad 0rganiza-
tions, nevertheless, the conference is
under the spell of little business"
theology.
Where Was Latbor7
The gathering got away with an
outburst of oratorical pyrotechnics,
in which no spokesman Of labor
played part. The big guns also
were not there. LaFollette still ling
ers in his tent in Washington, and
Campaign Manager Nelson went off
to join him. President William H.
Johnston, Chairman of the Confer
ence for Progressive Political Action
did not attend. No brotherhood chief
was there. Charles J. MACEDONIAN, a
brotherhood man, was in charge of
the steam roller as chairman.
But the speakers were a judge
from Rock Island, the congressman
from Wisconsin, Mrs. Glenn f.
Plumb, who is pushing the campaign
among Illinois women, a Chicago
banker, and an expert on private de-
tective agencies. All this, with the
opening prayer, kept the three or
FOUR hundred delegates wondering
why they had come to Chicago.
At no time was there breakaway
from the program outlined. Mac
Gowan told the delegates there was
going to be no third party talk. And
he issue of the Farmer-Labor Party
was kept far, out in the street, or
parked over in Grant Park. The only
undercurrent that indicated there
might be an outburst before the gath
ering adjourns, was whether Len
Small should be endorsed for re-
election. as governor of Illinois, or
some LaFollette gubernatorial candi-
date placed in the field. These issues
were being fought out in committees
as this issue went to press.
Hate Proletarlan Dictatorship.
The judge from Rock Island, Judge
Charles ]. Searles, got in the first
attack on the Communists in read
ing the statement and platform" of
LaFollette to the gathering. He en-
phasized that section that reads:
I'VE are unalterably opposed to
any class government, whether it be
the existing dictatorship of pluto
crazy or the dictatorship of the pro-
letariat."
No response came from the gather
ing. Most of the delegates, no doubt,
didn't know what it was all about.
And Chairman MACEDONIAN got in
his little dig when he declared that,
Even the Communists have thrown
aside the last shred Of their cloak
of righteousness and have come out
into the open to gnaw at our flanks
while we face forward to meet our
common enemy"
They Must Protect Capital.
Just who the common enemy is be-
came somewhat doubtful when Mac
Gowan proclaimed that, I'VE hold
that capital prudently invested is en-
titled to protection. 1t is entitled to
consideration. But, at the same time,
capital must not make slaves of man
kind"
The only remedy offered is the
ringing Of the cracked Liberty Bell,
of 1776, but MACEDONIAN and the other
speakers failed to right It at all dur
ing the opening sessions.
But MACEDONIAN did take the LaFol-
lette bob cat" by the ears at one
point, and really discussed the Dawes
plan for a couple of sentences. What
LaFollette, who lodges information
al issues, will say, remains to be
seen. 1t was in discussing the repub.
lican ticket that MACEDONIAN said, af-
ter mentioning Coolidge:
Next on the same ticket is the
blasphemous gentleman. Mr.. Dawes,
whose nomination by the republican
convention was not an act of fate, as
many would have us believe, but was
a carefully laid plan of the group of
international financiers who are in
terested in involving the United
States in their questionable schemes
to bring, about the enslavement of
Western Europe and the subsequent
enslavement of the United States"
This will, no doubt, sound like