The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-09-03
AS WE SEE 1T
BY T. J. o'FLAHERTY

THE reaetionary labor leaders are
1 always trying to put the rule OF the
workers and peasants in Russia in a
false light by catering to the popular
prejudice against dictatorship, ignor-
ing the fact that all capitalist democ-
racies are relationships in actual prac-
tice. Any system. that places the eco
nomic life of the individual at the
mercy Of somebody else has little to
recommend 1t, except to those who
own the means whereby others can
live.
TIME Communists don't believe in
i democracy bleat the reaction
aries, they believe in dictatorship"
And then they go on to picture the
fate of those who have to work under
the Communist regime in Russia
They shed tears over the misfoITunes
of the czarist parasites who had to
work or starve when the workers and
peasants seized power Yet those very
labor skates have no hesitation in de-
'priving members OF their own unions
Of livelihood for merely disagreeing
with them on political questions.
A LII the international unions. with
"A hardly an exception are now join
ing hands with the employers in perse-
cutting the radicals. The one | am
concerned with just now is the Jour-
neymen BARRIERS International Union
OF America The president of this or
ganiation is gentleman by the name
of Shaunessy. The secretary-treasur-
er's name is Fisher. Not so long ago
these capitalist tools expelled Con"
Foley of Pottsville, Pa, because Con"
stood for progressive policies and
made common cause with the radicals.
Even tho Foley was an old timer in
the organization and had done much to
build it up he was expelled for his
political convictions.
HERE in Chicago a group of BARRIERS
IL were expelled from the union by
order of the International even tho the
local refused to take such action. Not
only were they expelled from the
union, but the business agent refuses
them permission to work at their
trade, tho their unionism is without
faint which is more than can be said
for the per capita sharks who had
them expelled.
THOSE labor takers care very little
4 how those BARRIERS are going to get
money to buy the necessaries of life
for their dependents. They worry
over the condition of the Russian
grand dukes and duchesses but mem
bers of their own unions are subject
to persecution, provided they refuse to
dig out their brains or do their think
ing according to the takers code. But
the progressive BARRIERS are not laying
down. The current issue of The
Progressive Barber tells the story Of
he struggle in the BARRIERS union and
Toes 1t in very creditable manner.
THERE is only one way to handle
the reactionaries and that is by
conducting an organized fight against
them, based on progressive principles
as well as dealing with the personali-
ties OF the crooks The Progressive
Barber sets a standard which other
left wing papers should do we'll to
emulate and surpass. This is not an
easy job. The little paper is well got
ten up and the material is mostly all
original and pertains chiefly to the
BARRIERS problem, with enuf outside
matter to link up the struggle in the
BARRIERS union with the whole left
wing fight in the labor movement
The paper is issued monthly. The
subscription is 81 year and It is pub
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