The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-14

representing the groups which have
called the May both Convention
made the fight to definitely commit
the conference to independent nom
nations and a new party, the railroad
machine easily voted it down; in
fact, practically cut off all discus
sion of their proposals. The deter
mination of the railroad machine to
maintain its iron-clad control was
also evident in its turning down Of
the amendment to the convention call
which provided for representation
from local unions.
The Statement of Principles.
Contrasting to this vacillating and
indecisi0n on the question of how
to carry. on the fight against the old
parties and their domination of the
government, is the statement of prin-
4 ciples adopted by the conference.
The preamble to the concrete pro-
posals to which the conference COM
mitted itself is as bitter a denun-
citation of the old parties and their
use of governmental power to aid
in the looting of the nation by the
capitalists as could be written.
True, the statement of principles
does not touch the fundamental point
in the exploitation of the workers.
It never attacks the capitalist sys-
tenn but it shows to what extent
the governmental power is used by
the capitalists for their own errssh-
rnent at the expense of the work.
ers and farmers.
One of the interesting discussions
on the program took place around
the question whether the conference
should demand the right to strike
for the industrial and farm workers.
There were on the floor of the
convention delegates who cried out
against the word "strike" urging
that it would brighten. the farmers
and drive them away from support
ing the conference. They were ably
answered by w. w. Fitzwater, pres
ident of the Farmer Labor Union of
Texas, who showed that the farm
ers of the Southwest had learned
to use the strike as well as the in
dustrial workers and after his speech
the problem was solved by demand
ing the right to strike for the farm
workers as well as for the industrial
workers.
The railroad character of the con-
ference again comes out in the state
ment of principles in the fact that
the only industry which the con-
ference wants the government to
own is the railroad industry. The
railroad workers are concerned with
their own affairs. They do not
trouble themselves about the miners,
or the steel workers, or workers in
other basic industries who have had
the same experiences which they
have had, but try only to solve their
own special problem--that of the
oppression and exploitation of rail-
road workers.
This plank of the program illus
trates well the narrow, self-centered
ideas Of the aristocrats of labor DOM
mating the conference.
What Does Conference Mean to
Workers and Farmers?
The question which presents itself
to the workers and farmers of this
country with this third conference
for Progressive Political Action pass
ing into history is: What relation
ship has the July 4th Convention
to the great mass movement for a
far1ner-labor party which has been
crvstallized in the call for the May
30th Convention?
Can the workers and farmers, the
rank and file organized and unor-
ganized among the worst exploited
of the industrial workers and farm
ers Of this country, leave their fate
in the hands of the aristocrats of
labor who dominated the Third Con-
ference for Progressive Political
Action? Can they depend upon this
conference organizing political
party and entering into the presi-
Dental campaign on the basis Of
independent political action? Can
they take the chance Of calling off
the May 30th Convention and going
along with the Conference for Pro-
gressive Political Action in the hope
that on July 4th it will finally crvs-
tallize into a farmer-labor party7
The answer 10 these questions is
an emphatic "No" Any one who
represents the mass movement for
farmer-labor party who makes
such a proposal, is proposing the be-
tre..al of this movement.
The Conference for Progressive
Political Action is not committed TO
independent political action. At the
Cleveland convention, after the old
party conventions, the leaders Of
this conference may decide that one
Of the candidates nominated by the
old parties will represent their spe-
cial interests. These railroad or
ganization leaders will sacrifice the
interests Of the great mass Of farm
ers and workers for their peculiar
group interests at Cleveland as they
have done in the past IL they find it
to their interests. They would en-
dorse a McAdoo or q Smith, OF some
other so-called progressive, IL his
platform is right on the railroad
question. and leaving the farming
and working masses in the lurch.
The Third Conference for Pro-
-