The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-15
SMALL LOCALS,
| 5000 members,
BACK MACHINE
Continued From Page -

The unseating Of George Halperin,
Local Sc, New York, at the Interna-
tional Convention, brought to close
the first battle in the war of Sigman
dictatorship against the left wing mill
tants in the organization.
Sixteen delegates regularly elected
by overwhelming maiorities in their
local unions have been elected from
the convention charged with member
ship in the Trade Union Educational
League That is the net result of
full weeks deliberations of an inter
national union which counts itself a
big factor in the American labor
movement.
Most Active Expelled.
The coast is now clear for the
oficialdom. By driving out these 16
men and women, the administration
has eliminated the strongest forces
of the progressive opposition from the
convention. The unseated delegates
have without exception, been amongst
the most active supporters Of the prin-
ciples of amalgamation, class labor
party, a trade union policy based on
the class struggle. They have fear
lessly challenged the rule of a ma
chine which has, by its policies and
tactics, led the International organ
ization into condition of chaos and
Decentralization.
This mornings session began, as
usual, with the reading of kilograms.
The administration carefully avoided
reading a telegram protesting against
the unseating of delegates which is
known to have been sent from pro-
itest meeting held last week in Cen
trail Opera House, New York, by sew
eral thousand cloakmakers and dress
makers.
Case Against HaIperin.
The credentials committee then
recommended that Delegate Halperin
be not seated on the grounds that he
belonged to the League and had dis
turbed union meetings. An important
point in the indictment was that, as
a member of the Workers Party, he
had not protested against the criticism
of the International officials ap-
pearing in the Freiheit. one of the
official organs of the party.
Delegate Halperin, in his reply,
charged that a week had been spent
in quibbling about technical charges
while Sigman's steam roller had pre-
vented discussion on the real issue
involved. That issue, clearly DEM
onstrated in his case, was the poll
teal view advocated by the militants
in the union.
II am a member of the Workers
Party" Halperin stated, "and you op-
pose the program and policies Of that
organization. That is why you want
to put me out of this convention. Your
crusade against the left wing in the
International is a crusade against a
political party, the Workers Party,
which is gaining in influence amongst
the workers of the international"
i Deny Right Of Appeal.
Halperin charged further that the
Sigman dictatorship was denying the
membership their constitutional right
of bringing their differences Of view
before the convention of the union.
The convention, according to the con-
stitution, is the highest tribunal of
the organization to which members
are privileged to bring any and all ap-
peals. Yet Halperin is accused of be-
ing disloyal and disobedient because
he urged his local to pass a resolu-
ton requesting the convention to re-
consider the General Executive Boards
decision outlswing the League. Tho
the convention is supposed to express
the will of the membership, Halperin
committed criminal act in making a
motion in the Executive Board of his
union, OF which he is a member, that
Local sc delegation be instructed to
vote against the expulsion policy.
S. p. Tactics.
"You are adopting now the tactics
introduced by the Socialist Party in
, 1919, when, in expelling seven lang
uage declarations, the first shot was
fred in the campaign against the left
wing movement in this country" Hal
perrin concluded. But the Socialist
Party has dwindled down to nothing
! in the Ave years following. Your
present expulsion policy will ruiz
your organization in the same way
unless you reconsider It."
Halperin was finally unseated by a
vote OF 1872 to 3b.
When the vote had been taken, dis
posing OF the last case against con
tested delegates, President Sigman
rose to make statement. He denied
that differences of opinion were per.