The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-04
Where Brother LelUis Failed


correspondent after the United Mine Workers
convention:
'"The complete rOut of the radical infu-
ence demonstrates that the overwhelming
majority of the membership of the United
Mine Workers organization believe in con-
structive progress thru the fundamentally
of orderly procedure"
Leaving for a moment the debatable ques-
ton of the Complete rout Of the radical infiu-
ence" we wish to call attention to the monu-
mental gall of Brother Lewis. 1t is quite pro-
babe that the majority Of the miners do believe
in Constructive progress thru the instrumental
ity of orderly procedure but that is the one
thing they do not get from the Lewis admins
tration and did not get at the Indianapolis con-
vention.
The actions of Lewis and his henchmen at
Indianapolis demonstrated-to use favorite
word of John L.-that the machine is absolutely
unable to lead the membership of the United
Mine Workers but has to depend for its lease
on power upon the most open and shameless
violation of every democratic principle in the
organization.
Even with the army of paid organizers, it's
control of the organization press, the economic
pressure it can put upon those who challenged
it, the Lewis machine could not muster major
ity vote on matters on which the membership
were thoroy informed such as the Howat case,
the basis of representation of local unions to the
convention, etc.
Had the Lewis machine not arbitrarily dis
regarded majority votes on these questions it
would not be in control of the organization to-.
day.
Constructive progress? Orderly procedure
These terms, coming from the lips Of Brother
Lewis will Sound little queer to the majority
of the delegates who know that on the Howat
case none but the payrolites voted for the
hat ccfr
squad and his dozens of able speakers did not
dare let Howat have fair hearing.
If one thing is certain it is that if Lewis had
had to depend on orderly procedure in Indiana
polls the radicals would have captured the con-
vention with very little trouble The majority
of delegates were not with the machine the
majority of delegates voted against the machine
and the Orderly procedure" of Brother Lewis
consisted of ignoring this fact in manner that
astonished and Disguised even the cynical CAPT
talist press correspondents.
AS far as the Progressive Miners Inter-
national Committee in concerned Brother Lewis
played right into their hands.
Whenever any privileged regime is forced,
under the pressure of those whom it rules, to
abandon openly all pretense of adherence to
democratic principles, that regime is doomed.
The length of the period for which it will con-
tinue to hold power is conditioned only upon
the extent to which the rank and file take ad-
vantage of the new situation and organize the
forces of discomfort that the tyranny of the
rulers have let loose.
Lewis is a demagogue and for a while he
ruled because of his ability to play upon the
prejudices of the membership. The difference
between demagogue and tyrant is slight
and Lewis soon was forced to become tyrant
AS tyrant over his little domain he ruled at
Indianapolis but the weakness of his position
forced him to go to lengths chat have brought
on revolt.
The rank and file of the delegates understand
better than ever before the necessity of organ
ization and thanks to Brother Lewis the left
wing in the United Mine Workers is now some
thing more than a nucleus.
1t now is broad movement embracing all
the honest, militant and intelligent delegates
some 1887 according to the post-convenion re-
gistration-and the thousands of the rank and
file who have confidence in them.
Brother Lewis is not clever labor politician.
A good one suppresses the membership and
still keeps it satisfied, prevents any organized
discomfort.
The failure Of Brother Lewis to do this at
Indianapolis can be taken as indicating that
constructive progress" will take place in the
United Mine Workers thru the fundamentally
Of orderly procedure" but that in two or three
years-perhaps in less time-it will not be
Brother Lewis who will be its director.
If anyone in the good old u s. A. has
cause for complaint it is the oil company pro-
motors who were sentenced to prison for stock