The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-20
MussoIinis in the Trade
Unions Talk at Banquet
About Popular Rights"
BY J. LOUIS ENoDAHL.

TODAY the December (chstmas) edition Of the Painter
and Decorator the official organ of the Brotherhood OF
Painters Decorators and Paperhangers Of America arrives
More than half of its space given to the report OF the
unions delegation to the October convention Of the Ae-
can Federation of Labor convention at Atlantic City.
Anyone with scissors paste and lead pencil could have
prepared this report in fifteen minutes from the official
printed minutes of the A. F. OF l. convention.
The only ingenuity shown in cutting out the reaction
airy speeches and printing them in FULL while every sembance
of progress displayed at Atlantic City is carefully censored
This report that typical Of the that all stand
pat delegations to the F. of l. convention making to
their organizations the time that 1870 trade
union and public officials" banquettng Senator Robert
M LaFoette, J in Washington. Lawrence Todd the
o representatives of the Federated Press egaes with
keynote the speeches and Of the letters read from absent
labor executives Including President Green the American Federation
Of Labor and President Robertson OF the Brotherhood
Firemen, WAS A RENEWAL OF PLEDGES DEFENSE
LAR RIGHTS in the spirit Of the first LaFOette.v
The membership Of the Painters Union for instance in
common with the rank and file of other organizations should
know how their so-caIed popular rights assassnated
President George F. Hedick, the expusonist head Of
the painters chief of his unions delegation Atlantic
unanimous.
starts out with full publication Of the speech Of He'd
German fraternal delegates who contributed single
dsa to the gathering Any eactonary on this side of the
done as WELL The historic plea for world unity
delivered by A. A. Purcell of the British delegation dis
ardy attack Purcell when the British delegate had no
opportunity to reply is also published in full with special
efforts being made to draw attention to It.
This is merely another example of how the labor Off
cadom that talks about popular rights banquets plays
Musson role in actual practice It may be we'll to rene-
Der that the painters delegation in addition Hedrck in
cluded Charles Lammert general secretaryreasurer:
Nick Smith, Local Union No. fo; p H. Trggs Local Union
No. 257 John T. Doyle Local Union No. 43; Charles j.
Esenng, Local Union No. 341, and Joseph r KeIey (a-
ternate) first general vce-president These names were
signed to the report that made virtue of censorship thru
the suppression OF important developments the Atlantic
City A. F. of L. convention
The painters journal could we'll dispense With a few
pages OF jokes and bourgeois propaganda and conduct an
open forum to contain the contributions the unions mem
pes discussing vital problems The rank and file must raise
and win this demand It should the exposure Of +
practices OF the edrck outfit and prepare the way for the
DAY when at least strong minority will sit the delegation
OF the painters union at A. r of l. conventions The nae
equally to all other international unions without exception