The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-11-12

written by Fritz Kater of the Berlin
International.
Facts DisproVe WeIinder.
While Welinder's report was being
read, saying that "the industrial field
is the only ground where both classes
meet" news arrived from Seattle that
Sheriff Tipp Conn of Skagit county
and a large force OF armed deputies
had deported 105 l. w. w. striking
construction workers from Concrete,
Washington, and that three com
panies of militia under Major Thorn
were held in readiness to answer any
call from Lieut.. Headlee on the strike
scene at Concrete.
Revolutionary" Like Gary.
Welinder's endeavor to put a revo.
lutionary front on a reformist organ
ization was clear when he said that
the /. W. w. is revoutionry insofar
as it takes cognizance" OF the revo-
lutionary changes that have taken
place on the industrial field and "con.
ducts its activity in conformity to
such changes" The steel trust or the
boss who is on the lookout for new
machinery better to exploit the work
ers, or even the Y w. C. A. might
be Revolutionary" according to this
definition.
In this respect Welinder opened the
door wide for class collaboration, in
fact he accented it by implying that
the working class and the employing
class have something in common by
negatively stating that There is no
common ground upon which the en-
ploying class and the working class
can meet and do meet except in the
industries" Some delegates intimated
that this was queer way to inter
pref the first clause OF the preamble
Why a Convention?
The anarchist veneer became rather
thin when he stated that "by the term
direct action we emphasize our OPP
position to any and all forms Of dele
gated power whether it be to poll
ticians or to labor leaders who like
wise proclaim themselves representa-
lives Of labor" and so on. If this is
Welinder's real opinion it is strange
why he grabbed all the delegated
power he could get, to come with his
trunk to Chicago and sat in a con.
vention Of delegated power"
Perfectly Good Natured War.
Welinder asserted that 1.-THE class
war is grim reality" However, he
said, when we advocate the carry
ing on Of class war directly at the
point Of production and by the work
ers themselves, we by no means infer
that this is to take the form of a
violent encounter" When the wobblies
deported from Concrete threaten to
go back they merely want to return
and tell Sheriff Thorn and Lieut..
Headlee that they mean no harm and
have come back only to discuss the
price of snuff and agree that the Com.
munists are obstinate and violent
people.
| WN1A ~ tNAtC 0OCtCkls
THE l. w. w." said Welinder, has
no intention whatever to become a
ruling power in society" This is
exactly the philosophy of a craft union
labor faker and could well have been
uttered by Gompers. 1t is an accept
ance Of capitalism. That this view is
a confused outlook is, however, shown
by his later statement that "the I'll.
innate aim Of the l. w. w. is to abol-
ish class society" How a subject
class which accepts capitalism and
does not struggle for power as a rul-
ing class can accomplish the aboli-
ton of classes or anything else is a
syndicalist mystery.
Millennium Here Now--7
THE |. w. w." asserted Welinder.
hates nobody, capitalist or employee.
But we do hate and abhor the present
system" II the wobblies at Con-
crete and Natron Cutoff only sing.
"Oh, love the boss. he's a good friend
OF mine" enough, the scabs, sheriffs,
troops and bosses will all join and 20
out to capture the elusive System. f"
AS a part Of the conversion of We.
Under to christianity, he said that
The time OF violent revolutions is
something Of the past" Just what
facts he had in mind is hard to guess.
Certainly the Communists would like
to have Welinder point out the partic.
ular spot on this earth where revo.
luton has been accomplished by
brotherly love at the point of produc.
ton or elsewhere. Perhaps on some
other planet Of this or other solar
systems Welinder's plan may work.
However, as the whole convention
was confused, after Mann had sharply
criticized Welinders report the whole
matter was referred to the next G.
n. (Which Is TO hurry n