The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-04
1887 Coal Miners
Delegates Plan
X ecGLL of LeWis
(Continued from PAGE ID

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gates were registered with the COM
mittee and collection taken up to
defray the expense Of issuing bull
letin on the convention proceedings.
Meeting Is Orderly
The meeting was probably the most
orderly of all the Indianapolis ses-
sions.
Tom Myerscough, secretary Of the
Progressive Miners international
Committee, whose case was reported
just before Howat's, was also re-
fused chance to make a defense.
When he rose to speak he was
grabbed by two sergeants-at-arms and
forced back into his seat. There was
plenty of protest but it was evident
that his supporters were waiting to
make the Howat case the start of the
real fight that came later.
No more arbitrary action than that
Of Lewis on both the Myerscough and
Howat cases has ever been seen at a
convention Of the United Mine Work
ers and Lewis had to rule both cases
out of order to save his administra-
ton from defeat. 1t is foregone
conclusion that had the vote on the
committee report been counted, or a
roll call taken that Howat would have
been reinstated and the administra-
ton repudiated.
1t was a knowledge of this that
prompted Lewis to deny hearing to
Howat and the other Kansas officials
who have been out of the organiza-
ton for % months without a trial.
The Farrington-Lewis alliance did
not swing District No. IL, (Illinois)
to the Lewis machine and this, the
largest district in the United Mine
Workers left the convention solidly
against the administration. The de-
feat of the Farrington's district adj
ministration is freely predicted. Sub
district No. A, of District No. II,
announced thru its delegates that
they were going to take a leading
part in the organization for the
special convention to impeach Lewis.
Blackjacks For Machine
The concensus Of opinion among
the delegates as they were preparing
to leave Saturday evening, for their
homes, was that the Lewis admins
ton from now on will meet the
strongest opposition it has yet en-
countered and an opposition that has
been solicited by the utter disregard
Of the wishes of the majority at the
convention,
Lewis win have to rule by force
and nothing else from now on" said
a delegate from a district, formerly
known as Lewis territory.
That the machine was prepared to
crush opposition at all costs is shown
by the purchase of 100 blackjacks by
its strong-arm squad during the two
days before the end of the conven-
ton. This is vouched for by the
hardware man who sold them and who
was much elated over the rushing
business he had been doing.
Review of Howat Case
The appeal of Alex Howat for re.
instatement in the United Mine
Workers of America has been pend
ing for more than two years.
Howat, president of the Kansas
district of coal miners, led a strike
against the Kansas Industrial Court
law which attracted nationwide at
tention and resulted in the law being
nullified. Differences with the Lewis
administration, growing out of a
campaign against Lewis, led by
Robert Harlin and Howat. led to his
expulsion by Lewis, together with
the entire Kansas district while
Howat was serving a Jail sentence
for his fight against the Industrial
! Court.
Howat was pardoned by the newly
elected governor of Kansas after an
election campaign in which the In
dustrial Court was one of the prin-
cipal issues. Since that time Howard
mas been carrying on campaign for
his reinstatement and has the sup
port Of all the progressive elements.