The daily worker., 1924-02-13

enL OF many OF Jne great lnduSl
state federations Of labor and
a score Of farmers organiza-
tions. The convention which is
in session here is little more
than a convention of represen-
tatives of the railroad unions.
Only 1O6 Delegates Present.
Only LOG delegates were reported
present by the credentials commit
tee. Of these 44 are delegates from
the sixteen standard railroad unions
and "a others represent state organ
izations of the Conference for Pro-
gressive Political Action. AS these
state organizations are made up al
most entirely of railroad men these
twenty-four delegates can be count
ed as coming from the same unions,
making a total Of 68 delegates rep
resenting those unions.
The only international unions rep
resented outside of the railroad
unions are the Amalgamated Cloth
ing Workers and the Fur Workers.
The miners, the printers, and other
international unions, who sent dele
gates to the Cleveland conference,
are absent.
Besides the above there are about
twenty-five delegates from miscel-
laneous organizations such as the
League for Industrial Democracy,
American Labor Party, Non-Partisan
League, co-operatives, etc, including
seven delegates from the Socialist
Party. The credentials committee
report included only two delegates
from farmers organizations. There
were only six representatives from
central labor unions and five from
state federations of labor. Local
unions are barred.
Workers and Farmers Lose Hope In
Conference.
The only conclusion which can be
drawn by a person who saw the
gathering which assembled in Cleve-
and, who analyses the makeup
of this convention and watches it
at work is that the farmers and
workers have lost faith in anything
of interest to them ever coming out
of it, and have directed their effort
! to secure representation upon the
political field into other channels.
Compared to the great gathering
of rank and file delegates who formed
the Federated Farmer-Labor Party
on July 3, this convention is a dis
NAL affair. Here sit the conserya-
tive leaders of the railroad unions,
all of them big prosperous looking
men, together with the representa-
tives of the dying Socialist Party.
They indulge in formally eloquent
words. but there is no life nor spirit
in the whole convention. They ap-
plaud references to Workers and
Farmers government, but no move
ment which will win the goal of a
Workers and Farmers government
can come out of the dismal, deathly
atmosphere of this gathering.
While the Conference for Progress
sive Political Action has been con-
dueting its work to organize local and
state organizations to reward the
friends and punish the enemies of
labor, it seems the rank and file
local and state labor parties, which
have turned their back upon the Con-
ference as hopeless as an instru-
ment thru which the national crys-
tallization of the movement is to
come. The facts that the actual
existing farmer-labor organizations
have practically boycotted this con-
vention is a good omen for the May
30th Farmer-Labor Convention. The
hopes of the farmers and workers
are not upon the convention. They
have turned their backs upon and
are looking elsewhere.
Another Convention Proposed.
It is rumored around "Parlor A"
of the Statler Hotel, in which the
convention is being held, that the
leaders of the organization are very
much at sea as to how to proceed.
Their pretty little scheme for en-
dorsement of McAdoo as the candi-
date for president on the Democratic
ticket has gone awry. McAdoo is
dear to the hearts of the railroad
unions. But they are afraid to give
the endorsement now that he has
been splattered with the oil from
Teapot Dome. So the proposal seems
to be to wait and call another con-
vention after the national conven-
tions of the old parties. Maybe Nc
Adoo may still run. Maybe some
other good man will be nominated
by one of the old parties. Well
wait and see what the republicans
and democrats have to offer and then
we'll decide what to do. Thus seem
to run the intentions Of the Hillquit-
Johnston machine which is running
the convention.
Afternoon Devoted to Instruction.
The first afternoon session lasted
about two hours. Chairman William
H. Johnston appointed committee
on resolution and program, a COM
mittee on organization and COM
mittee on nomination of officers.
Among the members of committee on
organization, which will handle the
question of what the conference
will do politically in the immediate
future is William Mahoney, chair