The daily worker., 1925-05-02
MINE INSPECTOR
ELECTION GIVES
MACHINE DEFEAT
County Supervisors Turn
Down Fakers
BY ALEX REID.

BY ALEX REID.
CHRISTOPHER, ILL.,, April 3d.
The Harrington machine goes down to
inglorious defeat in the latest cleo
tion fiasce, "The election of county
mine inspector" in Franklin county.
The appointment of the mine in
speetor takes place, after the miners
show their preference by ballot, and
same is recorded with county super
yisors, who in turn, elect the choice
of the miners.
Voted Full Membership.
Said election recently took place in
Franklin county, and the ballots we're
withheld from the Freeman local un-
ion with approximately 700 members.
The Middlefork local union with a
membership Of 600, when the mine is
In operation and which has been idle
for over two years, cast vote ap-
proximately a full membership.
Jack James, one of the candidates,
and a democrat, refused to worship
db bnC IOH0OAACdn 5hAAACg Va thC al
rington bench and thereby incurred
the wrath of the unholy machine, who
went out to annihilate him, and place
their own stool pigeon in his place,
by name, Chas. Robinson, a plant
tool of the bureaucracy, from Benton,
.ln.s------.s.s- s9s-
Machine Tried to Get False Count.
Jack James from Christopher would
have received practically a 100 per
cent vote from Freeman local, 700
membership, as Mr.. James is we'll
known and respected in Freeman, and
the Harrington and sub-district ma
chine is hated as only those machines
deserve and would have received a
scant vote there indeed.
Knowing this, the Lowe Fox, presi-
dent sub-district 8, Fox by name as
well as nature, has the ballots held
up from Freeman on the ground that
it is not in sub-district 8, and attempts
to lead the supervisors to believe the
mine was in Williamson county, when
the facts of the case are that the
mine is in Franklin county and the
inspector must examine that mine
with the rest of the mines in Frank
lin county They, "the machine" did
not attempt to explain the full ballot
from the mine that was shut down
for two years.
Lewis Ruling Didn't Count.
Tnbp T. axufc hoe ,r,,Iad fho ooffonc
Of that local union since, and prior to
the December elections, illegal;
yet in spite of this ruling by the in
ternational president, and with the
aid and connivance of the Harrington
machine and the sub-district tools,
they attempted to beat Mr.. James and
put over Mr.. Robinson in line with
their policy of rule or ruin.
Their contempt for the Lewis rul-
ing is seen in their defiance to issue
transfer cards, which are about to be
declared illegal, and which is caus-
ing bitter comments against the ma
chine from the decent miners who
have been duped by the takers and
who now areeswearing retaliation.
Try to Get County Supervisory Aid.
On Saturday, April 25. the whole
Harrington outfit with their candidate
Robinson appeared at the county
court house in Benton to clinch the
deal.
Headed by the Fox, assisted by
Board Member Harry Madden, also
Assistant Board Member James Hicks,
and others around Benton and, in
cidentally, the miners attorney, A. G.
Lewis was in deep conversation with
them, and was very prominent in the
room Of the supervisors during the
session, their foul efforts went for
naught.
County Supervisors Reject Fakers'
Plot.
The supervisors were informed of
the facts Of the Freeman local, like
wise the conditions OF the Middlefork
local, and as one OF the supervisors
was overheard 10 say afterwards, "It
was clear case of saving the min
ers' franchise from destruction by
their officers" It was the clear In
tent OF the miners to have Mr.. James
appointed.
II Mr. Robinson will examine the
personnel of his supporters, together
with letters from Mr.. Cobb, and