The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-21

trust to the letter of the law, allow
ing the spirit to die, to repose prim-
tive confidence in dogmas, magical
formulas, and precedent, allowing
common sense no scope and frequent
ly coming into conflict with the broad
principles of class war, class solidar-
ity, and democracy within the union.
THE vote on the other propositions
on the ballot was for the most
part in the affirmative. Only four
questions were defeated. Many OF the
changes thus made in the l. w. w.
constitution are sweeping, but as far
as our careful inspection can deter
mine, rather unnecessary and use
less.
For example: years ago the I. W. w.
had general executive board elected
by unions; this was changed couple
Of years ago to one elected at large;
this was abandoned in 1928 for one to
consist of the chairman of the general
organization committees Of the vari-
GUS unions, and now in this referen-
dunn, the last form of the G. E. B. is
discarded, and we return to the older
type of G. e. B. elected one member
from and by each large industrial
union.
n LII of this "monkeying" with
n forms is ridiculous; every sort
of G. E. B. so far tried will function
fairly well if it represents an enlight-
ened membership, and any sort of
G.. E. B. which is chosen by technical
tiles and bubbles, by votes Of mem
bers who have had no chance to free
ly discuss persons and issues in their
organization press, will be unrepre-
sentative, and at the mercy of the
mediocrities, nonentities who will
compose it. In this latter case there
will certainly be continual confusion,
internal dissension, and the ever
threatening split.
AS far as the Is propositions them
selves are concerned, we shall here
call attention to but very few of them.
In our analysis of the ballot dated
December "a (and mentioned above),
we stated that there were but nine of
the questions that were worth bother
ing about. We shall confine our pres
emit statement also to these nine.
QUESTION No. rs. calling for the
" expulsion of Bowerman, Rowan,
Ryan, Trotter and Anderson (the in
junctionites), carried by an almost
unanimous vote. This is proper.
Moreover, we hope that the !. w. w.
has learned by bitter experience that
mere anti-political fanatieism and
glib phrases such as throw out the
Communists" cannot serve in place of
a sincere belief in all inclusive revo-
lutionary class unionism.
But is should be noted as a warning
that so per cent of the votes in Row.
ans favor came from the west. And
there are others still in the /. w. w.
who have the same attitude as the
injunctionites, who use the same tao
tics, avoiding only their grand mis-
take, and who pose as great frank
and filers." If they get leadership in
the present gagged state of the rank
and file, the ruin they will do will be
no less than Rowan's. Let the mem
bers be always vigilant of this danger.
The membership was given the op-
l portunity to repudiate the clause
which prohibits other than wage work.
ers from joining. and it did not do so.
1t was advised by the last convention
to abolish job branches, and it did not
do that either.
The vote on these two questions is
in accord with the r. l. A. C. stand.
Likewise Their affirmative vote for
question IA, permitting officials to sue
coed themselves in office, and the vote
in favor Of question AZ, permitting in
dustrial unions to levy their own as
sessments lin affect allowing a rails
ing of dues in those unions which need
it, are approved Of by the Reds as
measures of efficiancv