The daily worker., 1924-05-14
COAL MINERS
OF ILLIN OIS
in SESSION
Radical Note Struck At
Opening of Meeting
BY JACK TOMBSTONE.
Especial to The Daily Worker)

PEORIA, ILL.,, May ia radical
note which was sounded early in the
first session of the great Illinois min
ers' convention was displaced shortly
after by the horn blast of reaction
from Oscar Nelson, vice-president of
the Chicago Federation of Labor.
A louded blast Of reaction no doubt,
will be sounded later in the conven-
ton when President John L. Lewis,
Secretary William Green and Vice
President Phil Murray, of the interna-
tional, take the platform with the new
friend, Frank Harrington.
The convention opened with Joe
Lynal welcoming the delegates in the
name of the Peoria central labor
council. Mayor Woodrow, who fol
lowed, invited the visiting miners to
enjoy themselves while they were in
Peoria.
Next Reverend Carpenter was given
the platform and lost no time in tell
ing the convention that he was proud
of being called a radical. He said
that the world had changed since the
big war and that democracy was on
trial today against the forces of re-
action.
Carpenter went on to say that he
could not see why workers in one
country should go and shoot down
workers in another country.
Great applause followed from the
delegates who have come from towns
where hundred percenters are de-
nouncing every foreigner and trying
to whip the people up into the tenn
per for any murderous purpose their
masters may desire.
The Rotary Club came in for a
lashing at the hands of the speaker
and he stated that WI at was needed
in the world, was service, not profit.
Thomas O'Connor, ex-mayor and ex-
president Of the plumbers union and
now holding the post of manager of
the only union cracker factory in the
United States, was the first who took
the floor in behalf of the union label.
In the course of his speech, O'Connor
paved the way for Nelson with ref
erence to people who come into an
organization for the purpose of Great
ing dissension.
But before the vice-president of the
Chicago Federation got the floor, the
convention sat thru the ceremony of
Lynal presenting union-made gavel
to President harrington Then the
call for the convention was read and
Harrington announced that John NJ
Lewis, international president, Will
lam Green, Secretary and Phil Muir
ray, vice-president. would later attend
the sessions.
This news that Lewis, the long-es-
tablished enemy of Illinois miners
policies, would speak from their plat
form, got no applause from the men
who had supported the Kansas min
ers' brave fight while Lewis was send
ing scabs into Kansas.
At last Oscar Nelson was given the
floor and he was soon into the midst
of laudation of the old party politi-
cal game and an attack on the Trade
Union Educational League.
The one thing remarkable about
Nelson's speech was that he forgot
to mention Moscow.
Beginning his talk with the story of
the fight Of the fiat janitors and
thanking the officials present for the
aid they had given the Janiiors wnen
they were sent to prison. he began
praising the governor of Illinois.
Then he declared that labor had
defeated the constabulary bill. pre-
vented strikes from being declared
illegal and stopped the attempt to in
corporate unions.
But, said Nelson, the greatest vic
tory labor has ever had was the de-
feat Of Essington. Brundage and Nc.
Cormick at the primaries. He said
that the unity of labor at the pri.
maries had taken the punch" out Of
the employers association. He at.
tackled the conspiracy between the
courts, States Attorney Grove and
and the employers association.
The attack on the Trade Union
Educa lonal League-which actually
has been one of the greatest forces
behind the garment strike-was made
with Nelson's usual animosity. His
particular count against the League
was the charge that certain officials
of the federation had suffered some.
what in reputation as the result of
the criticisms OF the League. This
criticism Of reactionary leaders, Mel.
SON termed spreading poisopI"