The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-11-03
BY TOM BELL.

| ny iOM BELL.
1.-THE conquering of the trade unions
for Communism was and remains the
main slogan Of the Profntern," declar-
ed Lozovsky at the recent congress Of
the r. I. L. u. This emphatic state,
ment was an effective answer to the
tendency which had shown itself on
the part Of various groups in the vari-
GUS countries to abandon the existing
unions for dual ("more perfectly I'M
ions.
Until the Communists win over
the unions in America dominated by
Gompers there will be no mass party
in that country" declared Comrade
Bill Dunno, in speech at the con-
gress of the Comintern on the Ameri-
can situation. This constitutes an ef-
fective answer to those who imagine
that there is some magic short cut to
the establishment Of a Communist
mass party in this country.
The above statements are worth
bordering over by every Communist
who is sincerely bent on winning the
masses for the revolutionary struggle
for the overthrow of capitalism in
America. ION principle" no one in
our party would dare openly to dis
agree with the viewpoint of the Com
intern and Profntern on the trade
union question. But between "prin-
ciple" and practice there is too often
great gap. It is much more COM
Portable to "agree on principle" than
It is to beard Gompers' labor lieuten-
ants in their dens. There is too much
lsxity and Indifference on the part of
Communists to the work in the trade
unions.
This can, of course, be explained.
Three factors face US at the present
time; 1. The political isolation of our
party owing to the adhesion Of the la
Dor bureaucracy and especially the
rank and file to the LaFollette presi-
Dental campaign. 2. The labor bu-
reaucracy now recognizes that the T.
.. E. L. is not sporadic movement
organized for the purpose of putting
some rival labor takers into Office,
O0t SAtAN ~ oAAAo al blC ACOl
Of the entire labor union movement
on the basis of adherance 70 revolu-
tionary principles. Therefore, the bu-
reaucracy is now fighting us tooth and
nail g. Many comrades are some
what disappointed at the slowness of
our work in the trade union move
ment. They look back at the first year
of our work in the trade unions and
remember the sweep Of sentiment
against the wornout policies of Com
pers and the endorsement of our poll
cies by thousands of local unions.
hundreds Of central labor bodies, more
than dozen state declarations, five or
six international unions, and compare
that record with the defeats and mere
partial victories of the past eighteen
months.
LaFoIIette and the Unions.
The organized workers of this coun-
try are so backward that they actually
believe that LaFollette represents
their interests and that if he is elect
ed he will be their" president. Be
cause we oppose this middle class lib
eral hack Of the independent indus
trial and banking interests the work
ers think that we are opposing prog
ress, and are insisting upon the form
alton Of an Independent labor party
only out of red" maliciousness. They
look upon our nomination of Commun.
list candidates as merely move on
our part to get our men elected at
the expense of the Legitimate" labor
movement.
We know that the LaFollette-W Wheel
er movement is simply an attempt on
the part of middle class professional
politicians to crawl into Office by util-
izing the cleavage which exists in
the ranks of the capitalist class, and
the discomfort among the workers and
small farmers But the workers look
upon LaFollette as their candidate
who will serve their interests if he
is elected.
The triumph of LaFollette among
the rank and file of the organized
workers is an indication of the weak
ness of the Communist influence
among them. It is quite apparent
that the bureaucracy is not entirely
with LaFollette. The support of the
A. +. Of l.. council was only thrown
to him by the vote of Gompers. Lewis
of the miners has a position on the
republican committee. Duffy and
Hutchinson of the carpenters are op.
posed to LaFollette. while Berry of
the pressmen's union is stumping for
Davis. Only the bureaucracies OF the
railroad men, the machinists, and the
clothing workers have come out open
ly for him. All over the country there
has been all kinds of stunts pulled
off by the local labor takers. Some
support the democrats, some the re-
publicans, some LaFollette all de-
pending as to how 1t suits their peck
cts. But the rank and file of the or.
ganized workers are for LaFollette
with the exception OF minority sec
tons of the clothing workers, food
Il. n