The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-12
Continued from page ID
in issuing the call for the conference
on June 18th in the Twin Cities"


In caustic, biting speech, dur
ing the debate on the resolution, Del
egate Taylor dashed Rodriguez mer-
cilessly. Rodriguez squirmed when
Taylor brought home his point as to
the role of the lawyers in the labor
movement, when he referred to the
continuous sabotage of the sessions
by this Illinois delegate. Rodriguez
is lawyer who deserted the Social
ist Party during the war because it
was not jingoistic and did not call
upon the workingmen and farmers
to give away their lives and money
in order to save their capitalist
masters.
When Taylor brought to bear the
full weight Of his argument against
Rodriguez as a lawyer-obstruction-
list in the labor movement and in this
conference the farmer delegates
greeted his arguments with pro-
lcnged intense applause,
Unity Maintained Despite Sabotage.
The sole and entire purpose Of
the desperate fight made by Rodri-
guez and his handful Of allies, sup
ported by Teigen, was to split the
conference and thus enable the cap
italist newspapers to engage in a
vigorous publicity campaign in which
the Federated Farmer-Labor Party,
the Workers Party, and all other left
wing elements would be blamed for
the split.
The decisive majority Of the dele
gates are firmly convinced that there
is no danger of any division or split
in the ranks of the comforting or
ganizations. All such dangers that
might have arisen have been warded
off by the unanimous agreement over
the convention date. This situation
is not altered by the fact that Tel
gen, Magnus Johnson's secretary,
came here to wage a bitter fight on
the left wing elements of the Farm
er-Labor movement. Teigen is looked
upon here as the spokesman for the
Washington politicians. He has al
ready suggested a change in the
basis of representation to permit
only state and local organizations
to send delegates to the June 18th
convention. Teigen hopes in this
fashion to exclude such national or
CARNATIONS as the Federated Farm
er Labor Party, which has been one
Of the dynamic and most energetic
forces in the movement for the or
ganization Of a powerful national
farmer labor party inclusive of all
the workers and poor farmers.
The. Rodriguez-Buck -Ernst-Brown
faction is supporting Teigen in this
maneuver.
The conference adjourned to re-
convene in the afternoon. The farmer
delegates are in a particularly ugly
mood against the lawyer obstruc-
zionist and his saboteurs. These dele
gates who are "dirt" farmers from
Montana, North Dakota, South Da-
kota, Nebraska and Washington are
complaining and are determined to
do away with the sabotage of the
lawyer-like tactics of Rodriguez
They feel that they have suffered
enough from gentlemen of this class
on their farms, in their bankruptcy
and mortgage and lien suits.
The delegates from the Minnesota
Farmer-Labor organizations, the Fed.
Grated Farmer-Labor Party, the eight
state Farmer-Labor parties anC
groups, and the representatives Of
the Buffalo and District Of Columbis
Labor Parties have got right down tc
business in preparation for the mon
ster national convention of the poor
farmers and workers to be held il
St. Paul.
William Mahoney, editor of the
Minnesota Union Advocate, was un
animously elected chairman; G. A
Hathaway, who is business agent Of
District n, of the International AS
ISOLATION of Machinists, and a mem
Der Of the National Committee of the
Federated Farmer-Labor Party, wa!
chosen to act as secretary Of the con
| ference.
Fix Basis of Representation.
The first proposition considered b,
the conference was the question 0.
the basis Of representation for th'
present sessions. Delegate John c
! Kennedy, of the Farmer-Labor Part,
Of the State Of Washington, moved
each State organization be allowed
I two votes and that local labor parties
be given one vote. This plan wa
adopted by the delegates.
Taylor Is For May 3Oth.
After a brief controversy between
Mshoney and Delegate Redwing
representing the Committee Of Forty
Eight, Delegate Charles Taylor go
the floor and proposed the resolution
which involves the principal decision
Of the whole conference.
Taylsr's resolution provided for tn
conference adopting the following
plan Of action in the organization o
the National Farmer-Labor Party:
/. This conference re-indorse tn
proposal adopted by it on Novembe